The programs we offer camps and participants are first and foremost cultural exchange experiences that carry associated responsibilities and obligations.

Cultural Exchange

Summer camp communities have become increasingly diverse and inclusive and international staff has long been a cornerstone of this positive dynamic. Applicant skills, backgrounds, and qualifications are uniquely suited to camp counselor and support staff roles.


Campers closely engage with positive role models from other cultures greatly enhancing the educational value of the camp experience. US staff synergize with internationals creating lifelong friendships and opportunities to broaden their own view of the world. Your camp culture becomes a richer, more vibrant microcosm of the planet we share.


Directly commensurate to the value international staff lend to camp is the requisite effort to provide a great cultural exchange experience for exchange visitors. Camp participation requires quantifiable measures to integrate international staff on personal and experiential levels.


This means facilitating real personal interaction with American staff, relationship and team building, and reinforcing participant value. It encompasses off-site opportunities for community engagement, sightseeing, and participation in events and initiatives. Proactivity of this nature is a core element of the J-1 program and we are expected by regulation to partner in order to maximize opportunities for cultural exchange.

Please take the time to review our Outcomes Project assessing the long-term cultural impact of the US summer camp experience for international staff.

Advocacy

As a designated program sponsor in both camp counselor and summer work travel categories AIFS and Camp America work closely with the US Department of State and meet regularly with its offices of Designation, Program Administration, and Compliance.

We are active members of the Alliance for International Educational and Cultural Exchange in the spirit of sponsor cooperation, sound industry practice, and a collaborative regulatory landscape. We appreciate your help in protecting fruitful cultural exchanges toward a very bright future.

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