Many High School students in Harford County volunteer to be a counselor at Harford Glen, a nature center nestled on approximately 340 acres here in Bel Air. Being a counselor at Harford Glen means helping and teaching 5th grade classes from different Elementary Schools about the environment.
Counselors choose to stay at Harford Glen for a week with the campers, which includes sleeping in the lodges with them, eating meals with them, and participating in activities with them. Although being a counselor at Harford Glen is an awesome experience, from the campfires and skits, to the interesting things ten year olds say, it can be very exhausting. Thankfully there is a specific room for counselors and staff called the Chickadee Room where you can unwind and relax from the day’s festivities.
One of the most integral parts of the Chickadee room is the food. Three yummy meals a day are provided to you and the campers inside the Dining Hall. Jenn Tapler, a counselor at Harford Glen said, “Harford Glen makes the best sugar cookies help they’re so good.” After those three meals, you are on your own. Snacks are a big part of what can get you through your week of being a counselor. Bringing family sized and multiple packages of snacks are a good idea because by the end of the week nobody remembers whose food is whose and it’s a free for all. You burn a lot of energy running around with the kids all day so bringing energy boosting food will benefit you.
Another part of the Chickadee room is the studying time. Before you come to Harford Glen you receive eight homework sheets for each of your teachers to sign and write down the homework that you are missing and must complete.
You have the weekend before you leave, the week you are at Harford Glen and the weekend you come back to finish all of your assigned homework. Most of the counselors have study/free time at the same time and as a result of this, you usually end up talking the whole time or playing card games with the other counselors. There are also two new couches in the Chickadee room and if you aren’t careful, you could end up falling asleep for a while. A lot of counselors like this though, and enjoy spending free time with everyone. It can be beneficial if you do not understand a part of your homework and there are other students there who can help you out. It is possible to get all of your homework done at Harford Glen, but a good tip is to get most of it completed before you leave.
All in all, deciding to be a counselor at Harford Glen is a good decision and will benefit you in many ways. It may become tiresome, but being with the kids for a week might make you have a new outlook on life and they will definitely make you laugh.