1st comment 😂👋🏻😂👋🏻

I am smiling while watching your vedio,Mathew,haha,it was absolutely a extraordinary time, I plan to join the program as well, any camps recommended?

@_matt_hammond_

Ай бұрын

Thank you!! I think that you will enjoy any camp as it’s the people that really make it:)

Hey Mathew i'm going to camp next year and i didn't even think of going to Disneyland but since you metioned it i'm definitely going to go, loved this it was really informative. Hope you get the chance to go again :)

@Lewislees

Ай бұрын

Did u go ? How was it?

im currently applying to do it this year, thanks for the upload !

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

Exciting! Let me know which camp you are going to! Glad you enjoyed the video :)

Ahhh looked so much fun! I applied for this year but will do it next year now with covid!

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Great! will this be your first time doing it? Are you wanting to travel afterwards? I am hoping to go to Florida again :)

@nicolebullin1931

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ yeah first time! Yeah would love to travel after and I will do but all depends if I meet friends or something, I love Florida!

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

@@nicolebullin1931 Exciting! You'll find a group of friends at your camp and most likely plan travel whilst you're there. That's what went on at my camp anyway, however I did post camp so most of my friends had left so I met up with them in New York and Florida

@nicolebullin1931

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ oh yes you stayed extra to edit didn’t you, but hopefully there’s people who like to travel after, I don’t think I would do it on my own 😂 do you have Instagram?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

@@nicolebullin1931 I did yes! We had hours and hours of footage after camp ended1 There 100% will be :) yes I do, we will have to stay in touch on there, _matt_hammond_ . There is and undersocre before matt and after hammond, for some reason it doesn't put them in the comment. If you can't find me I can try add you!

I’ve been thinking about giving it a try and being a counselor at camp hopefully next year. (Because of COVID) But like I get quite shy at first before opening up and I’m nervous about making friends, getting along with the people and the Kidssss!! Also being so far away come home, I also live in the UK. I’ve just got a few questions: • How long of a flight was it? And how did you find out about the counselor job? • Do you get paid for the time there? • Also did you get to know some of people that you would be working with before? Like did you chat to them before or did you meet for the first time at camp? • Do you have to be really skilled and prepare lessons or something for the kids? • How did you afford all of this lol? Sorry if there’s too many questions I just am really considering it and it seems like a great experience. ☺️✨

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Daniella! I will try my best to answer all of your questions :) Honestly do not worry about being shy and nervous (easier said than done I know) but when you are there you realise that everyone is in the same boat and everyone that applies to do this are like minded, fun people. The Camp will also put on events during your time there to help the staff socialise! During orientation I slept in a bunk with 9 other lads, so you can imagine how close you all instantly get. In regards to your questions, the flight from Heathrow to NYC was around 7 hours. Before camp they created a Facebook group where you could post about yourself and find out who was going to be doing similar to you, so I posted and got added to the media chat and was in contact with everyone that I would be working with. No not at all! The camp should have arranged activates every day, you just need to be able to have a few games up your sleeve for a rainy day or some down time to keep the kids entertained, depending on their age. Ahah with the cost my parents helped me out but you do also by camp and this should cover all travel fees. With all that said I think you should %100 go for it and i promise you will not regret it, you won't wanna leave! :) Hope that helped

@daniella3211

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ Thanks for the reply! It just seems like a lot when you first read about it and it got me nervous and scared but after reading this I definitely want to give it a go! I’m planning on doing it next year hopefully. Sorry I do have two more questions 🤦🏾‍♀️😂 Do you have to buy you’re own plane tickets and what website did you apply with? Thanks so much for the help, I’m really excited now 💫

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

@@daniella3211 No problem at all! It does seem quite overwhelming at first but the outcome is so great. I'm so glad to hear that you are going to do it! I'm still hoping to try and go this year with my camp but it's hard to say right now. It depends on who you apply with. I applied with Camp America, they paid for the flight. The flight money is essentially deducted from your pay if that makes sense. You would get paid more if you made your own way to camp but obviously you would be spending your own money for the flight :)

Great video, I just got hired at the very same camp and will be flying out in June!

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

No way! That's awesome. What will you be doing at camp?

@janciepielagaming

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ Working in an office & operations section, probably making some calls and working as a tech support, was kinda hoping for a position in media team like you but it's still great.

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

@@janciepielagaming Sounds great! Hopefully see you this summer

@janciepielagaming

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ You're applying again?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

@@janciepielagaming I'm meant to be going back again this Summer

bare helpful g

Just curious what is a media counciler, what exactly did you do? Also did you go with BUNAC.

