International Support Staff Catalog 2024

CAMP OZARK

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Welcome!

We are excited for you to be a part of the Camp Ozark family! Over 7,500 campers will come to Camp Ozark throughout the summer and we are grateful you have chosen to be a part of the fun! Whether you are on Cleaning Crew, C.O.R.E. Team, Kitchen Staff, or Work Crew, your efforts will help create a wonderful experience for our campers. Additionally, it is important to us that YOU have a great summer as you experience American culture and make American freinds. We hope this catalog helps you as you prepare for the summer ahead at Camp Ozark!

PREPARING FOR CAMP OZARK

PRE-CAMP

TRAVEL TO CAMP OZARK

PACKING LIST

SPECIAL EVENTS

AT CAMP OZARK

LODGING

SUMMER PAY TIME OFF

HEALTH CENTER AND MEDICINE

PHONES AND DEVICES

SUMMER STAFF COMPUTERS

MORE

POST

Meet the Team

JOSH CASH

Years worked at camp: 6 Summers

Hometown: Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland

Currently live: Chattanooga, TN/Carrickfergus, NI

Favorite food in America: Pancakes!

Favorite place in America: Lake Martin, AL

Favorite Sport: Real football

Favorite TV series: New Girl

Favorite artist: Foy Vance

FRANNIE CASH

Years worked at camp: 7 Summers

Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama

Currently live: Chattanooga, TN/Carrickfergus, NI

Favorite food in America: Cheeseburger and Fries

Favorite place in America: Lake Martin + Montana

Favorite Sport: American Football

Favorite TV series: Parenthood

Favorite artist: Foy Vance + Needtobreathe

TY ENDSLEY

Years worked at camp: 8 Summers

Hometown: Marion, Ohio

Currently live: Houston, Texas

Favorite food in America: A good Cheeseburger

Favorite place in America: Camp Ozark or Yosemite

Favorite sport: Baseball

Favorite TV series: This Is Us

Favorite artist: Luke Combs

MORGAN MAIER

Years worked at camp: 8 Summers

Hometown: Macon, Georgia

Currently live: Chattanooga, Tennessee

Favorite food in America: Cheese dip

Favorite place in America: Alaska

Favorite sport: Soccer

Favorite TV series: The Office

Favorite artist: Needtobreathe

While at Camp Ozark, a dedicated team will support you in a variety of ways. Got questions? Have a concern or an issue? Need help with something? These are the folks who will help you out.

Mission and Culture

Our mission is central to the way we operate at Camp Ozark. We love kids and desire for them to develop real relationships with Christ through their camp experience. You, as part of the Summer Staff, carry out this mission by being BUILT DIFFERENT. The character traits below are the building blocks of the Camp Ozark culture and will help us to realize our mission this summer.

UNITY OF SPIRIT AND PURPOSE

God calls us to work in unity with a purpose that honors Him. We can do more together than we can apart.

GRIT

Grit is a passionate and unswerving dedication to a single mission. God calls us to give all we have to all we do. Endurance and perseverance are

CULTIVATION

God calls us to not only use our gifts, talents, and abilities, but to cultivate them. We are ultimately accountable for developing our gifts to the fullest.

SELFLESS SERVICE

Develop your gifts to the fullest, then seek ways to serve others with those gifts. This is an act of love and obedience. Service to others is the

Setting CAMP OZARK

Camp Ozark is in a “rural” or country location. The nearest cities are Hot Springs (45 minutes away) and Little Rock (1.5 hours away). There is a nearby small town, Mt. Ida (10 minutes away). Camp Ozark is located in the Ouachita National Forest, next to the Ouachita River, and near beautiful Lake Ouachita. “Ouachita” is pronounced “wash-ita.” The state of Arkansas has many beautiful nature areas.

