AMERICAN CAMP EXCHANGES

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.

The participant’s stipend is negotiated between the participant and camp directly, but all participants must receive a minimum stipend of $2,000 for nine weeks and $230 per week for each additional week. The participants must receive the same compensation or more as their domestic counterparts and other Exchange Visitors. All local, state, and federal labor laws must be followed.

For first time camp counselor participants, camps are responsible for the program fee.

Program Fee: $1,100
*The program fee includes medical insurance for the participant’s original program dates. The program fee does not include LifeTRAVELED registration, SEVIS or Embassy fees which will be covered by the participant.

For first-time support staff participants, camps are responsible for the program fee.

Program Fee: $1,300
*The program fee includes medical insurance for the participant’s original program dates. The program fee does not include LifeTRAVELED registration, SEVIS or Embassy fees which will be covered by the participant.

Returnee and direct participants are responsible for their program fee.

The State Department BridgeUSA Camp Counselor and Summer Work and Travel programs are Exchange Visitor Programs designed to achieve the educational objectives of international and cultural exchange by involving young adults in the daily life of the host country through summer camp counselor and support staff positions. It is vital that the participants return home to share their experiences and encourage Americans to participate in the educational and cultural programs in other countries.

Camp counselors and support staff are participating in the Exchange Visitor Program in two different visa categories, with two separate sets of Department of State regulations. The largest differences are between how participants are eligible for each program and what duties they are allowed to perform at the camp. For information on eligibility, please see our ACE page for participants. Camp counselors should not partake in supporting roles, and support staff should not be responsible for any oversight of children or camp activities.

All camps that sponsor Exchange Visitors must be ACA accredited.

While camp counselor participants can assist with daily chores, the majority of their tasks cannot be support duties such as administrative tasks, cooking, janitorial, etc.cription

The beauty of our world lies in the differences of individuals and cultures. Our participants come from more than 30 countries, such as Thailand, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Uzbekistan, and more.