A new calendar year is the perfect time to plan ahead for those exciting summer months – they’ll be here before you know it!
By Your Federation Staff
At Jewish overnight camp kids discover who they are—and who they want to become—while having the time of their lives. They try out new things and find the best versions of themselves. They play basketball, go sailing, practice art, and even explore special interests like science or entrepreneurship or culinary arts—and while they’re doing it, they make lifelong friends and build important life skills. At the end of the day, they get to sing songs, toast marshmallows, and make memories. When it’s all done in a Jewish context, young people deepen their Jewish identity, which they carry with them their entire lives.
Of course, every summer camp comes with a price tag, and often a steep one. Luckily, there are financial resources available for those families wishing to send their kids to Jewish summer camp. The Jewish Federation of Greater Ann Arbor is pleased to once again partner with Jewish Family Services of Washtenaw County (JFS) and the National Foundation for Jewish Camp – One Happy Camper (FJC) to address the financial burden of attending Jewish summer camp.
Jewish Camp Scholarships (JFS)
With the support of JFS, families can apply for need-based scholarships to attend Jewish overnight or day camps, including Camp Gan Israel and the JCC’s Camp Raanana. Applications for these scholarships will be accepted until early April and can be found on the Federation’s website at JewishAnnArbor.org.
One Happy Camper (FJC)
In addition, for those campers looking to attend Jewish overnight camp for the first time, the Federation’s partnership with the Foundation for Jewish Camp (FJC)’s One Happy Camper program (https://jewishcamp.org), offering need-blind grants of up to $1,000 per camper. Families of any income level are encouraged to apply. The primary consideration is that your child must be attending a Jewish overnight summer camp for the very first time!
The greater Ann Arbor community joined One Happy Camper for summer of 2022 and offered grants to 18 local first-time overnight campers. In the summer of 2023, we awarded grants to 14 more local first-time campers. Across North America each summer, over 7,000 children are sponsored by the program. While the grants are only available for a camper’s first time at overnight camp, One Happy Camper makes trying overnight camp much less of a financial gamble for parents. Our data indicates that 87% of those first-time campers return for a second summer. When their children return home, 97% of parents agree that Jewish camp makes their child proud to be Jewish.
For more information about One Happy Camper grants or a need-based scholarship supported by JFS, visit JewishAnnArbor.org or contact james@jewishannarbor.org.