I enjoyed the uniqueness of the program and the ability to have an hands on teaching experience !
What I wish was different
I wish if I had made the lesson plan ahead of time before starting the program.
Advice
Be friendly with the student but also maintain a sense of authority !
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One person found this helpful
Teaching Assistant (Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School)
June - August 2019 • Haverford, PA
What I liked
Working with students and helping them learn.
What I wish was different
Advice
1
One person found this helpful
Program Assistant
June - July 2019 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
This is a really wonderful program. You get to work with really talented kids, but the class sizes are small so it's not overwhelming. The pay is pretty good for three weeks of work.
What I wish was different
I wish the program had been longer! The hours were long, and I was on my feet a lot, but it was worth it.
Advice
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Resident Assistant
June - July 2018 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
I loved the environment that the staff built with the students and the faculty. Everyone was positive and passionate about what they did.
What I wish was different
The length. I wish the program was a little longer, because it is such an amazing experience.
Advice
Have fun and make connections.
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Chemistry Teaching Assistant
June - August 2018 • Los Angeles, CA
What I liked
-I got to see what it was like to work as a TA in a different campus, for a different program, for younger students
-It allowed me to discern whether or not I wanted to pursue teaching in the future
-Getting to work with a diverse group of individuals
-Great opportunity to live and work outside of Santa Clara
What I wish was different
Advice
-If an employer visits your campus you should make an effort to drop by and meet them, even if it's just for a while. Make sure to follow up with a thank you email.
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Program Assistant
July - August 2018 • Alexandria, VA
What I liked
I loved getting the opportunity to work closely with the elementary aged children in my class, as well as to work with my fellow PA's and my Instructor.
What I wish was different
I wish the administration had been a bit more organized
Advice
Be prepared to be on your feet all day!
1
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Resident assistant
June - August 2018 • San Francisco, CA
What I liked
I got to interact with campers and staff from all over the world. It is hosted at cool locations, like San Francisco and Rhode Island. Was a lot of fun.
What I wish was different
Advice
Embrace the craziness that comes with dealing with groups of children and don’t be scared to spend your summer far away from home.
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Health Assistant
June - August 2018 • Bristol, RI
What I liked
- My exposure to the health field through the mentorship of a nurse. I had to participate in the day-to-day operation of the site health office, keep track of students' medications and medical appointments, confer with parents, act as a liaison with nearby medical professionals, and provide support to administrative and other staff.
- Leadership experience (I was part of the administrative staff and help make some major decisions for the students)
- Flexibility
What I wish was different
Working hours were explicit from the start so that I could be mentally prepared for it.
Advice
Be ready to work 8hrs or more a day and don't be lazy and also if you are not good with kids, this isn't for you.
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Teaching Assistant (Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School)
June - August 2018 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
It was a great atmosphere, and I had the chance to teach teach younger students computer science.
What I wish was different
I wish the organization itself was a little more organized and coherent.
Advice
Always keep an open mind to opportunities. I did not plan on working at CTY this summer, but I have it a chance and it was an amazing experience.
1
One person found this helpful
Senior Resident Assistant
June - August 2018 • Santa Cruz, CA
What I liked
I loved working with a cohort of adults who are equally passionate about educating and empowering young minds. My coworkers were hardworking and intelligent individuals, and I personally enjoyed managing a team and getting close with them in the workplace. The students are also incredible to work with. They are open-minded, incredibly smart, and they are curious about different subjects, cultures, and people. It's a fast-paced work environment, so there was never a dull moment, and the Santa Cruz location was beautiful.
What I wish was different
I wish that there was a better line of communication with the higher administration and the lower rungs of administration. For instance, as the Senior RA, I had very close contact with my co-SRA and the Dean of Students, but the channels between us and, say, the Site Director were loose at best. It was not always easy to hear from them regarding policy changes, and it was also difficult for us to enact policy change because we did not have communication with them.
Advice
The days are long and you have to love working with kids and have a passion for working with others. The unusual thing about working at a camp is that you have to create your own work-life balance. Sometimes you have to compartmentalize your personal life and your professional life, or you may get bogged down with work and stress!
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Residential Assistant
June - August 2018 • Saratoga Springs, NY
What I liked
The work culture was generally positive, and the work was fulfilling! I got a chance to make real connections with my coworkers and the students we were working with.
What I wish was different
Advice
Keep in mind that this is more or less a 24/7 job. Downtime and days off are built into the work schedule, but you will be expected to be on call almost all day, including if a student needs something in the middle of the night. Only take this job if you are willing to put in the time.
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2018 • Santa Cruz, CA
What I liked
I enjoyed working with people form different backgrounds and loved the fact that i served as a role model to the kids under my care.
What I wish was different
Nothing
Advice
High tolerance and patience level and be open to differing opinions.
