Counselors in Training are the best!
On Immersion Island, we offer the opportunity for students who have studied Spanish or French for several years, and are ready to use it, to participate as Counselors in Training (CIT) and help make camp fun and engaging for younger campers.
CITs get a discount rate for camp, enjoy all the fun of camp and at the same time growing their leadership and language skills. Some CITs have been on Immersion Island before, and some have not; either way, they are a valuable addition to camp. The CITs participate alongside campers; however, they are held to even higher expectations to use their language skills and are given leadership opportunities at every turn. CITs can be found helping with:
Conversation groups;
leading a song or activity; and
participating in our now-famous morning news show – La Isla TV (te ve) Noticias as it’s known in the Spanish camps.
We have wonderful memories over the years of our CITs who add superb camp spirit and camaraderie to camp weeks. In the picture above, we had these six CITs at one of our biggest middle school overnight camps and we have great memories of that awesome week! They added so much spirit, were among the campers during every activity using their Spanish and and helped us to make the week memorable for all – including themselves!
Makenna
CIT Makenna shares here experience on Immersion Island: “Immersion Island has done so much for my Spanish learning experience. Though I love my Spanish classes, there’s nothing like being completely surrounded by Spanish. It challenges me to apply the vocabulary I’ve practiced in class and also helps me with my listening and speaking skills in a realistic atmosphere. Sometimes it’s scary to always speak in Spanish or start conversations but the people at Immersion Island are so supportive. They care so much and make sure everyone, regardless of their level of Spanish, is learning and having fun. To help with this, Immersion Island plans amazing activities that are fun for CITs and campers. I’ve gotten to learn about Spanish speaking countries through the interactive morning “TV Noticias” and played vocabulary boosting games like a clothing relay race and camp scavenger hunt. It’s also worth mentioning that la Isla has some of the best food that I’ve ever tried.”
She continues, “Being a CIT was an ideal step in my Spanish learning process. I still participated in the vocabulary activities of the campers but I also challenged myself by leading games and starting conversations with the kids and counselors. Even after spending just a week at the Island as a CIT, I could tell I was more comfortable with my Spanish and I’m so grateful for how it’s helped me.”
Albert
Albert, who is now in his first-year in college, joined us for several years as a CIT and is a ball of energy who loves basketball! “Being a counselor in training was an amazing experience that taught me how to be an organizer, and showed me the behind the scenes of camp. As a CIT, I participated in the activities with fellow campers, and was also asked to be a leader and an example for younger campers. I am very thankful for the opportunity I was given by the ISLA program, and would recommend it to all who are interested!”
Both Makenna and Albert were campers first which made especially helpful CITs. Albert even came back last summer for a few weeks as a Junior Counselor because his energy and enthusiasm for all things Immersion Island was invaluable!