The things I enjoyed most about this job were the housing facilities and the events they planned for the children outside of their everyday class schedule because it allowed us as staff to better know the students outside of a learning environment with activities that promoted teamwork and problem-solving. In addition, it helped me network with my fellow peers who work in many fields and come from various places in the country.
What I wish was different
I wish the location could have been closer to my home. The campus I worked was over 2,000 acres and it was extremely hard to get around on foot appreciated the experience of flying out to a state I'd never been to before and I am grateful for that opportunity, it was a challenge I had overcome.
Advice
If given the opportunity, take part in this program. If not to help nurture young minds but for the relationship, you build with your fellow staff and co-workers who work in so many different job fields. You'll make friends and build lifelong relationships with people you wouldn't meet working most summer jobs.
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2022 • Los Angeles, CA
What I liked
I liked interacting with the children and seeing the cool things they did in class.
What I wish was different
I wish it had been longer and a little more organized but it was the first year back since the pandemic.
Advice
This is a great way to get experience working with youth and adolescents. There are many connections that can be made as well as being in a diverse environment.
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2022 • Saratoga Springs, NY
What I liked
The kids are great and the program was good before COVID and the new administration.
What I wish was different
I have never had such a negative work experience in my life. I have worked at summer camps for months on end before, yet two weeks into working the first session of CTY I was completely burnt out and tempted to quit. The admin was all new due to the 2-year COVID break and they were extremely hostile and unprofessional to staff and students alike. The site was disorganized, severely understaffed, and had zero concern for COVID despite multiple cases among students and staff. Not only that, but the official contract for Resident Assistants states that if any RA misses work for more than two days in a row they are fired, replaced, and only paid up until the moment they became ill. This resulted in many staff members avoiding additional COVID testing when possible because they didn't want to be fired. Overall CTY's emotionally and physically demanding environment is one that I can't recommend to anyone, even the most experienced camp counselors. CTY employees are not valued at the Saratoga Springs site. Although I was encouraged to reapply next summer, I will never work for this program again and I strongly encourage anyone considering a position at Saratoga Springs to reach out to former 2022 staff members to hear their experiences before committing.
Advice
If you are reading this after being offered a position at CTY's Skidmore College program in Saratoga Springs, I suggest you request a different CTY program location or choose a different summer job altogether. I would also recommend potential future employees of Johns Hopkins CTY to research the issues and complaints voiced by parents and students during the late-notice mass cancellation of classes in 2022. There are several news articles about these problems from the Washington Post and local Baltimore papers.
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RA
June - August 2020 • Bristol, RI
What I liked
I liked having gainful employment and my coworkers
What I wish was different
The organization itself is a mess.
Horrible bosses and horrible hours. Too much work for such low pay.
Advice
Kids are great, bosses not so much.
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Teaching Assistant
July - August 2019 • Haverford, PA
What I liked
I really liked the Instructor I worked with and getting to know the students. My fellow teaching assistants were wonderful people and I really enjoyed living on campus with them.
What I wish was different
Advice
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Teaching Assistant
June - August 2019 • Carlisle, PA
What I liked
I loved the environment and the ability to work closely with both the students and the rest of the teaching staff. I really got to see the students learn and grow throughout the program. Overall I really enjoyed it.
What I wish was different
The days were, admittedly, very long for TAs, and it is also quite a bit of work compared to the salary.
Advice
If you're thinking about it and have the time and ability, go for it. Engage with your students, go to the dances, and make the most of it.
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2019 • Lancaster, PA
What I liked
I loved making connections with the residents. The students were so smart and creative. I loved being their support system
What I wish was different
I wish the job consisted of more organization. There were many gaps in the system. The position was very go with the flow, which was counterproductive for everyone. There was miscommunication and tension. These things affected how I could perform for my position and being there for my residents which was frustrating.
Advice
I would say know your limits and how much you will and can take. Stand your ground. I would recommend a person doing this job for the first time to only do one session. Double sessions are very tiring. It becomes a long summer away from home and one is just over worked.
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Resident Assistant
July - August 2019 • Lancaster, PA
What I liked
I loved the environment and people I worked with. Everyone was so welcoming and unique.
What I wish was different
I wish I had been there for both summer sessions or just the first one so I didn't have to "catch up" during the second session.
Advice
Make sure your residents feel comfortable around you and are enjoying their experience. Go to their classes, they love when you come and participate in their classes! The students get tired so give them down time, they ask for it a lot.
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2019 • Saratoga Springs, NY
What I liked
The work environment was fantastic at the Saratoga Springs location. The staff got a long really well and it was a very fun summer. I also learned a lot about how to effectively work with kids by being on the residential staff. As an aspiring educator, I felt getting this hands on experience was the best way to learn how to work with kids.
What I wish was different
A lot of the staff there has been there for several years so sometimes the communication between staff could have been improved.