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2018 • Haverford, PA
What I liked
I liked working with the kids and giving them a great summer. The staff was also amazing
What I wish was different
The pay is honestly not enough. You work 18 hour days during the week and all 24 hours on the weekend, which comes out to $3 an hour before taxes.
Advice
Make sure you take care of yourself along with the kids.
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Health Assistant
June - August 2018 • Santa Cruz, CA
What I liked
Housing and food was paid for.
What I wish was different
I wish that the schedule allowed more time off.
Advice
It's a good experience in a different setting. It's really good for making connections with collegues from all over the US and the world.
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Program Assistant
June - August 2017 • Sandy Spring, MD
What I liked
I was able to be a teaching assistant in the classroom and then also a facilitator during activities, making it a fun summer job for a prospective teacher in the near future.
What I wish was different
Advice
Make relationships with your mentor, administration, and staff. Creating those connections will make the job more enjoyable and make you want to come back for next summer.
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One person found this helpful
Teaching Assistant (Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School)
June - August 2018 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
I loved working with my students. They were, for most of the time, eager to learn and a fun bunch to work with. They were a motivational force for me and I learned as much from them as they have learned from me.
What I wish was different
I wished the administration could have been a bit looser to allow for more traditions that are unique to CTY and not available in other summer camps.
Advice
Don't be afraid to ask for help or advice, the other teaching and residential staff are amazing and approachable people.
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Teaching Assistant (Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School)
June - August 2018 • Bristol, RI
What I liked
I had to learn on-the-run how to teach in an effective manner, and to cater to my students’ needs, which was challenging but fun.
What I wish was different
Advice
1
One person found this helpful
Teaching Assistant
June - August 2018 • Los Angeles, CA
What I liked
CTY was a great student teaching program that introduced me to many different intellectual students such as the ones from our university. The atmosphere is extremely pleasant, and it is an overall wonderful summer job.
What I wish was different
Sometimes things can be a bit chaotic, but that comes when it comes with working with middle and high schoolers. If anything, this job really helped me to learn how to perform certain tasks on the spot or how to handle different situations when needed.
Advice
Do not go into this job without a genuine love for working with younger students. The children are giving their summers to have a great time, and you are expected to be able to help create an exciting, studious atmosphere for all the students.
1
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2018 • Haverford, PA
What I liked
Meeting incredible people, both from across the country and international
Teaching and leading young students
What I wish was different
More opportunities for RAs to get to know each other early
Advice
This job is very time intensive, but deeply rewarding
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Residential Program Assistant
June - August 2018 • Lancaster, PA
What I liked
The other employees who work at CTY are very fun and smart people. Most people get the chance to use their academic and personal interests as activities for the program. The largest departments are academic and residential (I worked in administrative). Anyone can really dip their toe into responsibilities/activities of another department if they wish.
As part of the administrative staff and specifically an RPA, I loved being able to interact so much with people from all the departments pretty regularly. The social environment is very rich and dynamic, which is the most rewarding/fun aspect of working with CTY.
Additionally, housing and food is completely covered for by CTY so you don't have to worry about either of those basic necessities and for me personally having a regulated schedule (set meal times) was very good for me to be around others and have a consistent routine.
What I wish was different
I wish the hours had been different (and my feedback to my boss reflects this). My job is primarily as an office assistant. The main duties include things such as answering and directing calls to the appropriate departments, ordering / buying supplies for each department, picking up and sorting mail, and assisting students and parents. There are usually 5 total people who are office assistants (RPAs). After the busiest periods (which are opening, intersession, and closing), the job can be a bit slow.
I brought this concern to my supervisor, saying that our normal staggered 8-hour shifts (8am-4pm, 10am-6pm x 2 people, 1-9pm, 4-11 pm) were too long, especially during the 1-4pm time period when there are 4 people in the office not doing anything. I suggested 5-6 hour shifts where people were on call for the remaining 2-3 hours if it ever got busy. All of my coworkers agreed that this would have been a better model to test, but the suggestion was not adopted by our supervisors.
So, I wish the program implemented working hours more suited towards having the most productive and efficient work hours.
Advice
This job can be quite intense during the busy periods. Administrative staff come 1 whole week before students arrive to set up basically the whole camp. Then as one session of 500+ students leaves, another one comes in one weekend in a busy period called intersession. So my advice would be to really prepare yourself for those times, get lots of rest, take breaks when needed, ask for help, offer help, and don't beat yourself up or your coworkers up if there are mistakes made since a lot is happening at those times.
I would also encourage people to talk to a lot of people, the staff have diverse academic and professional backgrounds and are generally really interesting people. There are a lot of staff activities separate from the summer program that were highlights of my summer.
Finally, keep an open mind about how to go about things. I've worked for this camp for two summers and find I am always learning different ways to approach problems and learn new, more efficient solutions or ideas from my coworkers.