DISTANCE FROM CAMP OZARK

» LOS ANGELES: 2570 km

» LAS VEGAS: 2200 km

» NEW YORK CITY: 2120 km

» GRAND CANYON: 1930 km

» MIAMI: 1200 km

» CHICAGO: 1200 km

» NEW ORLEANS: 827 km

» DALLAS: 427 km

» MEMPHIS: 373 km

PREPARING FOR

Camp Ozark

It may seem a bit overwhelming as you prepare to travel out of your country for 3 months. Camp Ozark understands this and we’ll do our best to help you. Between now and your arrival at camp, we will regularly communicate with you regarding paperwork, travel, packing, and everything else you need to know.

As an international staff member, you will also be responsible for staying in touch with your placement agency (Camp Leaders, GET or Alliance Abroad). They will help you as you obtain your visa and other important travel-related documents, conduct pre-travel training, and more.

CAMP OZARK PRE-CAMP CHECKLIST

□ Complete Interview

□ Create a myOzark account

□ Submit Camp Ozark Application and Reference

□ Use myOzark to complete all Staff Documents

□ Use myOzark to complete all Medical Information

□ Upload Physical and Insurance Card

□ Complete Praesidium Training (Available in April)

□ Complete All Online Training Modules

□ Arrange travel to Little Rock, Arkansas

□ Pack for Incomparable Camp Ozark!

Please make sure your myOzark Dashboard is 100% completed before arriving at camp.

□ Complete all Placement Agency paperwork and forms.

□ Attend any training or orientations offered by the Placement Agency.

□ Work with the Placement Agency to arrange an interview with the US Embassy.

□ Obtain your J-1 Visa and other forms necessary for entry into the United States.

□ Understand your responsibilities for checking in with your Placement Agency throughout the summer.

PRE-CAMP CHECKLIST (PLACEMENT AGENCY)

Traveling to Camp Ozark

WHAT DAY DO I ARRIVE?

You are expected to arrive on the arrival date of your Camp Ozark contract. If you are unsure of this date, please check with your agency or email morgan@campozark.com

WHAT TIME SHOULD I ARRIVE?

We ask that your flight/bus arrive in Little Rock between 10AM-5PM on the day you are scheduled to arrive. *We understand this is hard for some international flights, so please let us know if you need to arrive later.

WHAT DO I DO ONCE I ARRIVE?

A Camp Ozark staff member will be at the airport / bus station to greet you when you arrive and will drive you to Camp Ozark!

HOW DO I GET THERE?

We prefer for you to arrive by airplane. The airport is Bill and Hillary Clinton National Airport in Little Rock, AR. You may also choose to travel from another city to Little Rock by bus (we recommend using Greyhound as your service.)

DO I NEED TO COMMUNICATE MY FLIGHT INFORMATION?

Yes! Please send all travel information to morgan@campozark.com

WHAT DO I DO FOR MY DEPARTING TRAVEL?

» You will depart on the departure date of your Camp Ozark contract.

» If flying, your flight should be scheduled to depart after 12PM on your departure date.

» If traveling by bus, your bus should be scheduled to depart after 11AM on your departure date.

Camp Ozark

PACKING LIST

RECOMMENDED ITEMS

□ Jacket/Sweatshirt

□ Raincoat/Poncho

□ Swimsuits (One-pieces only, girls!)

□ Pajamas

□ Bath Towels (2)

□ Beach Towel (1)

□ Underwear (10-14)

□ Pairs of Socks (8-12)

□ Shorts (8-12)

□ Sweatpants/Joggers

□ T-Shirts (10-12)

□ Tennis Shoes (1-2)

□ Water Shoes (Chacos, Tevas, Crocs, etc.)

□ Shower Shoes (Flip Flops)

□ Laundry Bag

□ Backpack/Duffel Bag (for your days off)

□ Outfit for Summer Staff Banquet

RECOMMENDED ACCESSORIES

□ Alarm Clock(no cell phones allowed as alarm clocks)

□ Notebook/Paper & Pens

□ Flashlight/Headlamp

□ Hat/Sunglasses

□ Bible (optional)

□ Country jersey or flag (show off your country!)

