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| Last updated on May 28, 2008 |
Mission Statement:
The mission of Camp AmeriKids is to provide a traditional camping experience for children ages 7-17 who are living with HIV/AIDS while providing a respite for their families. The camp is offered at no cost to the families and recruits campers from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. The goals of the program are to develop independence, friendship and self-confidence through the building of new skills and increased abilities. Camp AmeriKids believes that every child deserves a place that they can call their own, no matter where they come from or the circumstances in which they live.
Description:
Camp AmeriKids, a non-profit camp for children infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS from the inner cities of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut is currently looking for mature, committed, caring, and energetic volunteers to create an unforgettable camping experience filled with fun, love, and emotional security for all of our special campers. Volunteer positions include camp counselors, social workers, nurses, nurse practitioners, and physicians.
Positions Available:
Location: Carmel, NY
Session 1: July 21st-July 29th
Session 2: August 2nd-10th
Volunteer Camp Counselor, 172 positions:
Volunteer counselors must be 18 years of age or older. A team of 6-8 counselors is responsible for the 24-hour supervision of a 12-16 child cabin. Counselors spend each fun-filled day of camp with their cabin as they rotate through a schedule and participate in new and exciting program areas provided by the program staff.
The enthusiastic participation in all aspects of camp from meals and activities to nightly special events and cabin chats is crucial in creating a memorable camp experience for counselors and campers alike. Volunteer counselors are exceptional role models, amazing resources of energy and ideas, and the most important part of the Camp AmeriKids experience for our campers.
In order to participate in this program, volunteers must commit to one session, nine days in duration, during the months of July & August. This includes a one-day orientation training session in which the volunteers will receive training in HIV/AIDS, child development, as well as the safety procedures of Camp prior to the arrival of the children. Once the children arrive, the volunteers will participate in eight days of activities, games and special events, all while serving as part of a volunteer counselor team.
Program Staff 10 positions:
We are seeking talented and enthusiastic individuals who have expertise in teaching within a specific program area to lead daily camp activities. The program staff consists of the following specialist positions; Arts & Crafts, Music, Dance, Drama, Drums, Sports and Recreation, Low/High Ropes, Nature, and Film workshop. The program staff is responsible for planning and implementing instruction in their program area on a daily basis.
When `classes' are not in session, each member of the program staff will be assigned a cabin of children and counselors to ensure the fullest of camp experiences. Program staff will also be responsible for the coordination of special daily and nightly events that fall within their area of expertise. These program staff positions require the individual to participate in all sessions of Camp AmeriKids and a stipend will be offered to those individuals who are selected for these positions. Must have valid working visa, or be US resident.
History:
In 1995, AmeriCares Founder Robert C. Macauley, who after reaching out to help millions of children around the world wanted to create something special for children in his own backyard, conceived Camp AmeriKids. In 1995, Camp AmeriKids operated one, seven-day camping session in Fishkilll, NY. Eighty-three children, with various medical conditions, attended this session. For seven days, these Campers put aside their health, home life or sociological problems. The primary goal was to give these kids a break from the problems that consume their everyday lives.
Since its creation in 1995, Camp AmeriKids has been reaching out to inner-city children infected with or affected by HIV/AIDS, providing them with a traditional summer camp experience that is also a respite from the difficulties of their everyday lives. As it celebrates its first decade, Camp AmeriKids has given more than 2,000 children within the tri-state areas of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut something other camps can't give: sophisticates, around-the-clock medical care, ensuring that camp is not only fun, but also safe.
Volunteer doctors and nurses, who are on Staff "around the clock" during all Camp sessions, oversee medical requirements, special diets, dispensation of medicines and participation in activities. One doctor and several RN Staff members will be present for each Camp session. AmeriCares also has a full-time Medical Director available to AmeriKids on a 24-hour basis.
Since the majority of our Campers have significant medical needs, the Camp AmeriKids Counselor to Camper ratio is 1 to 3. Counselors are responsible for the children on a 24-hour basis, both during program activities, as well as after "lights out." Counselors will work in pairs, with at least one Counselor supervising the children in their group at all times.
The Camp AmeriKids Staff realizes that the pace and goals of each Camper may be different. Camp AmeriKids provides a chance for Campers to learn new skills at their own pace and to reach self-determined goals during the course of a particular activity. Whether it is performing in the Camp talent show, learning to swim, mastering pottery-making techniques or climbing a nearby hill, the Camp AmeriKids Counselors and Activity Leaders encourage Campers to recognize their individual talents and to realize their goals to the best of their abilities.
Contact people:
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Chrissy Heckart, Assistant Director, (800) 486-4557, (email)
Gaby Moss, Executive Director, (800) 486-4357, (email) |
Office fax number: (203) 658-9615
Address:
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88 Hamilton Avenue
Stamford, CT 06902
(See a map) |
Web Site: http://www.campamerikids.org
Directions:
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While the Camp AmeriKids headquarters is in Stamford, CT, the camp itself takes place at the Clearpool Education Center, in Carmel, NY, which includes over 250 acres of pristine forest and a lake. |
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