ONE PROGRAM, TWO TRACKS

CEC is a dual-track program: one track for camp directors responsible for developing and leading the camp’s vision, and the other for senior camp educators responsible for designing the educational frameworks and programs that implement this vision.
CEC brings these two professionals from the same overnight camp together for a uniquely collaborative yet professionally distinct learning experience to ensure that learning is enculturated through a partnership that primes the camp for success.
While each track has a distinct approach, they overlap for joint learning and planning for integration and application at camp. The tracks will convene at the same time and place.

ABOUT CEC

CEC is about shaping experiences at overnight camp, providing training that illuminates the choreography, architecture and design of the summer experience.
CEC offers new ways of thinking about education, focusing on both incorporation and implementation. It helps participants deepen their educational vision and provides them with methods to actualize this vision.
CEC is multidisciplinary in its approach. It explores how neuroscience, anthropology, social work, and experiential design can enrich and expand the camp experience.
CEC coaches have expertise in developmental and educational psychology. Throughout the duration of the program, their role is to help participants of both tracks constantly consider how to apply learnings with a better understanding of the campers’ background.
CEC is a shared learning experience with peer-led opportunities, allowing participants to explore the relationship between education and recreation, and how Jewish values can encompass all aspects of camp culture.
CEC provides camp directors and camp educators with separate and joint spaces for application and experimentation, along with opportunities to explore the practical implications of change and growth.

SEMINARS

Camp Educators Cohort is comprised of three, four-day seminars over a period of 10 months.

Seminar 1

The Jewish Value Proposition
December 16-19, 2018 | San Diego

A summer at camp brings Jewish experiences to life. But what exactly is a “Jewish experience” anyway? This seminar is about values exploration. Specifically, it focuses on what makes a value Jewish. Over the course of the program we will navigate the differences between “thin” and “thick” values, and explore how through the cultivation of a camp culture and the design of specific programs these values can become a lived camp experience.

⦁ Highlights for Directors Track: Principles in values education; crafting peer-reviewed, values-based vision; integrating values into camp culture
⦁ Highlights for Educators Track: Designing summer-long value themes; values-based program design; training staff for values exploration

Seminar 2

The Stories We Tell; The Stories We Create
April 1-4, 2019 | Greensboro, NC

How are our campers learning from the experiences we are designing? In this seminar we will step into the shoes of our campers to consider how they are receiving and processing what they are experiencing and learning at camp. More specifically, we will explore how our campers become the protagonists of their own story. We will focus on the processes of memory formation, self-authorship and storytelling, and how these ideas can help shape the totality of the camp experience.

⦁ Highlights for Directors Track: Creating signature narratives; utilizing your camp’s “collective memory” for deepening stakeholder engagement
⦁ Highlights for Educators Track: Developing narrative arcs for the summer and for specific programs; principles in educational processing (framing, reflecting, conceptualizing)

Seminar 3

The Architecture of Experiences
September 23-26, 2019 | New York, NY

Camp is one of the most powerful examples of the magic created through true immersion. But what are the ingredients that make up the totality of the camp experience? In this final seminar we will explore how sequencing, rhythm and flow contribute to the processes of transformation. Additionally, by investigating the various aspects of identity formation, we will gain a theoretical and practical perspective on the process of meaning making.

⦁ Highlights for Directors Track: Impact of camp on identity development; models for sustaining energy and flow over the course of camp
⦁ Highlights for Educators Track: Designing rituals and peak moments; capitalizing on moments of change and growth

Eligibility

CEC targets camps, not individuals. As such, eligibility requires the participation of both the full-time camp director (or senior professional responsible for vision and design of camp) as well as the full-time person responsible for educational implementation at camp. Participating camps must be in North America.

Eligibility is limited to overnight camps only.

If your camp only has a seasonal educator or only has either a director or Jewish educator who can participate in CEC, please reach out to Michelle at michelle@ieje.org to discuss.

Cost

Thanks to the generosity of the AVI CHAI Foundation, tuition for the Camp Educators Cohort is $1,800 + $180 registration fee per person. The total cost to a camp is $3,960 for both participants.