@_matt_hammond_

8 ай бұрын

So as a media counsellor, the first couple of summers I filmed the camp and edited the footage throughout the day and then slept in a bunk with the kids in the evening. I went through camp America however I have heard the Bunac is also good for summer camp :)

@MrTrialandError

8 ай бұрын

nice one bro, thanks for your reply@@_matt_hammond_

Great video mate 👍 just wondering if you get to pick what Cano you ho to or is it just whichever one your offered? Also how much noneybdid you bring with you?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you very much! If you have a camp in mind you can mention it to your Camp America interviewer (If you go through Camp America) during your interview with them. If not you will be offered a camp. Honestly you will have an amazing time at any camp you go to because of the people you work with and the kids. Also good question about money... I think I took around $300? to get through the first week or so but that was more than enough. We got paid on a credit card which we all got and it money would get put on that card weekly. It's up to you though if you prefer to use cash or card and how long you will be in America both before and after camp.

Great video mate. What month would you recommend applying for summer camp 2022? Also do most people go solo to summer camp?

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

Thank you! I would apply as soon as possible, especially if it is you 2nd or 3rd year, as everyone will be trying to get a visa at the same time. I believe most people go solo as it is about meeting new people and making new friends 😁

Did u have any problem with insects? Cause I ve seen other videos and someone had problems with the amount of ticks and mosquitos

@_matt_hammond_

Жыл бұрын

Hi, no I have been twice now and not once did I have problems with ricks and mosquitos. This only really happens when people go to sleep but leave the windows open. Most camps will provide fans to keep the bunks cool at night

Hi Matthew, great video. I have been applying to camp for 2021 summer and looked at the camp you went to so this has been very helpful, I was wondering what are the nights off like, on the website it says you get 3/4 a night in this camp. Also how many other people from the UK worked with you compared to from the States. Cheers

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Charlie, glad you enjoyed it! So you are potentially planning to go to the same camp as me? That's crazy, what a good choice! Yes so it was around 3/4 nights off a week and one day off a week. Nights off vary, Usually the day before or on the day of your night off you can sign up to the bus which takes you to the local town which has a Walmart, McDonalds and some other fast food places. You can also stay in at Camp and go chill in the staff room to chill on the wifi or watch some tv. They also put on staff nights and events such as a glow party, Karaoke night etc. There is always something to do and to be honest going out to these places and doing the events at night are some of the best to make memories with your friends. Good question about the staff ratio. It depends what you are planning on doing at camp, would you be applying to be a general counselor or specialist staff? the generals were mostly Americans and are ex campers. The specialist staff varied. I would say that almost, if not 50% were British, a lot were Australian and then a good mix of other internationals. It was great meeting people from all over the world.

@charliecole5061

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ Cheers Matthew I would be planning to be a camp counsellor doing something on the water, canoeing or Waterskiing. It sounds and looks great

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

@@charliecole5061 That's sick! I noticed that a lot of the lifeguards were Australian and British. Being one of the lifeguards/water sports team means you get a pretty amazing tan as well 🤣

Hi, not expecting a reply as this video was posted over 3 years ago - but I was just wondering how the travel period after works? I’m thinking of pre booking places I want to go after camp in advance( eg Disney Land), but am worried I’d just be by myself for the remaining 3-4 weeks that the visa allows for. Did you wait to meet people in camp to book your travel after, or did you already have your itinerary planned for after camp? Any reply would be appreciated 👍

@_matt_hammond_

5 ай бұрын

No problem! So the first time I had nothing booked in advance but ended up going to Florida afterwards with a friend from back home and a friend from camp (who already had the trip booked before coming) then the second year I went to Florida on my own for 4 days until my family flew out and met me in Florida for a further 2 weeks. My last time doing camp America I had actually pre booked the trip to Florida with a friend from home. Can you guess that I like Disney??😂. My advice would be, if you are set on going to Disney, try and go with someone from home and arrange it before you go if you can. If not, try and see if anyone wants to go with you near the start/middle of camp so that you can arrange it all before it gets right to the end of camp and other people have already made full arrangements. If not, go with the flow and you may end up going somewhere completely different.

