Launch Pad: The Fellowship for Jewish Camps and Community Leaders was an exciting 10-month professional development program for entry and mid-level administrative and supervisory staff at nonprofit Jewish summer camps. Based on lessons learned from the Cornerstone Alumni Leadership Ladder (CALL) program, the Launch Pad Fellowship focused on training former counselors who were returning to camp for summer 2008 in a capacity of increased responsibility for a unit, specialty or all-camp programming or staff supervision (approximately 21-23 years of age). The program was open to all first-year supervisory staff members.
The goals of the Launch Pad Fellowship program were twofold: to increase staff retention in camp supervisory positions
as well as increase the number of young Jews exploring Jewish career options.
Launch Pad Fellows met with a wide variety of experts in leadership development, Jewish education and management/supervision training to learn about:
- Best practices in Jewish values based leadership
- Basic supervision and management skills appropriate to entry and mid-level leadership positions
- Professional opportunities in the Jewish community
- Jewish empowerment (exploring self as a Jewish leader) and advocacy
Launch Pad Fellows received a $350 stipend upon completion of the summer. If a participant chose to return to camp in the summer of 2009 they received an additional $500 incentive stipend.
The Launch Pad Fellowship was a partnership between the
Foundation for Jewish Camp (with funding from the Morningstar Foundation) and CLI.
For more information please
contact the Foundation for Jewish Camp.
