Welcome to the third stage of your NYQUEST Camp Canada Journey: SUMMER CAMP JOB IN CANADA! If you’re new to the NYQUEST Camp CanadaJourney, you should start reading at Stage 1! If you haven’t yet received your Confirmed Placement email, you should read about Stage 2 before jumping into this post. But, if you’ve received that email, read on for more information!
It’s finally time for the summer of your life! Once you’ve boarded your flight, you can kick back and relax for a few hours and enjoy the ride. Upon landing in your host city, you should follow the transportation instructions that NYQUEST has emailed to you to help you get to your hostel. This transportation differs between host cities so be sure to read carefully! Arriving at your hostel means you are set for the day! Check-in, relax, and get excited about BEING IN CANADA!
Between arriving at your hostel and heading up to camp, a few things will happen. First, if you have booked any certification courses, these will be scheduled during this timeframe! Next, you will have your NYQUEST orientation*.
Your NYQUEST orientation will include a group trip to Service Canada to get your Social Insurance Number as well as a trip to the bank to open a Canadian bank account. NYQUEST staff will also give you your health insurance information and go over everything you need to know before beginning your placement. This in-depth discussion is your chance to ask any final questions before it’s time to head up to camp!
NYQUEST will provide you with detailed instructions on how you are getting to your camp – some camps will pick you up directly from your host city while others will have you take a bus or train to a nearby station. No matter the method, you will not be required to pay for this transportation! Your camp and NYQUEST will be covering that cost for you.
Once you are at camp, be prepared for the most exciting (and toughest) work experience of your life! After a 4-7 day training up at camp, you will start the adventure of a lifetime. Camp is emotionally and physically exhausting, as well as immensely satisfying and rewarding. You will learn a lot about yourself and your abilities while participating in a variety of activities you’re unlikely to find anywhere else in life. Dirt and bugs will become second nature to you and your default clothing will likely shift to track pants and Birkenstocks. You’ll constantly be humming the chorus of Wagon Wheel or the latest Carly Rae Jepsen single while simultaneously trying to keep eight rambunctious pre-teens focused on the task at hand.
But, the satisfaction you feel when your campers hug you goodbye and say that you were the best counsellor they’ve ever had is something you will never forget. You are making a difference in the lives of these children and you are creating life-long memories. Whether you’re working in the kitchen, on maintenance, as an instructor, or as a counsellor, you are a part of creating magic for these campers. Your contribution matters and that is the greatest feeling.
During your summer at camp, NYQUEST is always available to answer questions or concerns via phone or email. You will be provided with our emergency number during your orientation that you can call at any time if you need our assistance. As well, we do our best to visit every single camp throughout the summer to check-in with staff and see how things are going. Usually, the visit will last about an hour, but we are happy to stay and chat as long as needed. If we aren’t able to visit your camp directly, we will be sure to give you a call or schedule a Skype chat to ensure that things are going well for you.