We recommend bringing enough clothes to last 1½ to 2 weeks. You will have access to laundry, but who wants to do it every day! The most common clothing outfit at Camp Ozark is a casual shirt, comfortable shorts, and athletic shoes.

CAMP OZARK WILL PROVIDE

WHEN YOU ARRIVE AT CAMP, YOU WILL BE GIVEN THE FOLLOWING SO YOU DO NOT NEED TO PACK THEM!

□ Uniform Shirts (5 work shirts)

□ Sleeping Bag/Sheets

□ Pillow & Pillow Case

□ Shampoo & Soap

□ Toothbrush & Toothpaste

□ Box Fan

NOTES

□ The culture of dress at Camp Ozark is modest in nature. Clothing that is too tight or too revealing (low cut or seethrough) should not be worn.

□ When choosing your clothing, keep in mind that you will be involved in energetic activities, in a hot environment, every day.

□ During the day, it is typically very warm at Camp Ozark, especially during July and August. The temperature can occasionally approach or exceed 40°C. Please be sure to bring comfortable clothes for such weather.

Camp Ozark

SPECIAL EVENTS

NEW DAY, NEW THEME AT CAMP OZARK! WE ENCOURAGE YOU TO JOIN THE FUN!

WESTERN NIGHT

PARTY DOWN, COWBOYS AND COWGIRLS!

MASQUERADE

GREAT COSTUMES AND A MYSTERY TO BE SOLVED!

MAGIC

DISNEY-THEMED EXTRAVAGANZA!

WATER WORLD

A BEACH PARTY LIKE NO OTHER!

STATE FAIR

CLASSIC AMERICAN CELEBRATION AND FAIR FOOD!

DISCO DAZE

IT’S THE 70’S, BABY!

CHRISTMAS

CHRISTMAS IN THE SUMMER? WHY NOT?!?

PLANET OZARK

OZARK IN THE 90’S... LOTS OF NEON!

TOTALLY OZARK

A FINAL BLOWOUT OF EPIC PROPORTION!

PUMP IT UP

GET PUMPED UP FOR YOUR FAVORITE SPORTS TEAM!

RED WHITE & BLUE

CELEBRATION OF AMERICA, COMPLETE WITH FIREWORKS!

GOTTA BE SNEAKY DURING THIS EVENT!

@ Camp Ozark

LODGING

Bedding (pillow and sleeping bag/sheets) are provided for all international staff.

Summer Staff Housing includes a large Staff House as well as staff-only cabins. Generally, you will be housed with 10-15 other staff. The Staff House has a shower/ restroom area inside the building. In addition, there are “bath houses” for the Staff cabins and others in the Staff House.

SUMMER PAY

There are many factors that determine the amount you are paid, including your specific Placement Agency, arrival date, and departure date. Your specific salary will be included in your Camp Ozark contract. In addition, a detailed salary sheet will be provided prior to your arrival.

NOTE: Your Placement Agency will also provide information regarding your pay.

Your salary will be paid at the end of Staff Orientation and then every two weeks. Funds are deposited to a camp-provided debit card. More information about your debit card will be provided once you arrive at Camp Ozark. Please note that due to a variety of other costs associated with hosting international participants, Camp Ozark international participants are on a different pay scale than our domestic staff.

SUMMER STAFF COMPUTERS

Keeping in touch with family and friends back home is important, as is keeping up with school and other matters. To help, Camp Ozark has several computers set aside solely for Summer Staff use. These are available at certain times, including times that account for the time difference between the US and other countries.

All staff housing is located on the camp property. Our Summer Staff Housing is not air-conditioned. However, box fans will be provided.

PHONES & DEVICES

Camp Ozark is an electronics-free camp for both staff and campers. Phones and other devices are turned in for storage during the check-in process. These are stored securely and made available during days off and in between sessions.

Maintaining our electronics-free environment is important to us. However, we also know that cell phones play an important role in your life. We are flexible in our policy so that international staff phones may be accessed as necessary for emergencies or other urgent needs.

