For months now, the LAJF team has been looking at the summer of 2021. We’ve taken the time to consult with health professionals, carefully follow the recommendations of leading global health organizations, and consider the nature of our programs and facilities. We additionally networked with camps that ran last summer and analyzed if we could implement similar standards. From all of this, and following this past weekend’s Board meeting, due to the uncertainties of how the pandemic will evolve, we are choosing to put our efforts into other program offerings and will not run an in-person Camp Rising Sun program.

 Instead, as with last year, our staff team has looked at the upcoming year and considered what opportunities are possible to deliver our mission to youth around the world.

 Virtual CRS

For our 2020 campers who had deferred to the 2021 season, we will offer them a spot in Virtual CRS. Coming off of last summer’s success with its pilot program, Virtual CRS offers talented youth from around the world the opportunity to engage meaningfully with the LAJF curriculum and mission while interacting informally and formally using CRS pedagogical tools such as tent talks, projects, instructions, and leadership roles. You can read an overview of last summer’s Virtual CRS program here. Second year campers, as well as alumni from the first Virtual CRS cohort, will be invited to engage with the program as peer leaders. Virtual CRS will be offered twice, in June and July.

 Virtual Intensives

We will additionally pilot virtual intensive 5-day programs for teenagers. Each virtual intensive will focus on a specific topic and be underlined by our mission of instilling in young people a desire to improve their communities through servant leadership. Our virtual intensives will be offered in June and July and be fee-based with full and partial scholarships available to any admitted participant that needs it. Stay tuned for more information in the coming months!

 Adult and Family Camp

Both occurring in August, adult and family camp will be fee-based separate opportunities for alumni and family to engage in a structured program while visiting campus.

 With family camp, LAJF families will be invited to rent a lean-to and join in on structured activities. Adult camp will be an opportunity for alumni to engage with programmatic elements such as instructions, projects, evening program-like discussions, and more. These activities will provide the structure for participants to engage with each other in a meaningful way, and many familiar Camp elements and structures will be present.

More information on both is forthcoming in the following months, with multiple alumni engagement opportunities planned in the months leading up to the summer.

While we will all miss out on a 2021 in-person Camp program for youth, we look forward to bringing more youth into our program while putting their safety and well-being first. We look forward to a robust and long-awaited program in 2022. We hope to engage with you soon!