The Louis August Jonas Foundation

Please visit www.lajf.org/apply to check the applicant requirements and application process and to submit your application.

No. You can only apply to Camp Rising Sun if you will be 15 or 16 years old during the summer in question. Exceptions for highly mature 14-year-olds may be made. Please email us at apply@lajf.org if you are 14 years old and wish to be considered.

You can apply to the Ethical Leadership Experience if you are between 15 and 18 years old during the summer in question.

We are looking for candidates who bring a variety of qualities, passions, and interests. Candidates who represent diverse cultural, regional, racial, and economic backgrounds, and who are driven to make a difference in the world, whether in big or small ways. Our campers are not defined by a single profile; instead, we select individuals who complement one another by contributing unique strengths, experiences, and interests to the community.

Applicants for Camp Rising Sun must submit a letter of recommendation for consideration. This recommender should be an adult who knows you well (such as a teacher, supervisor, coach, mentor, etc.) who is NOT a member of your family.

To request a letter of recommendation, provide your recommender’s name and email in the “Candidate Reference” section of your application. We will automatically send an email asking for their recommendation.

You can submit your application before we receive your recommendation, but recommendations must be sent in before your application deadline.

CRS is a full scholarship program, which means it is totally free. Financial aid is available for campers who cannot afford to travel to New York for the program. 

Camp Rising Sun relies on contributions from alumni, friends, and participants like you to make this possible. If you are accepted to CRS, you will be asked to fill out a donation equity worksheet which will help you to get a sense of what might be a reasonable contribution based on your financial position relative to our global community. We recognize the diverse economic backgrounds of our participants, and completing this survey helps each family to consider the amount they wish to contribute.

Camp Rising Sun is an in-person program that takes place on our campus near Rhinebeck, New York, USA. 

A central part of our program is focused on encouraging campers to take initiative and be their own leaders. Because CRS is largely camper-led, the daily schedule can look totally different day-to-day, depending on which campers are in charge of leading the community! A typical schedule, however, will include time for Instructions, Projects, Evening Programs, and Self-Structured Time. More on our curriculum can be found here.

If you would like to get in touch with local alumni, you may email apply@lajf.org to be connected to your local selection committee. We have selection committees in the following regions: Barbados, China - Tianjin, Denmark, Ecuador, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Israel, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Poland, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, US-California, US-Colorado, US-Minnesota, US-New York/New Jersey/Connecticut, Uzbekistan/Tajikistan, and Zambia.

Campers will receive a suggested packing list in their pre-arrival packet with details on exactly what they should bring to camp. In addition to basic necessities like toiletries, clothing, and a sleeping bag/bed sheets, we recommend that campers pack a wristwatch, flashlight/headlamp, envelopes and stamps, as well as an extra set of warm clothes—believe it or not, it can get quite chilly during the night!

For a lot of campers, coming to CRS may be their first time traveling or flying alone. This can be really exciting, but also stressful. Once a camper safely boards their flight in their home country or state, a member of the LAJF hosting team will be waiting to pick them up when they arrive at the airport in New York.

In order to create the most immersive and impactful experience possible, CRS has a strict no cell phone policy. Campers are required to turn in their personal phones, as well as any other wifi-enabled devices such as tablets, e-readers or laptops to the main office at the beginning of camp, where they will be securely stored until the end of the session. If there is a reason a camper will need to hold onto a wifi-enabled device, you must let us know ahead of their arrival at Camp. Please note that summer staff have cell phones and landlines to contact parents in case of an emergency, and campers can call home twice during their stay at Camp.

Campers are allowed to call home twice during their stay at CRS and will be able to speak with parents in the case of an emergency. Otherwise, the primary mode of communication with the outside world is by mail! Mail is collected and distributed daily at Camp, and we encourage campers to bring envelopes and stamps to write letters to their friends and family. Campers can also receive emails, although they will be unable to respond directly. Parents can stay updated on the happenings at Camp through our weekly blog posts at http://www.lajf.org/my-view-from-tent-hill and a parent Facebook group, which will be shared in the months leading up to the Camp season.

The health and safety of our campers is our number one priority, and all counselors are trained in CPR and first aid. Our Medical Director and Assistant Medical Director are additionally either a certified Physician, Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Registered Nurse, Licensed Practical Nurse, or Emergency Medical Technician. CRS has an in-house Health and Wellness Center (HAWC) that is fully equipped to take care of first aid needs and minor illnesses, however if there is greater concern for a camper’s health, staff will notify the camper’s parents and accompany them to a nearby hospital or urgent care facility for treatment.

At LAJF we want to make sure that every camper has a chance to experience CRS to the absolute fullest, and that starts with getting them the food they need! Our kitchen staff is dedicated to meeting all campers’ dietary needs, including food allergies and religious dietary choices, and will always provide alternative options for campers at every meal.

LAJF’s Health and Safety committee, which is staffed with a broad range of healthcare professionals, is working hard to update our 2025 COVID-19 and other communicable diseases safety plan.

All campers and staff are required to be fully vaccinated upon arrival. (Note: please contact us regarding potential exceptions.) Other required vaccinations include Diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP or TdaP), Tetanus Booster (dT or TdaP), Mumps, measles, rubella (MMR), and Polio (IPV).