@stanleydaniels6762

5 ай бұрын

Haha - who doesn’t love Disney 😂. Thank you for the advice though, I was thinking of meeting either friends from home/ family in Florida straight after for like a 2-3 week vacation , and then if I meet anyone else from camp who is also going then that’s like an added bonus . I do think I might just make very basic / provisional plans though, and then go with the flow at camp and see where I end up 👍😃

@stanleydaniels6762

5 ай бұрын

Also did you know of any fellow Brits that made American friends at camp and actually ended up going back to their houses/ hometowns and spending the rest of their visas with them? Was just wondering as like would be nice to be able to spend time with any potential new friends after camp has finished , especially if I don’t have enough money saved to do 3 weeks at Disney 😂😂😂

@_matt_hammond_

5 ай бұрын

@@stanleydaniels6762yes definitely, this happens quite a lot, you make friends with the Americans and go home with them for a bit. Obviously if this was the case you would have to factor in the financial aspect and they may live in Colorado, so a flight from your nearest state to there and then back to Florida may be quite expensive!

@stanleydaniels6762

5 ай бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ ok I will definitely use this advice when I come to applying for 2025 camp. Thanks so much - Perhaps I will see you there ???

so I have been offered a place at a camp however I'm not sure about the camp would you reccomend getting in touch with other camps to view your camp america profile?

@_matt_hammond_

Жыл бұрын

Well it’s great news that you have been offered a place at camp! Have you checked out any kind of website/social media to give you a feel of what the camp is like? I know that Camp America advises people to not reach out to the camps independently so I probably wouldn’t recommend that. Which camp have you been offered?

@michaelcollins2995

Жыл бұрын

@matthammond_ Hi so it's a special needs camp, however after viewing the camps profile and social media the camps campers are mostly elderly. I quite liked the idea of a special needs camp if it was children

So how much would you need for the entire thing? Deposit, any additional fees etc.

Do you have to get a different visa if you were to travel from camp ? Because you get a j1 for camp and I’m sure you need to get a new one ? Asking because I want to do it too 👍🏻

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Leon, it depends where you want to go and how long you wan to go. Basically the visa lasts for about 3 months so usually when camp ends you have around 30 days left on your visa. Bare in mind though that once you leave the US you are unable to return without a completely new visa

@leonroberts7095

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ thank you buddy

I’ve been placed for this year and so stressed about this whole visa situation😅😩

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Honestly me too hahaha. But I think if we stay positive, we will receive good news on the 17th regarding the US Embassy! Where are you placed?

Hey, what camp did you go to, I am waiting for placement currently and your camp looks amazing xx

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hey I went to Camps Equinunk and Blue Ridge. I really hope you can go! I'm sure your camp will be amazing! x

Have you been able to go via Mexico? I couldn’t get hold of a VISA and as it’s my first year I wasn’t eligible to go through Mexico :( hopefully next year😞🤞

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Unfortunately not! My camp decided that it wouldn't be the best idea. I am still waiting for my VISA as well and waiting for the embassy to open! It's looking unlikely that camp will go ahead this year but bring on 2022!

nice!!!!😊

Hi! What was it like being in a brother-sister camp? Do the camps mix a lot?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hi, that's a great question! Talking from my camp experience, during staff orientation both the male and female staff were mixed. We would all eat together 3 times a day and do activities together. The boys would sleep on the boys side and girls on girls side and then meet again together during the day. As for when camp started the male and female staff would be separated through out the day running their activities on their sides of the camp. Then in the evening if you had the night off both the boys and girls could meet and mix together in the staff room and outside, though the girls were not allowed in the boys bunks and the boys weren't allowed in the girls bunks for safe guarding reasons. Then on days off both the boys and girls could mix freely. I honestly think it could be different based on each camp but that was just my personal experience. I hope that answers your question! :)

Hi, just wondering can you pick a specific camp to travel to or do they allocate you one? and is the application process straight forward?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Sean, If you have a camp in mind it would definitely be worth a mention at the end of your interview with Camp America, thought I believe that there will be no promises made at that time. Yes the application process is fairly straight forward. The lengthy process is the visa application, as you are required to gather a lot of documents and information. Please don't be put off by that though! I promise that the process is worth it! :)

@seanmoran446

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ Out of curiosity what’s the name of the camp you attended?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

@@seanmoran446 I attended Camps Equinunk and Blue Ridge

@seanmoran446

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ Thanks very much! this information has helped a lot.

