LifeTRAVELED American Camp Exchanges (ACE) BridgeUSA Program
The LifeTRAVELED American Camp Exchanges program is a cultural exchange initiative that provides students, teachers, youth workers, and those with specialized skills the life-changing opportunity to exchange their culture and create impactful connections with American youth, gain valuable leadership experience, and experience a quintessential American summer.
Camp Opportunities
General Camp Counselors
are enthusiastic, creative, hardworking, role models with a wide variety of skills - a guru in the cabin, on the field, at the waterfront, or anywhere at camp! General camp counselors are responsible for leading campers and ensuring safety both in the cabin and at activity areas throughout camp.
Specialist Camp Counselors
are experts in activities like arts & crafts, archery, climbing, swimming, nature, and more with the skills to share their expertise and passion. Specialist camp counselors are responsible for designing lessons, instructing campers, and maintaining a safe environment.
Faith-based Camp Counselors
are fun, engaging, leader who enjoy making faith a part of everyday life. Faith-based camp counselors are responsible for leading campers and ensuring safety at both in the cabin and at activity areas throughout camp.
Special Needs Camp Counselors
are superheroes in plain clothes with the power to adapt activities, games, and everyday life skills for various levels of ability. They are responsible for creating an inclusive environment, assisting campers with personal care (ex: feeding meals), and ensuring safety for campers with disabilities both in the cabin and at activity areas throughout camp.
Lifeguard Camp Counselors
are skilled and attentive people who enjoy spending summer days in the sun and sand. Must love swimming! Lifeguards undergo certification and are responsible for ensuring camper safety and responding to emergencies at water-related activities.
Support Staff Participants
are team-players who enjoy working in operational roles to ensure overall success. Support staff work in roles such as cooking meals in the kitchen or maintaining cleanliness standards at the camp. Support staff participants will be sponsored on the Summer Work & Travel visa.
TESTIMONIAL
Program at a Glance
-
The LifeTRAVELED ACE program includes:
• a paid summer camp job, inclusive of room and board, for up to 4 months secured prior to arrival.
• DS-2019 paperwork processing required for the J-1 Visa. LifeTRAVELED is a designated J1 Visa Sponsor by the U.S. State Department for the Camp Counselor and Summer Work & Travel programs.
• participant pre-arrival and post-arrival information to prepare for the program.
• a 24/7 emergency assistance telephone number: 1.888.992.3872
• health/travel insurance that exceeds Department of State requirements.
• a coordinator to assist you throughout the entire program.
• up to 30 days allowed for travel at the end of the program.
-
To be eligible for the LifeTRAVELED ACE program (Camp Counselor), you must:
• be at least 18 years old.
• be a bona fide student, teacher, youth worker, or person with a specialized skill. Specialized skill is defined as at least six-months experience in a structured setting.
• be able to function in an English-speaking work environment.
• undergo an interview conducted by a LifeTRAVELED coordinator and/or a partner organization either in person or virtually (for example, Skype).
• have a pre-arranged job (either by LifeTRAVELED or yourself) and a minimum of $1,000 (US dollars) available to support yourself upon arrival in the USA.
• be able to prove that you will return home at the end of the program by showing ties to your home country.
-
To be eligible for the LifeTRAVELED ACE program (Support Staff), you must:
• be 18-28 years old.
• be registered as a full-time student at an accredited university or other state recognized institution of post-secondary education. The degree/diploma course on which you are registered must be at least 2 years in duration. You must have completed at least one semester of study. Students on post-graduate courses which are less than two years can also be accepted (e.g. masters courses). "Gap year" students or high school graduates are not eligible.
• be able to function in an English-speaking work environment.
• undergo an interview conducted by a LifeTRAVELED staff member and/or a partner organization either in person or virtually (for example, Skype).
• have a pre-arranged job (either by LifeTRAVELED or yourself) and a minimum of $1,000 (US dollars) available to support yourself upon arrival in the USA.
• be able to prove that you will return home at the end of the program by showing ties to your home country.
Participant Types
-
A first-time participant is defined as someone who did not participate in a LifeTRAVELED ACE program the previous year and needs assistance with a camp job offer.
-
A returnee participant is defined as a someone who is returning to the same camp as the previous year, was sponsored by LifeTRAVELED the previous year, and is applying before January 1 of the program start year.
-
A direct participant is defined as a someone who sources their own camp job offer independently from LifeTRAVELED.
Program Stipend
-
The participant’s stipend is negotiated between the participant and camp directly, but as a first-time camp counselor and first-time support staff, the participant will receive a minimum stipend of $2,000 for nine weeks and $230 per week for each additional week.
-
For returnee and direct placement camp counselor and support staff participants, the stipend is negotiated between the camp and the participant and is usually higher than the minimum stipend (of $2,000 for nine weeks and $230 per week for each additional week) of a first time counselor and support staff.
Program Fees 2024
-
• $195 non-refundable LifeTRAVELED registration fee - paid by participant exclusively at the time of registration for the program.
• $1100 LifeTRAVELED ACE program fee - paid by camp which includes participant medical insurance for the participant’s original program dates.
• SEVIS Fee – paid directly to the US Department of Homeland Security directly by the participant.
• US Embassy Interview Fees – paid directly to the US Embassy by the participant.
-
• $195 non-refundable LifeTRAVELED registration fee - paid by participant exclusively at the time of registration for the program.
• $475 LifeTRAVELED ACE program fee - paid by participant which includes medical insurance for the participant’s original program dates.
• SEVIS Fee – paid directly to the US Department of Homeland Security directly by the participant.
• US Embassy Interview Fees – paid directly to the US Embassy by the participant.
-
• $250 non-refundable LifeTRAVELED registration fee - paid by participant exclusively at the time of registration for the program.
• $1,300 LifeTRAVELED ACE program fee - paid by camp which includes medical insurance for the participant’s original program dates.
• SEVIS Fee – paid directly to the US Department of Homeland Security directly by the participant.
• US Embassy Interview Fees – paid directly to the US Embassy by the participant.
-
• $250 non-refundable LifeTRAVELED registration fee - paid by participant exclusively at the time of registration for the program.
• $1,100 LifeTRAVELED ACE program fee - paid by participant which includes medical insurance for the participant’s original program dates.
• SEVIS Fee – paid directly to the US Department of Homeland Security directly by the participant.
• US Embassy Interview Fees – paid directly to the US Embassy by the participant.
Returnee / Direct Support Placement Availability
LifeTRAVELED sponsors a limited number of returnee/direct camp counselor and support staff participants each year, on a first come, first served basis. We open the registration on September 15 of the year prior to participation, and those spots fill up very quickly, so participants must make sure to turn in their application right away.
Due to the limited availability of slots, LifeTRAVELED will accept applicants based on the order the applications are completed. Please note that merely initiating an application and making a payment does not guarantee your acceptance. Your spot is secured only once your application has been officially processed and approved by LifeTRAVELED. If you make a payment but are not accepted into our Returner/ Direct Placement program due to all the spots being filled for the year, you may join the program at the regular ACE program fee detailed in the first-time camp counselor and first-time support staff sections.
If you would like to join the Camp Counselor program or the Support Staff program, please fill out an interest form. If you are from a country that we have a partnership with an in-country agency, we will forward your request onto them. If we don’t have a recruiting partner in your country, a coordinator will reach out to you. We cannot wait to start your journey!
American Camp Exchanges Stories
