If cost is keeping you from sending your child to a Jewish summer camp, think again.
Scholarships earmarked for teens attending their first Jewish overnight camp are available — and being grabbed up this year by an increasing number of families.
Specifically, JWest camperships, designed to help middle-school kids afford camp, are on the rise.
Program changes instituted by the Denver-based organization have led to a dramatic increase in applicants for this summer. And it’s only April.
“So far the numbers are telling a wonderful story,” said JWest program director Wendy Aronson. “Currently we have 650 first-time campers, 120 as of right now in the Bay Area. This time last year we had 383 [overall].”
Funded by the S.F.-based Jim Joseph Foundation with an $11.2 million grant, JWest was created by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. Under the plan, 1,000 children from 13 Western states are eligible to receive tiered funding for up to three years at 20 Jewish camps, topping out at $2,500 per camper, according to Aronson.
It seems like a can’t-miss offer, but in its first two years, JWest drew far fewer applicants than expected, including in the Bay Area (only 87 kids last summer).
An internal review revealed a few unanticipated snags. “This is a challenging population to work with,” Aronson added. “Often by middle school, families have established patterns of how they spend their summers.”
Program organizers also learned that some families balked at the three-week sessions JWest promoted at places such as Camp Tawonga near Yosemite and URJ Camp Newman in Santa Rosa. Unlike East Coasters, who frequently sign their kids up for three-week camping stints, many West Coast families prefer shorter options.
“If you think three weeks is a little long, this year we are now funding two-week sessions,” Aronson said. “You get $1,000 the first year, next year another $1,000, and in 2012 you get $500.” Hardy souls signing up for three-week sessions will receive $1,500 for the first year.
JWest also is extending the program another year, into 2013, until all the campers are recruited and the Jim Joseph Foundation’s financial commitment is spent.
At Camp Tawonga, the changes meant a spike in applicants, with 87 kids signing up for JWest grants so far.
“JWest is an incredible opportunity for families throughout the Jewish community to take advantage of Jewish summer camp and send their kids to a great summer experience they might not otherwise have been able to,” said Ryley Katz, Tawonga’s director of administration. “We have about 30 returning campers for the second year.”
Alvin Levitt, president of the Jim Joseph Foundation and chair of its board, was glad to see JWest make the changes.
“It became apparent that one of the reasons all the camperships didn’t get used was because three weeks is too long,” Levitt said. “Now JWest has acceded to our request to make them two weeks. As a result, we’re finding that the demand increased significantly. We’re very pleased.”
Aronson said her program does more than simply help families defray the costs of camp tuition. It also tracks kids to see whether the experience propelled them into greater involvement with Jewish life once the last campfire was extinguished. “Our goal is that kids should be involved in Jewish life between summers,” Aronson added.
Camp professionals already believe that it’s working.
Katz has found the Jewish summer camp experience does impact daily life in a positive way.
“Kids want to do the Shabbat blessing [when they get home],” she said. “They want to join a youth group or be involved in BBYO. For some, camp gives them their Jewish identity. They walk away with a better sense of what Judaism looks like to them.”
For information on JWest, visit www.jewishcamp.org.