Summer 2018 Recap
The weather has cooled off, the leaves are starting to change colours, and everyone is back at school. Unfortunately, all of this means that summer camp is over!
This summer was one of our most successful in recent memory with regards to volunteers at the Richcraft Recreation Complex. We had:
- 14 Volunteers and 15 City of Ottawa Leadership Camp students complete placements in our summer camps
- Our volunteers averaged 59 hours and each Leadership Camp student completed 40 community service hours
- In total, our volunteers and Leadership Camp students contributed almost 1,500 hours of their time this summer!
Interested in volunteering for Summer Camps 2019?
Here are our TOP 5 TIPS FOR VOLUNTEERING!
1. Apply early: DO NOT WAIT UNTIL JUNE! Application for summer camp positions opens in April/May, but you can email youthconnexion@ottawa.ca or jordan.little@ottawa.ca earlier to make sure you know as soon as the positions are available to apply.
2. Be the one to initiate the application: Make sure that YOU are the one asking questions, setting up meeting times, and collecting information. Your parents want to help you get started with volunteering, but do not rely on them to do everything for you. This does not create a strong first impression!
3. Know your availability: what weeks are you available over the summer? Are you going on any holidays or vacations? How many weeks are you interested in volunteering for? These are all questions that you need to be able to answer during the application process.
4. Why do you want to volunteer in summer camp?: 'Testing out summer camps as a possible future job,' 'enjoy working with kids and want more experience in the child-care field,' and 'hoping to one day work at Richcraft Recreation Complex' are all perfectly acceptable reasons to want to volunteer in summer camps.
5. Try a Leadership Camp: if you are hoping to one day work for the City of Ottawa in summer camps or recreation, try out one of the Leadership Camps offered by the City. Youth as young as 13 years old can begin to develop leadership and other skills that are valued in City of Ottawa recreation staff. Depending on your age and experience, there are three Leadership Camps offered:
- Leadership Foundations
- Leadership in Action (LiA): includes a one week placement in City of Ottawa summer camp, qualifies for 40-hour community service requirement
- Advanced Leadership Program (ALP): includes a one week placement in City of Ottawa summer camp, qualifies for 40-hour community service requirement
(March 22, 2019) Edit: to view Leadership Camps for 2019, check out the City of Ottawa Recreation eGuide. Go to page 31 for the camps mentioned in the below photo.
Have you volunteered in summer camps before? What tips do you have for someone that is looking to apply for the first time? Share your thoughts in the comments!
Get Involved!
- J
