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By Sharon Kosch
The availability of international staff is made possible by a number
of organizations that are formally designated as cultural exchange programs
by the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs).
Over the last several decades, the use of such staff has evolved from
a value-added opportunity into a vital resource for many American summer
camps. As this trend continues, we must take care not to lose sight of
the cultural exchange aspect of these programs. We must also remember
that these governmental programs carry with them a number of regulatory
obligations that international staff, camps, and agencies must meet. Compliance
has a special significance these days in the delicate balance between
increased concerns for security and support for cultural exchange.
American Camp Association (ACA) volunteers and staff meet regularly
with the leaders of the international cultural exchange organizations
who work with the camp community in providing international staff for
camps. This partnership has allowed ACA to promote the benefits of the
cultural exchange programs and to influence public policy affecting these
programs. This unified approach with the agencies that recruit and screen
young people from other countries to work at U.S. camps also allows us
to address the issues and trends that have emerged in the programs and
to isolate the basic expectations for participating camps.
In addition, ACA has enumerated exemplary practices, i.e., those practices
that display a higher degree of commitment to the education and welfare
of internationals and the tenets of cultural exchange. These "best
practices" directly contribute to the success of the cultural exchange
experience for the camp and for the staff member. They also support the
legal and regulatory obligations of the exchange visa program. Refer to
www.ACAcamps.org/international/practices.php
for a complete listing of ACA-recommended best practices for international
camp staff.
As camp professionals, we unite to address environmental, educational,
legal, and financial issues. We set standards for which we hold ourselves
accountable, and we understand the moral and ethical aspects of conducting
an enterprise that is essentially human in nature. It is reasonable, therefore,
that we identify and engage in best practices as we employ counselors
and support staff from overseas. Moreover, following such practices is
consistent with ACA’s mission: ". . . enriching the lives of
children and adults through the camp experience."
Many ACA members already make extensive use of these practices. Whether
you currently use international staff, or plan to do so in the future,
we hope that they serve as a useful tool for benchmarking current methods
and procedures. ACA will continue ongoing cooperation with camps and international
staffing agencies to maximize and enhance the use of this most important
human resource — international staffing programs — and celebrate
the youth development opportunities these programs afford.
Originally published in the 2005 Winter issue
of The CampLine.
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