“What do you want to be when you grow up?” It’s the infamous question we have all been asked or even asked someone else at some point. Children, however, are usually the group who are on the receiving end of this question the most, and their recurring answers include teachers, doctors, engineers, actors or singers, gamers, or even influencers. While some careers don’t provide a how-to on successfully landing the job, there are routes that can be taken to help children still pursue their passions.

Attending a summer camp focused on a child’s chosen career interest provides an opportunity for the child to not only explore their passion but also help them work toward turning their camp experience into a career. Many hiring managers or casting directors are often looking for previous experience, and by attending these career-focused camps, children are able to gain that experience at an early age.

Choosing a Pathway
When it comes to pursuing a career, half of the children know what pathway they want to take while others are still undecided. By attending a career-focused camp, they are able to pursue a variety of interests to help them narrow down their future choices.

One career many look into is writing. Camps such as Lighthouse Summer Writing Camps help those children prepare and practice their writing skills with award-winning authors, providing writing time and interactive games. 

Alexa Culshaw of Lighthouse Writers Workshop, shares, “We have many campers who want to be novelists or the next big literary figure. However, no matter what career your teen or kiddo ends up in, writing is an essential tool for effective communication and will be valuable in every aspect of their life. We have a wide array of workshop topics covering genres like fiction, poetry, scriptwriting, songwriting, and journalism. This exposure allows young writers to discover their strengths and develop their unique voice, which is important for a career as a writer.”

No matter the chosen avenue, campers are able to get a jumpstart on the career of their choice, among other benefits.

Gaining the Experience
Children who are going into their chosen careers with experience under their belts are already standing out from the crowd. Career-focused camps help these children gain this experience early on, and they can keep returning each summer to fine-tune their skills or choose a different route to explore, all while networking with those who are already in the field.

Campers looking into Colorado College’s Summer Pre-College Program are supported by faculty members in those careers who want to see them succeed. These programs include business management, film and media, astronomy, and news writing, all offering a chance to immerse themselves in the field of their choosing.

Some camps will even take field trips, allowing campers to see everything in action so they can see what it’s like to perform the chosen career.

Learning and Growing
While these particular camps are unique in providing a starting point for a career, they also provide many of the basic skills seen in traditional camps, including team building, problem-solving, communication, and leadership.

Attending a career-focused camp catapults children into the career of their choice, providing them with a unique–and fun–opportunity to explore their interests and get an early start at landing the job of their dreams.