I really wanna go, but I’m really bad at sports? Shall I still go?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha you don’t have to be good at sports to go. You can go as general councillor or support staff! 😁

How did you deal with homesickness? :)

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

Honestly it didn’t bother me. I had just finished my first year at uni and I was used to being away from home and family for long periods of time. The camps will make you feel very welcome and are aware that some people will become homesick, which is why they always keep you active and encourage socialising!

hi Matthew I have heard from some of my friends that are planning on coming to camp with me to be a camp councillor that we get payed around £2000 Is this true? if not how much do we roughly get payed and what could be the best paying job there?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Oscar, yes that may well be true. To be honest it's a hard question to answer as each camp may pay differently and also different job roles get different pay, for example more niche job roles such as cheerleading or gymnastics may often get paid higher than a general or other specialist. Also some specialists get a specialist pay bonus. I also got a music bonus however I don't think that I am able to disclose specifics. I do know that returners get paid more money though. I hope this helps. I have also had several questions about pay and honestly it's not really about the money, you get so much experience from doing camp and living there. The money is then best used to travel afterwards! :)

@oscarwatts6018

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ okay thankyou

Do you think international staff will be able to go this year ? I've applied for this summer and I don't want to get my hopes up incase covid ruins everything.... also what is the average age of the counselors? I'm 18 so will I be really young compared to the others? Thanks!

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hi! You know I honestly can't say for certain as the government can change the rules at any time but I am staying optimistic and personally would like to believe that camp will still be going ahead! The travel ban may lift but then it is getting the Visa from the embassy that may be the hard bit in a short amount of time! I am still planning on going this year anyway :) Hmmm again it will depend on your camp but id say between the ages of 18-24? maybe. I was 19 and other members of the media team were 18. Everyone is friendly though and a lot of the good friends I made there were older than me!

@nhud8160

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ fingers crossed camp will go ahead! thanks

How expensive was it going to Disney?

@_matt_hammond_

Жыл бұрын

Good question. If you go after camp it will be the cost of an internal flight which may vary depending on which state you are in. For this I will say $150. It then depends if you stay on Disney property as there are lots of cheap hotels off Disney which provide shuttle buses. I stayed on Disney property for 2 weeks plus tickets which cost me around £1400. Then factor in food, it comes up to around £2000. It can be done on a budget though.

Was the hotel and travel going back from the camp paid for?

@_matt_hammond_

Жыл бұрын

Unfortunately not

What date did you go because my a levels finish on 24th June, so will I be too late?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

I would say that it honestly depends on the Camp. A lot of camps don't open until July so I wouldn't not apply because of that. Make sure that you are upfront with Camp America when you apply and be upfront with the Camp that they assign you! That way there should be no problems, or Camp America will assign you to a Camp that starts a little bit later to suit you :)

@adamblewitt882

3 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ brilliant, thank you💪

Ooo I applied for next year, really hope I get a place! I like to go to the gym and lift weights so do you think I’ll be able to keep my gains hahah

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

Hahaha absolutely! You can eat as much as you want, take protein or buy protein there and although I don't speak for all camps, my camp had a staff gym which we could use on our nights and days off

Do u have to do a job for this? And can u do it solo

Not an alco but can you drink at all in the 3 months?

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

😂 yes you will have chances to drink on nights/days off

How much savings do u reckon you need before you go?

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

I had around £800 saved up. You get some money from the camp of course however it is better the more money you have so that you can travel after camp

Is it worth it ??

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

It is 110% worth it! This sounds cliché but it genuinely was life changing and I met so many amazing people and experienced so many amazing things. The application process if fairly lengthy however it is all worth it when it comes to the day of travelling there!

What age did you go?

@_matt_hammond_

3 жыл бұрын

I was 19 when I went

How much does it all cost

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

It depends which company you go through. I went through camp america and there are several admin fees along the way, such as DBS, Sevis Fee, Visa etc. i can cost around £200-350

@tembar7863

2 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ that’s really good I was looking and it was like £2000.

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

@@tembar7863 ahaha yes people always expect it to be a lot more. Camp America pay for your flights as well

@tembar7863

2 жыл бұрын

@@_matt_hammond_ where can I find this website?

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

@@tembar7863 just Google Camp America and there website will be the first one that pops up

Did you do a staff talent show?

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

Yes we did. The kids did one as well

@esasdfghjkl

2 жыл бұрын

Cool! I don’t have a talent do you gave to participate?

@esasdfghjkl

2 жыл бұрын

*have

@_matt_hammond_

2 жыл бұрын

@@esasdfghjkl no you don’t have to ahaha they won’t make you do anything you don’t want to do

😉👋