TIME OFF

DAYS OFF

Staff members receive a full day off at some point during the 2-week session. For your day off, we will provide a free shuttle to transport you to town. We have two off-site staff facilities for use on days off. These have laundry facilities and Wi-Fi. Most staff typically go to Hot Springs to get a good meal and do some shopping. There are also many beautiful destinations around camp if you are feeling adventurous!

Mt. Ida, just a quick drive from camp, has some great food options: The Dairyette, El Diamante, Wayseekers Coffee, and the Mt. Ida Café.

BETWEEN SESSIONS

2-week session responsibilities generally end on Saturday around 2 PM and begin back Sunday morning.

HEALTH CENTER & MEDICINE

Camp Ozark has two Health Centers which are staffed by licensed nurses and a doctor. Health Center services are available for all staff.

All prescription and over-thecounter medicine you bring to camp will be stored in our Staff Medicine Room. These rooms have 24/7 access. If you have any questions about our Health Centers or Medicine policies, please ask!

FAITH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STAFF

As a Christian camp, we care about the spiritual development of our campers and staff. Regardless of where you are in your Christian faith, we hope you experience spiritual growth at Camp Ozark. The primary way we hope you’ll grow in your faith this summer is by living it out - by serving and caring for our campers and for each other. Additionally, we provide several optional opportunities for our staff to come together for prayer, learning, or worshiping.

STAFF POLICY HIGHLIGHTS

In order to provide a safe environment for our campers and an incomparable experience for our camp families, we require our staff to adhere to a variety of carefully considered policies. All camp policies will be reviewed during Staff Orientation, but a few policies of note have been included below for your reference:

» We are an electronics-free camp and do not allow campers or staff to use devices during the camp program. Phones are permitted during time off.

» We ask our staff to maintain a professional appearance and to adhere to our dress code and grooming policies:

• No inappropriate or revealing clothing.

• Male staff must be clean shaven and have a professional-looking haircut.

» Staff may not use alcohol or other illicit substances on or off camp property for the duration of their contract.

STAFF TRAINING

MORE OZARK Awesomeness

TEAM COMPETITION

We know you have a lot of questions about camp and your specific role. Upon arrival to Camp Ozark, you will be trained in your role by the supervisor in your area. There is a lot to learn, but we will be with you every step of the way to help you!

CAMP ACTIVITIES

If you’ve checked our website, you’ll see we offer lots of amazing activities. As a member of our Support Staff, there will be times when you are able to partcipate in many of these activities. In addition to doing great in your Support Staff role, we want to make sure you also get to have a lot of fun!

FITNESS STUDIO & WEIGHT ROOM

Brand new facilities for both aerobic and weight training. We also offer staff-only fitness classes throughout the summer!

At camp, you will often hear of the Red team and Blue team. Team competition is a fun time for our campers to compete in sport activities. On Support Staff, you will be assigned a team to cheer for!

STAFF BANQUET

Summer hasn’t started yet, but we are already excited for the End of Summer Staff Banquet! On August 3rd, after the campers leave, we will dress up and celebrate the summer with a wonderful dinner and a look back on the summer. Most of our staff will pack nicer clothes for this night. Girls typically wear casual dresses and guys wear collared shirts. Worried you won’t have enough room in your luggage? You can always buy an outfit on your day off!

CAMP FOOD

Meatball sub sandwiches. Chicken fingers. Hamburgers. Pepperoni Stromboli. And more to look forward to! For breakfast, lunch, and dinner, you will have a variety of options to choose from in our dining hall. We know you will come to love some of our Camp Ozark staples!

NOTE: If you have a food allergy or special dietary requirements, please notify us as soon as possible. While Camp Ozark can accommodate most food requirements, some situations may prove challenging.

AMERICAN FRIENDS

While you are at camp impacting and serving our campers, we know it is important for you to also have time to yourself and spend time with friends. We have built some time and activities into our schedule just for our staff.

CHOW HALL MORNINGS STAFF TIME AT NIGHT

Start your day with some Bible study or just hanging out with friends…and some coffee!

