Girls' Week 2: Hikes, Leaders, and Bridges

The girls have come to the end of their second week of camp!

The hikes went out yesterday! Campers are going to build community in small groups by learning to rely on each other, support each other, and trust each other.

In addition, this week, campers have been working on some projects to improve camp! They've been working on repainting their bathroom and dining hall, fixing a bridge across a river, and clearing out trails in the surrounding forest.

Instructions this week included discussions on current events, bookmaking, Hungarian dance, forum theatre, songwriting, and price-tagging. Evening programs included a discussion and activity about educational systems and learning styles and a camper-produced variety show.

This was the first week that first-year campers had the opportunity to lead the community in an official capacity. They took on the challenge with gusto, and led CRS 2016 through a very successful week.

Don't forget - this summer's alumni reunion is RIGHT around the corner! Starting on Friday, July 22nd, and ending on Sunday, July 24th, the reunion will give alumni the opportunity to connect, reconnect, spend time with old friends, and make new ones. There is a 20% discount for all committee members and a 50% discount for all students (high school and college)! Please email alumnireunion@lajf.org for more information, and register here!

Girls' Week 1: Suitcases, Hellos, and First Impressions

Our campers arrived this week! They're ready to begin the experience of a lifetime. Over the past few days, they've started to get to know each other, their surroundings, and their counselors. After the first day and a half of activities, campers began to settle in and adapt to their surroundings, and soon it began to feel like they'd known each other for a lifetime.

Starting on Day 3 of camp, campers experienced normal program: projects, instructions, and thought-provoking evening programs. Instructions in the first week included The Nature of Ethics, Craftivism, Working with Multicultural Teams, Hip-Hop Dancing, and Chinese Food Culture & Prejudice. Campers quickly took a shine to instructions, and they've begun to submit their own instruction proposals for next week.

Acro-Yoga!

Building a "CRS Constitution"

Craftivism

Evening programs this week included an activity on choices developed by the second-year campers, an identity-and-community focused spectrum exercise, a staff variety show, and of course, Council. 

Starting tomorrow, first-year campers will be serving as leaders of the day, projects, and instructions.

Don't forget - this summer's alumni reunion is RIGHT around the corner! Starting on Friday, July 22nd, and ending on Sunday, July 24th, the reunion will give alumni the opportunity to connect, reconnect, spend time with old friends, and make new ones. There is a 20% discount for all committee members and a 50% discount for all students (high school and college)! Please email alumnireunion@lajf.org for more information, and register here!

Second Years!

Our girl second-year campers arrived today! They're a dynamic team of six girls who are excited and enthusiastic about making CRS 2016 an amazing experience for every first-year camper. Over the next few days, they'll be working with Michael Sheldon, this summer's Leadership Education Coordinator, to build their team, make decisions about the upcoming season, and plan the first week of camp.

Staff training is drawing to a close, and staff are preparing their program areas for campers now. Our staff has used the past week and a half to bond and grow together. They've put up tents, moved beds, held a council, attended workshops on adolescent development and critical pedagogy, completed first aid and CPR trainings, and prepared for every eventuality that could arise during the season.

Don't forget - this summer's reunion is RIGHT around the corner! Starting on Friday, July 22nd, and ending on Sunday, July 24th, the reunion will give alumni the opportunity to connect, reconnect, spend time with old friends, and make new ones. There is a 20% discount for all committee members and a 50% discount for all students (high school and college)! Please email alumnireunion@lajf.org for more information, and register here!

Photo credits to Tim Bozyczko, our Medical Director.

​The World Needs CRS

By Helene Mattera

Recently, I found myself explaining Camp Rising Sun to a new friend.  As I described how we build an international community of tomorrow’s leaders, I felt my heart glowing.

I detailed how campers get to run the program each day and learn how to be effective leaders, sensitive to the needs of others. How they collaborate to build things, learn how to manage projects and their peers. How to act in teams to clean camp, motivate each other through difficult tasks, humble them to care for the property. How we create a special space for them to ponder their identities and their connections to the citizens of the world.

By that point, I apologized for going on and on. There was a pause and she said, “thank you, thank you for doing that work.” She felt comforted to know that such a place existed, and expressed how important it is to invest in young people in the hope they will use their influence to improve the world, acting with a conscious and caring about the impact of their decisions.

This is why I love my job. I believe so strongly in the mission of LAJF and the value of Camp Rising Sun to our future. This is a Good Place and this summer continues the legacy of Rising Sun. Please join me in wishing the new staff good luck as they help to create a powerful 2016 Camp Rising Sun season.