From sunrise to sunset, see what a typical day in the life of an Eckerd Youth Counselor is like.
6:30 am – A New Day
I wake up and make my bed, straighten up and sweep out the tent. I wake the boys in the other tents at 7:00 and have them do the same. The boys empty buckets (yes, buckets), straighten their footlockers and rake the trails. I assist when the boys need it, constantly looking for jobs well done - such as getting the chores done on time - and comment on it to the kids. We set our group and individual goals for the day… I take some berating from one of the boys but I don’t react.
8:30 am – Breakfast
We walk the half-mile to the dining room. It’s hot, but the mosquitoes aren’t biting yet. The boys responsible for setting the table go in with another chief. The rest of us are called in at 8:30. We sing a grace and I help serve the food. At 9:00 we have “Chuck Wagon,” an activity led by another chief, resource teacher or the kids. Today there is a presentation by one of the other chiefs on mountain bikes and his bike trip across the United States last summer. The kids are quiet, probably imagining such a trip.
10:00 am – Experiential Education
Today we’re cutting poles by hand for a new sleeping tent. We gather the tools, safety equipment, tent design patterns and a cooler of water and hike to the wood yard singing trail chants. Once there, I talk about the proper use of tools and what we want to accomplish today, working to get agreement from all the boys on our goals. This is hard, sweaty work. I monitor for safety and aggression, nipping three potential altercations in the bud by re-directing behavior. At 12:45 we huddle, acknowledge the good work and confront the problems we had.
1:00 pm – Lunch
2:30 pm – Siesta
During lunch it is obvious the boys are tired. Afterwards, we pick up our mail and head back to the campsite for an hour - for rest, reading or writing letters. An hour for paperwork for me. On the way, one boy shoves another for no apparent reason. Group huddle. After discussion, it’s discovered the aggressive boy is upset because he didn’t get mail today - and he apologizes. Because we needed to stop to take a huddle, we only have 30 minutes left of rest time. This is how we teach the boys natural consequences to their actions.
4:00 pm – Library
Our educational theme is “Springs on the Suwannee River.” In preparation for our upcoming canoe trip, we are doing research on how springs form and where all the water comes from.
5:00 pm – Games
It’s time to play and I mean PLAY! The boys play the usual games, but the best ones are the games they make up. Today one invents a weird version of flag football, and the kids love it. I’m exhausted but I play as hard as I can, at the same time monitoring and ensuring that no one gets aggressive or hurt.
5:30 pm – Showers
It’s been a full day of physical work and play, and we walk the half mile to the shower facility. This is often a stressful time for some of the boys, and today is no exception. I am determined to have a peaceful shower session tomorrow.
6:00 pm – Dinner
Two nights a week we cook outdoors, planning the menu, writing the shopping list and doing all the work. Tonight it’s hamburgers, salad and brownies, and the food is great. The evening Chuck Wagon is a video on the habitat necessary to support wildlife, something which the kids now understand, having shared that habitat these last months. The kids write essays on the video and turn them in – tough on those with weak academic skills. One crushes his paper, ashamed of his writing. At 7:45 we return to our campsite to clean up and come together for the high point of the day - pow wow.
8:30 pm – Pow Wow
This is what camp is all about. We gather in a special area, build a fire and talk about our day. We congratulate ourselves on reaching our pole-cutting goals and the kids talk about how they feel. We discuss the difficult areas of the day and agree to start fresh tomorrow. I compliment specific campers on their progress and encourage their teammates to do the same. One of the boys, here for 11 months, coaches another in the group the same way I would. This is my reward - this kid is turning his own life around. What a rush!
I close the pow wow by reminding them about the canoe trip that we are planning. Everyone is excited - the kids live for these trips.
9:00 pm – Lights Out
I say something positive to each camper. My objective is to put each child to sleep with a smile on his face. Before I fall asleep I review the day - exhausting but productive. No one got hurt. Thinking over a few incidents, I decide on how to better handle similar situations next time. This is a really tough job, but I am learning more than I ever dreamed possible.
Now, about that river trip…
Do you think you would make a good Youth Counselor? To apply for this position, click here.
