The summer of 2024 was the second year of the Camp Fellowship Program. The Camp Fellowship Program is a leadership and career development program designed for the young people we serve who have moved beyond their camper years and wish to work at summer camp. This year, five ATS Fellows worked as camp counselors at the camps that they had attended through our Campership Program.
The Fellows received additional training and took on additional responsibilities to support current ATS campers in exchange for a stipend and references from ATS. We had Fellows employed at Cheley Colorado Camps, Camp Kooch-i-ching, Colvig Silver Camps, and Camp Kawanhee.
Every one of our Associate Camps is striving to create more diversity within their camp community and staff. The Camp Fellowship program provides greater access to a diverse population of highly qualified candidates who have a deep and personal understanding of the camp experience because they have been campers themselves.
By increasing staff diversity, the camps ATS partners with will be able to provide greater connection and support for their campers who come from diverse backgrounds. The Fellows provide a safe space for campers to ask questions and receive guidance and support, increasing their sense of belonging. They are wonderful role models for the next generation of kids in our program.
In terms of the Fellows themselves, working at camp is a fun summer job, but it also provides tremendous growth opportunities in the following areas:
- Interpersonal and Leadership Development
- Critical Thinking and Problem-Solving
- Collaborative Skills
- Creativity
The Fellows have great networking opportunities and receive additional professional development, guidance, and support as they explore future directions and possibilities.
We want to share with you some of what our Fellows had to say about their experience as camp counselors this summer:
“Being a Fellow was awesome. I was a camper at Cheley Camps for two years and so it was really cool being able to provide the magic that I received when I was younger. This program and camp itself have helped me figure out how to work with people and guide them. I gained the skills I needed to help them grow.”—Jack
“I really enjoyed being a counselor at camp. I learned new ways to cooperate with and work with other people. It’s pretty cool knowing that there’s a program that is getting people to go out in the wilderness and have different types of experiences that not everyone gets to have. I’m very happy to be part of that program.”—Keishon
“Being a Fellow helped me understand that camp can be a really important place for kids, especially kids who don’t get those kinds of experiences all the time. It was so cool to be on the other side and have campers come up and hug me and tell me they’d had such a transformative experience. It was a full circle moment, and I was very happy to be a part of it.”—Jade
“I’m very appreciative to have this opportunity. It’s nice to still be a part of the ATS and camp communities and be able to give back.”—Kai
**Note: Kai has worked at Kawanhee for several summers and this year was named the counselor representative, facilitating communication between camp staff and camp administration. He was also the DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) coordinator for Kawanhee this summer in addition to fulfilling his cabin counselor and Art Director duties.
“Being a Fellow has played a huge role in how my life has unfolded. If it weren’t for the Fellowship Program, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. I wouldn’t have all the connections I do now. I wouldn’t be working where I am now, which is working for the camp year-round. I wouldn’t know the people I do. It would be a completely different path of life if I hadn’t been involved in camp and the Fellowship Program.”—Silas
**Note: Silas lives in Cincinnati and works year-round for the Camping and Education Foundation (which runs Camp Kooch-i-ching and Ogichi Daa Kwe) teaching inner city kids how to build canoes and taking them out on field trips in the wilderness.
Moving forward, we are excited about the possibility of having an even greater number of Fellows in 2025. We’re confident that the Camp Fellowship Program will continue to make an increasingly positive difference for the Fellows themselves, the camps where they work, and for the younger kids in our Campership Program.