Harford Glen is an Environmental Education Center and is a fundamental part of the Harford County Public School System. It incorperates a curriculum that promotes awareness and understanding of the local and global environment. Fifth graders in Harford County Public Schools (HCPS) get to go as a class and get the opportunity to learn about the environment and spend three days there.
High schoolers in 10th grade and above in HCPS have the opportunity to be a camp counselor at Harford Glen. They get the opportunity to be a leader while also learning about the environment and being able to interact with the kids.
One of the teachers at Harford Glen, Mrs. Amanda Subolefsky says as a high school counselor, students are “assistant[s], helper[s] in the dining hall, a friend in the lodge, a catch partner at recess, and an entertainer during campfire time,” and overall a role model for the fifth graders. She says counselors are a “vital part of the program” ensuring safety during outdoor activities.
As a counselor, this opportunity also helps develop “ leadership, social, and teamwork skills.” She says to sign up to be a counselor, students must “go online at hcps.org to apply.”
Subolefsky says if anyone is unsure about being a counselor, to just “give it a try,” as students also gain “volunteer hours,” she states, and is “a good way of branching out and meeting new people.”
One of the students that was a counselor at Harford Glen, senior Zoe Barnes says she “ absolutely loved being a counselor at Harford Glen.” She says her favorite part about being a counselor was, “acting out the skits for the kids at the end of the day.” They were always so fun, she says and the kids “laughed a lot.”
Barnes said she has gone twice and is going again next month, she says, “I would do this again every month if I could.” Her advice to anyone who is thinking about going is to “make sure to talk to the kids and make a connection with them.” The counselors are what make it “fun and memorable” for the kids, she says.
She says when she went in fifth grade she remembers her teacher telling them they could come back in high school and she knew she was going to. This is a good way to “get out of your comfort zone and try something new,” the senior says.
