I recently arrived back in Canada after spending my summer with LEOlingo in Germany. I am not joking when I tell you that this was the coolest and most amazing work experience I’ve had so far. I was initially hesitating whether I should go or not, but man I am so incredibly glad that I did. If you’re in the same position, I strongly urge you to do it. You will not regret it! I know that it can feel overwhelming to be going on such a foreign experience so let me break it down for you.
Your time in Germany starts with a week of training with the other counsellors and your bosses, Andrea and Anne-Marie, both of whom are incredible and feel more like friends than bosses. The counsellors are usually from all over the world. Personally, I was working with people from Canada, USA, England, Ireland, France, Wales, and Scotland. It was awesome meeting like minded people from so many different countries and it really instigated super cool and insightful conversations and bonds between everyone! Training week is quite a lot of work, but it’s more fun than tiring. Basically, you go over many of the activities that you will be doing with the kids later on. This includes many games, sports, arts and crafts, and you also cover a lot of information about logistics, rules and so on. Training week is also a great time to connect with the other counsellors before you start working with them. It was honestly such a highlight of my trip!
Next, you’ll start getting to work! There are two different types of camps that you’ll have the chance to work at during your time in Germany, day camps and overnight camps. Day camps, like the name implies, go on from 8/9 am to 4/5 pm, Monday to Friday. They are usually held in cities, in places like schools, universities, company offices, or other buildings of that sort. As a day camp counsellor, you get the chance to stay with a host family for the week. This might seem nerve-wracking at first, but let me tell you, it’s a wonderful experience! Personally, I had really great conversations with my host family, and they were really keen on taking me out to beer gardens and showing me around the city in the evenings after camp. By the end of the week, it was hard saying goodbye! The other type of camps you’ll be working at are overnight camps, where you and the children stay and sleep over at the campsite from Sunday to Friday. These camps are held in the German countryside, which is beautiful, in places like castles, monasteries, and retreat centres. Fortunately, at an overnight camp, you’re not working 24/7. You’ll either be a day counsellor, taking charge of the day program, or a night counsellor, leading the night program. Also, many of the overnight camps have special adventure days where you and the kids do a fun activity outside of camp on one of the days. I was very fortunate to go caving and water skiing, but other adventures include karting, canoeing, high ropes, and swimming, among others. Overall, the camps are super fun, and give you the chance to interact with German children, who are very fun, though sometimes a little cheeky ;).
So you’re done your week of work! What happens till you start again? If you came with the intention of travelling, this is your chance to do so. There is so much to see in Germany but it’s also quite close to many surrounding countries, whether it be by driving, or by using public transport (which there is a ton of between countries). Travelling on the weekends is a great way to see Europe (especially if you’re not from there) and also spend quality time with fellow counsellors. During my trip, I was able to visit Nuremberg, Garmisch-Partenkirchen (German Alps), Czech Republic and Switzerland. On the way back to Canada, I also managed to make quick stops in the Netherlands, Belgium and Portugal. The time I spent travelling was some of the best time of the trip, and I made memories that I will truly never forget.
If my review hasn’t convinced you to go for it, I don’t know what will! While I’ve said it many times, let me reiterate that LEOlingo is one of the best things you can do to yourself. At the end of the day, you’re not just going for a job; you’re going to meet new people, see new places and do things you wouldn’t have the opportunity to do had you not gone.