In addition to participation in the program itself, tuition covers travel within North America (up to $400 per seminar), double occupancy hotel room and meals during seminars and additional seminar-related expenses.

Tuition does not cover transportation to/from airports or baggage fees.

TO APPLY

To apply click here. For more information about M² Camp Educators Cohort, please contact Michelle Lackie.

FAQs

What is the cost of the program?

Thanks to the generosity of the AVI CHAI Foundation, the tuition for Camp Educators Cohort is $1,800 + $180 registration fee per person. The total cost to a camp is $3,960 for both participants.

What are the seminar dates for Camp Educators Cohort?

Both tracks (directors and educators) convene at the same time in the same place.
December 16-19, 2018, San Diego, CA
April 1 – 4, 2019, Greensboro, NC
September 23 – 26, 2019, New York, NY

How will the program impact my work at camp?

We highly value workplace integration and place a heavy emphasis on this throughout the program. As such, we have designed CEC as a double cohort with both directors and Jewish educators from a camp to ensure the most impactful application in your camp environment. Each camp will benefit from personal coaching to support the impact of CEC at camp

Is there one application for both the director and the Jewish educator?

The application is a two-step process. The director will apply and indicate who the Jewish educator is and then the Jewish educator will be sent a separate application to complete as part of the process

What if my camp only has a seasonal educator, can we still apply? And what if my camp only has a director OR a Jewish educator who can participate in CEC, can we still apply?

Please reach out to Michelle Lackie, michelle@ieje.org, to discuss.

What are the eligibility requirements for Camp Educators Cohort?

CEC targets overnight camps, not individuals. As such, eligibility requires both the full-time camp director as well as the full-time person responsible for educational vision and implementation at camp. (While M² recognizes there are many different titles for the latter – Jewish Life Director, Jewish Educator, Rosh Chinuch, etc. – we will refer to this person as Jewish educator throughout the application process.) Participating camps must be in North America.

Who are the ideal candidates?

The ideal candidates are full-time, open to learning from a diverse faculty and excited to learn in an intense cohort environment.

What is the attendance policy? Will I have to leave my home/family for the duration of the seminars?

We have a strict attendance policy and expect that our participants be present at all seminars, at all times. This includes staying at the hotel even if we are located in your home city.

Do I need a strong background in Jewish texts to apply?

No.

What should I expect in terms of Jewish practice?

The educational theories and practices imparted are relevant to educators regardless of their denominational or religious background. CEC will benefit from the diverse backgrounds of all its participants. If you have further questions about the program environment, please contact us.

Who teaches CEC?

CEC is facilitated by cross-disciplinary experts, M² core faculty and with additional participant coaching support from educational psychologists. See here for faculty from other M² programs.

Are there additional requirements aside from attending the seminars?

Our program requires the completion of brief written reflections and assignments, readings before each seminar, as well as participation in coaching meetings. You should expect to designate a maximum of 4-5 hours per month to complete these requirements. We expect that our participants hand in all assignments in a timely fashion.

I don’t work in the United States, may I still apply?

Unfortunately, CEC is only open to camps in North America. If you are interested in learning about what else M² offers, please click here.

What does tuition include?

In addition to participation in the program itself, tuition covers travel within North America (up to $400 per seminar) , double occupancy hotel room and meals during seminars and additional seminar-related expenses. Tuition does not cover transportation to/from airports, or baggage fees.

Is financial aid available?

Thanks to the generosity of the AVI CHAI Foundation, M² is able to offer a very low tuition rate which represents a small portion of the actual cost of the program. There is no scholarship fund available for CEC. If you have further questions, please contact Michelle directly, here.

How can my camp apply?

The director of a camp can apply here

Camp Educators Cohort is designed to enhance the impact of Jewish experience and education in the lived Jewish space of overnight camp, where campers develop an incredible sense of meaning and belonging, embodying Jewish values and offering them knowledge, inspiration and growth.

M2 Camp Educators Cohort