Advice
Go in flexible and with an open mind! The children really want your support so just be prepared to be there for them.
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Young Student Teaching Assistant
June - August 2019 • Bristol, RI
What I liked
It was a really fun atmosphere. Most of the kids were super excited to be there, and I got to have fun because I worked with the young students (YS) building Lego robots. As a YS TA, I did not have classes at night so I could pretty much do anything after that point as long as I prepared for the next day's materials. I met so many awesome people from all over the country, and everyone was so interested in the work they were doing. I also I worked on the beautiful campus of Roger Williams University, with water front access. We would occasionally go kayaking right on campus, and on the weekends when it was warm we would go to the beaches and see Block Island once or twice. We also went down for the Fourth of July festivities in Bristol after classes.
What I wish was different
There is nothing I wish was different.
Advice
I would highly recommend choosing the Bristol location if possible. It's not like any other summer camp out there.
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Health Assistant
June - July 2019 • Lancaster, PA
What I liked
I enjoyed the opportunity to put clinical work into practice in a completely different environment than what I am used to. The co-workers and students made the experience very positive.
What I wish was different
I was dramatically overworked. Only one day off for the entire month of work with little to no sleep in between shifts.
Advice
Go in with an open mind and a strong will.
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Instructor
June - August 2019 • Collegeville, PA
What I liked
Working with the kids and sharing my interest in robotics and programming.
What I wish was different
The relationship with administration was sometimes difficult. The schedule was pretty grueling as well.
Advice
Be prepared. Have a lot of class material to work with but also be willing to be flexible with your students.
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Teaching Assistant
June - August 2019 • New York City, NY
What I liked
How engaging it was. I felt like I was actually doing things that impacted the people around me.
What I wish was different
More room for personal growth.
Advice
You will love it if education is something that you're passionate about. Otherwise it can be a little frustrating to work with younger kids for an extended period of time.
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Residential Advisor
June - August 2019 • Carlisle, PA
What I liked
It was a great job with great coworkers. The mission of the program aligned perfectly with my morals of helping young students which made it a great experience
What I wish was different
I wish they had been more structured breaks for Resident Advisor through the week as the job can get nerve racking and stressful
Advice
Be very open minded for the new experiences and do not forget the initial reason why you decided to do that job
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2019 • Baltimore, MD
What I liked
I enjoyed being able to do something I've never done before. I was able to move to another state for a few months and had the amazing opportunity to work directly with 26 other resident assistants to create a thriving program. Working with a group of teenagers who are more academically stimulated was a very different experience that helped change my view on working with others.
What I wish was different
I wish some of the policies were more lax, however I completely understand why they cannot be. There was a strict policy of having eyes and ears on all students at all times especially when traveling through the campus. This was an open campus with multiple other camps on it, with the camp being right in the middle of Baltimore.
Advice
This job can be stressful because you are working for three weeks straight with only one day off and only two days off if you work both sessions. Have fun with this job, and let all of the petty stuff go.
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RA
June - August 2019 • Philadelphia, PA
What I liked
Easygoing, fun job
What I wish was different
Travel costs aren't covered by CTY
Advice
Prepare yourself for long hours
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Program Assistant
June 2015 • Sandy Spring, MD
What I liked
I like that this experience allows me to gain experience working with gifted and twice exceptional students, so that as I continue to learn and obtain a degree in Education, I will be able to apply all the skills that I have learned over these years.
What I wish was different
I wish that some of the courses were longer because we are only given a short time with the students, but I understand that it is a summer program.
Advice
To work as a team with your teacher and co-workers and be able to communicate well and support one another because when you first get in, it can be very overwhelming; just know that there is always someone else there to help you.
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Teaching Assistant
June - August 2019 • Bristol, RI
What I liked
I loved working with the students and the work environment was supportive. The hands on experience was great.
What I wish was different
I wish there were less students in my specific class (chemistry)
Advice
You really have to enjoy working with students if you want to get something out of this experience.
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Resident Assistant
June - August 2019 • Haverford, PA
What I liked
This job allowed me to meet other college students from around the country as we all worked for CTY in different positions. It helped me see how other Universities run some of their programs too.
I also loved working with Middle/High school students from around the world as they took classes through Johns Hopkins. The experience enriched me in different cultures and helped me learn about new identities I don't often see at my home university.
What I wish was different
I think if I were to participate in CTY again, I'd like a different role so I can gain new skills rather than doing the same job I do at my home university. I'd also like to go to another placement university so I can travel the country a little more!
Advice
It's a lot of work, expect to make a lot of new connections, but don't go into this thinking you'll have a lot of free time! You are working a majority of the time (whenever the students aren't in class). You only get one day off per session.
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Teaching Assistant (Preschool, Elementary, Middle, and Secondary School)
