Camp Towanda

General Counselor

June 2023 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

I absolutely love everything, from working with co-counselors to making connections to last a lifetime! I love getting to know the kids and making connections with not only them but co-counselors and other staff members as well. The environment is like nothing before, you can feel the energy the moment you walk on to campus.

What I wish was different

I wish I could stay longer.

Advice

Be open minded about the experience and buy into everything. Everyday will be different so be prepared to adapt and go with the flow. What you put into this experience is what you get out of it. This is without a doubt a job that will change your life, with the people you meet and the memories you make. I highly suggest anyone and everyone experience summer camp. It is truly the opportunity of a lifetime.

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General Counselor

June - August 2022 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

Having the ability to meet many people from different walks of life, ethnicities, etc... makes for an enriching experience when bonding with the children you are in charge of, and by the end of it all, you WILL miss them.

What I wish was different

There is not too much I would change, I wish I had known beforehand personally how much work it truly would be. This is not to say the camp did not prepare us but if I could have gone in knowing as much as I knew leaving it would have made things a bit easier on me.

Advice

Be prepared to become a mother, father, brother, sister, and whatever else your kids need from you as you work here, it can be a lot sometimes but as long as you work together with your co-counselors it will be one of the most enjoyable experiences of any summer you've had before.

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Environmental Education Internship

June - August 2021 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

Working on the waterfront as a boating instructor, and becoming so close to my cabin of girls.

What I wish was different

COVID changed up some of the camp traditions so I felt I didn't get to experience a true Towanda summer.

Advice

It's long days and hard work, but the relationships created make it worth it.

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Healthcare Intern

June - August 2021 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

What I wish was different

Advice

This was such a fun summer job where I learned many applicable life and workplace skills! Just be prepared to be absolutely exhausted (physically and mentally) for seven weeks. It is a demanding job with limited time off and you are on duty and responsible for children 24/7.

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Camp Nursing

June - August 2021 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

The variety of nursing experience

What I wish was different

Wish there were more nurses

Advice

Be ready to adapt to do everything. Be humble in doing all jobs.

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Leadership, Management and HR Intern

June - August 2021 • Towanda, PA

What I liked

Without a doubt the relationships you build at Towanda will be lifelong friendships that you will always cherish. The people you meet at this camp will open you up to all kinds of cultures around the world and you will grow to depend on these people.

What I wish was different

I only wish that you could get kind of a crash course in what it's like to work there before you do because the training manuals they give you and what is explained to you feels a lot different than what it actually is. Some of that is better, some of that is worse.

Advice

This is going to be a hard job, like a really hard job. You have to commit to the camp lifestyle for almost 3 months and it is going to be rough unless you are ready. You are going to build those relationships with people because you depend on them to vent, but that being said the experiences you will have at this camp are like none other. It truly is a life experience that I will never forget and even through all the good and bad I still loved my time at Towanda.

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Gymnastics Specialist

June - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

I like being able to work with new people and people from everywhere around the world. I enjoyed working and getting to know the kids in different ways and being able to utilize my past cheer experience to help the kids enjoy doing gymnastics

What I wish was different

I wish there was more opportunity to complete summer classes meaning more time off. Also, having alternate options for the people who are vegetarian, vegan etc.

Advice

Be able to adapt and adjust to different things. The camp is definitely an out of this world experience but a good one in the end

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Lifeguard / Water Safety Instructor

May - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

It was a tremendous experience. I have never experienced anything quite like camp before. The atmosphere at camp when the campers arrived elevated the experience. The daily routine became easy to adapt to and I really enjoyed the little things camp had to offer. Working at the waterfront was also a bonus as I had a great group of counselors around me who made everyday fun.

What I wish was different

Two things: I wish I would have bought into camp sooner and appreciated the uniqueness of it before it really began. I also wish I could have spent more time with my campers, but being a specialist it was hard as I was designated to specific area of camp for most of the day.

Advice

Embrace it for what it offers. Embrace the traditions, procedures, and the fact that you will be without your phone for a majority of the summer. The experience is one of a kind. Being unplugged (no phones/technology) for most of the days/weeks was challenging at first but you are so busy at camp you will quickly forget you even had one.

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

Traveling to a new state All meals plus room and board were provided by the camp Meeting and working with people from all around the world Experiencing camp, working with the kids Daily activities, free trips (water parks, theme parks)

What I wish was different

More time off would be nice, but in the end you sacrifice for the kids because coverage is needed at all times. You only get 1 day (9ish a.m. to midnight) and 3 nights (suppose to be 9 to midnight, but some times its much later) They're an "unplugged" camp so no cellphones unless you're off, which is understandable, but there were select few counselors who got to keep their phones and it didn't seem fair. I was told I would be doing what thing, but ended up not doing it for most of the summer. Office and staff can be very disorganized at times despite trying to stay "on schedule"

Advice

"Pre-camp" is manual labor that you don't get paid for so going later is recommended. "Buy into" the whole experience and it'll be fun Be prepared to be away from your family and not talk to them a lot. If this is something that's hard for you you may want to reconsider. Drive there if you can! You don't want to be stuck without a car, bumming rides every time you're off or paying to rent cars every week.

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Camp Counselor Intern

June - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

I liked working with the kids for seven weeks. I was a counselor for 11-12 year old girls and we had a blast. I also enjoyed working with people from all over the world (we had over 30 countries and 30 states represented this summer).

What I wish was different

I wished that we had a little more time off to decompress, but since a camp counselor is a full-time job we found time to take a break while still doing our duties.

Advice

Stamina is extremely important and patience is the only way to make it through. Working nearly 24-hours a day for six days out of seven is a lot, but extremely rewarding. I learned a lot working with my kids and my fellow counselors and have made friends for life and coworkers that have offered to help me when I graduate.

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Camp Counselor

June - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

The overall experience was amazing, the fellow counselors and children helped to make it the best summer of my life!

What I wish was different

I wouldn't have changed a thing.

Advice

Patience is key, especially after the half way mark of the summer.

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Camp Counselor Intern

June - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

Working at camp was more than a job. You grow as a person while being able to make lasting impacts on the children you work with. I liked that I was able to be a counselor AND a basketball specialist. I made life long friends and gained life long skills. The daily schedule was also great because every day at camp is different, keeping it exciting for the kids and you.

What I wish was different

It is a tough job and can feel like a lot of work sometimes.

Advice

When applying/interviewing, make sure you ask about what positions are available and learn the differences between them.

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Accounting Intern

June - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

I really enjoyed the family aspect of camp! Everyone was so supportive and looked out for one another. It did take a big commitment to be away from home so long, but I learned so much and would recommend the adventure to anyone!

What I wish was different

Advice

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Volleyball specialist

May - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

Absolutely loved this experience, learned a lot and met great people. Staff was amazing and friendly and the memories you make are endless

What I wish was different

I wish i could have stayed longer

Advice

You have to go in to a sleep away camp open minded. Be open to meeting new people and let your guard down and just enjoy your time there

1 One person found this helpful

Director of Basketball Operations

June - August 2019 • Honesdale, PA

What I liked

I was given free reigns to operate the basketball program however I wanted. I made all decisions in regard to curriculum, personnel decisions, and appointments of referees and coaches.

What I wish was different

I would have liked to stay in more modern sleeping quarters

Advice

You have to be able to adapt to sudden changes to the schedule, weather, and available staff. There are many personalities represented in this environment, it's vital you can get along with most. The location is in a rural area, you have to be able to succeed in this element.

1 One person found this helpful