Hang out with friends, grab a late night snack, use a computer, or play in one of our staff-only activities.

POST-CAMP TRAVELS

Want to travel after camp, but not sure where to go? We have found that the best places to visit are those that have good public transportation! Large cities on the east coast like New York, Boston, Chicago, Washington DC, etc. are great options! Other popular spots that are most easily connected by flights are Las Vegas, Orlanda, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco. You’ll also meet friends over the summer from all over the US and may choose to visit them in their hometowns or at their universities! Here are some trips that our international staff took last year:

“I went to a lot of places, Dallas, Miami, Las Vegas, Utah, Nevada, Cincinnati and New York, it was awesome. It was the best summer I’ve ever had!”

“I went to Miami and it was the best experience because of the people that I went with and the activities that we did there.”

“I traveled to North Carolina and Orlando, Florida. I traveled to different places in these cities, having an incredible time!”

“I could visit almost all of my dream destinations. San Francisco, LA, Las Vegas, and New York.”

“I traveled to Michigan for a few days and it was really amazing to visit the lakes there.”

“I went to New Jersey and then I went to Austin, TX.”

“I went to Dallas to visit the city, some museums and zoo and it was amazing, I loved the city.”

International Drivers License: Please keep in mind that many states in America require an International Driver’s Permit in order to drive in the US. If you plan to drive during your travels, you must get this before your trip to America as the US does not issue IDPs to foreign visitors. Please also note that many car rental agencies will not rent to those under the age of 21. Most agencies will charge an additional daily fee to rent if you are under the age of 25. It is best to research what renting and driving a car in America would look like for someone from your country before you come to camp.

What Others Say

“I spent a wonderful summer at Camp Ozark in 2022. I gained a lot of experience that summer. I was lucky to have the opportunity to work alongside so many great people for the whole summer. Those were the best days of my life. I managed to see what life looks like in the USA and had the opportunity to visit places I had always wanted to see such as the Grand Canyon, Horseshoe Bend.”

Cleaning Crew from Mexico

“My experience at Camp Ozark was truly incredible, it amazed me in so many ways and the memories will last forever in my heart. I’ve gained a lot of life experience and learned many new things. I was able to practice my English and now I feel more confident in my conversational abilities. I’m no longer afraid to make mistakes when I speak english and I was able to improve day by day. I’ve learned to work in teams. I’ve learned about many cultures from around the world and gained friendships with people from all over the world.”

Kitchen Staff from Mexico

“My experience at Camp Ozark is something I would not change for anything. From making friends from all over the world, greatly improving my English pronunciation, learning to be independent in another country, to making myself known and respected for my work and responsibility. I learned so much through my experiences this summer in Arkansas.”

Cook from Mexico

“My experience at Camp Ozark was amazing. Living, eating, and laughing with people from all over the world was a wonderful experience. Obviously, it was hard to live far away from my family, but traveling to another country and learning about new cultures changed my life. I experienced so many new things. I ate a lot of new food, and I learned a lot about myself. I enjoyed all the moments at Camp Ozark.”

Erik Bertalan

Itzel Reyes

Alma Perez Cuautle

Stephany Torres

Work Crew from Hungary

OZARK BY THE NUMBERS

AMERICAN CAMP ASSOCIATION PERFECT SCORE

Only 15% of summer camps are accredited

300 standards met for ACA accreditation

1500+ photos each day

1 daily video update

Accessible through the Camp Ozark Go app

SKATEPARK RAMPS BUMPER BOATS

BLOBS

SHOOTING SPORTS RANGES

CULINARY ARTS STUDIOS

MINI GOLF

FISHING

Campers from 44 States & 13 Countries

3:1 camper to assigned cabin staff ratio

Over 15,000 hours spent actively recruiting on college campuses and more than 40,000 miles driven to over 2,500 staff interviews in which 1 in 5 candidates are selected for summer staff positions from 104 schools all to hire the MOST Incomparable Camp Ozark staff

CAMP OZARK MAP