Project Description
Spend Your Summer Making an Impact
We seek 6-8 Summer Camp Counselors for our annual Summer Camp, a summer bridge program for 1st – 6th grade students from San Jeronimo Bilingual School and Santa Monica Bilingual School. The camp allows students to remain immersed in the English language during their summer vacation to prevent summer learning loss, and to ease the transition back into school in August. We accomplish this by providing the students three weeks of fun games, activities, and English lessons.
Summer Camp is a wonderful opportunity to explore short-term, gap year involvement with BECA. Our counselors typically come from many walks of life, including recent high school graduates, current college students on summer vacation, college students who have decided to pause their studies, and those who have graduated from their undergrad or are already well into their careers!
June 19 – July 13, 2024
Join a Team Full of Support
To aid with your transition to Honduras, all Summer Camp Counselors will connect via email and two onboarding video calls prior to coming to Honduras to discuss the following:
packing/arriving in country
the summer camp theme
lesson planning topics for reading & writing, arts & crafts, and physical education
Once you arrive, here’s what you have to look forward to:
We kick off with a 3-4 day orientation in country at the beginning of service
Summer Camp runs 8:00 am – 12:00 pm, Monday through Friday
In the afternoons, the team is busy completing a service project, participating in a reflection series, going on home visits, or participating in team bonding activities
Over the weekend, we take team trips to various parts of Honduras, such as: La Ceiba, Cayos Cochinos, Copan Ruinas, las cascadas de Cusuco, or Lago de Yojoa
During the week we take team trips into San Pedro Sula, the second largest city in Honduras
As a full time teacher during the year, this gap was exactly what I needed! The community was so welcoming and it was really neat to be able to go on home visits and get totally immersed in the culture! The weekend excursions were great for relaxing, team building, and seeing more parts of Honduras. I am so grateful for the team that I got to work with, the students that I got to teach, and the love that I felt from the community.
What Makes BECA So Different?
Every day, hundreds of families are separated as individuals begin the migration north for a better life. BECA believes that creating economic opportunities for individuals in their home country is the best and safest solution to fight poverty.
Over the last 20 years, we’ve worked alongside our Honduran partners to provide high-quality bilingual education to the next generation of Hondurans. Our students learn the skills they need to find dignified, well-paying work in Honduras. For many of our graduates and their families, this has allowed them to avoid the necessity of the perilous journey north.
As a volunteer summer camp counselor, you have the opportunity to defend the rights of Hondurans and provide students an education that can truly change their lives.
- We look for a team of 6 counselors
- You serve from the end of June to late July – three weeks of this is summer camp, with 3 days at the beginning of orientation and training
- All summer camp applicants must submit the following:
- Resume
- Online application w/ short written responses
- Two references
- If your application is selected to move forward, you will be invited to a 2-part interview process
We seek approximately 6 Summer Camp Counselors for Summer Camp 204 (approximately June 19 – July 13, 2024) for children in grades 1-6. The camp is structured to provide our students with opportunities to remain immersed in the English language over the summer through fun games and activities – making the transition back to classes in August less difficult and preventing summer learning loss.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Plan, execute, and document daily activities for students in a collaborative environment
- Make summer camp a fun way for students to maintain/increase their English language ability
- Work together to plan activities across disciplines including art, reading and writing, and physical activity
SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS
- A commitment to BECA’s mission and a dedication to social justice
- Fluency in English
- Experience working with children (preferred)
- Willingness to operate and be creative in a low-resource environment
- Foundational knowledge of Spanish (not required but helpful)
Because the Summer Camp is a supplemental program, BECA recoups the program’s expenses through donations paid by Summer Camp Counselors who wish to participate. In exchange for this experience, we ask that you contribute or fundraise $1,500 for the BECA program to help defray costs (food, accommodation, training, materials, and a high-speed internet connection). A reduced contribution may be available for college students with demonstrated need.
For current college students, please note that volunteers in the past have successfully applied for on-campus grant monies to cover this expense and travel. We encourage you to explore what opportunities your college offers to subsidize summer experiences. Please contact us if you have any questions; we will try to help you in any way possible.
Each year we have a handful of volunteers who come back to serve with us again! We value your dedication and service, which is why we offer the following benefits:
- Returning summer camp counselors have the benefit of a discounted participation fee
- There is the opportunity to participate in the interview team – allowing alumni to have a hand in developing the next team of counselors
- Summer camp counselors are highly likely of being offered a full year teaching position with BECA because they have the knowledge, experience, and skill set required to do it – as exemplified by their SC service
- A network of alumni to connect with across the globe!
- Immerse yourself in a new culture
- Change lives
- Housing expenses and modest food stipend is given to 1st-year international volunteers
- Build lifelong connections
This was a first time abroad volunteer experience for me, and it truly was a life changer for so many reasons. The community engagement was wonderful, and in only 4 weeks I fell in love with Honduras. I’m still so grateful I had this opportunity to volunteer with such a passionate, genuine organization.
Read What Past Summer Counselors Have to Say About Camp
The Investment
Because the Summer Camp is a supplemental program, BECA recoups the program’s expenses through donations paid by Summer Camp Counselors who wish to participate. In exchange for this experience, we ask that you contribute or fundraise $1,500 for the BECA program to help defray costs (food, accommodation, training, materials, and an internet connection). A reduced contribution may be available for college students with demonstrated need.
For current college students, please note that volunteers in the past have successfully applied for on-campus grant monies to cover this expense and travel. We encourage you to explore what opportunities your college offers to subsidize summer experiences. Please contact us if you have any questions; we will try to help you in any way possible.
Here are some helpful fundraising resources!
Summer Camp Donation
- Accommodation
- In-country transportation for volunteers
- Education + Training
- Food Stipend
- Lunch is provided every weekday at school
- All Teaching Materials
- Internet Connection
- Summer Camp T-Shirts
- All materials for service project
