JCamp 180 Professional Development Opportunities

Applications for the 2026/2027 cohort of Camp GPS are open! Apply by October 16, 2026.

>> Apply to Camp GPS Today!

Create Your Camp’s Roadmap to the Future with JCamp 180’s Camp GPS (“Generating Purposeful Strategy")

JCamp 180 is excited to offer a fast-paced option for strategic planning - Camp GPS. Your Overnight or Day camp can map out a strategic direction and goals for the coming years while saving you time and building team clarity. Camps will assemble GPS Teams to participate in a high energy, short duration planning process to determine your camp’s strategic priorities and set the organization’s course for the next 1-3 years.

Is Camp GPS Right for You?

Camp GPS is best suited for Day or Overnight camps that have a good sense of their future vision for the organization. Camps operating without a strategic plan are encouraged to participate as well as camps that wish to refresh their prior strategic plan created with JCamp 180, particularly if new staff and board members are now involved.

If your camp lacks a shared vision for the future, or is anticipating a major transition, crisis, or business opportunity that may fundamentally alter your organization’s plans, Camp GPS is NOT the recommended approach to determining your strategic goals for the next 1 to 3 years. Instead, please consult with your JCamp 180 Relationship Manager to discuss alternative options that best meet the needs for your camp. Both affiliated and non-affiliated nonprofit day or overnight Jewish camps are encouraged to apply. All applications will be reviewed by JCamp 180 staff and our team will reach out to applicants to determine feasibility before being accepted into the program.

"Our professional team runs both a day camp in the summer and an after school program during the school year. Since we are consistently running programs, it is often difficult to take the time to stop and strategize for the future. Participating in the GPS course gave us the unique opportunity to sit around the table with members of our senior leadership team and discuss how we envision the future of our camp together. The program was concise and intentional, with each meeting giving us a platform to have crucial conversations about our camp’s future, and ultimately finish the course with a written out strategic plan."

- Anat Litwok, Director, Camp Achva (JCC of No. Virginia)

Program Highlights

Proven Popular Process: Camp GPS was developed by nationally renowned consultant, Jay Vogt. JCamp 180 has tailored the program to Jewish day and overnight camps. Our team has guided dozens of camps through this essential planning experience - and they recommend it to colleagues.
Convenience: Camp GPS combines real-time facilitated teamwork on highly focused tasks with offline guidance that includes customized coaching that ensures your team’s success.
Time: 3 months start to finish. Nine online working team meetings that are approximately 90 minutes from November to February will develop your strategic plan.
Choice: Your team can choose to engage in the program fully remotely (each participant at their own location) or gather as a team for each of the nine sessions.
Thorough: Includes all essential elements of a comprehensive strategic plan: values, mission, vision, assessment, critical strategic issues, goals, objectives, success metrics, and business model.
Data Driven Decision Making: Provides you with industry wide metrics and comparative data to make meaning of your critical issues and set purposeful strategy.
Support: Each meeting is structured with customized resources, and your team leader is provided one-on-one coaching to ensure your team’s success in creating a strategic plan.
Useful Results: No dusty binders! A one-page strategic plan that professionals and lay leaders will use as a roadmap to guide your work and decisions for the next 1 to 3 years.

"[Camp GPS] was an opportunity for us to engage additional board members more deeply, and we benefited immensely from their involvement. We initially started the program thinking this would be "training the trainers" and would be a precursor to a full strategic planning committee afterwards. What emerged was a fully baked plan that we can take on the road to elicit feedback from various stakeholders. This process really crystallized priorities and blind spots for us as an organization."

- Mindy Opper, Board Member, Camp Judaea

Program Requirements

Team: We recommend a strategic planning team of 5-8 members, comprised of a diverse mix of senior staff and volunteers, all of whom are committed to the long-range vision of camp. Teams must include the camp director and at least one board or committee member.
Team Meetings: The following meeting times are required for your strategic planning team:

Tuesday, Nov 10	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #1: Values
Tuesday, Dec 1	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #2: Mission
Tuesday, Dec 8	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #3: SWOT
Tuesday, Dec 15	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #4: Critical Issues
Tuesday, Jan 5	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #5: Vision & Goals
Tuesday, Jan 19	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #6: Objectives
Tuesday, Jan 26	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #7: Success Metrics
Tuesday, Feb 9	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #8: Business Model
Tuesday, Feb 16	4-5:30 pm PST/ 7-8:30 pm EST	Task #9: Implementation

Team Leader: The Team Leader is responsible for keeping your team informed, engaged, and on track. These are the chief responsibilities of the Team Leader:
1. Coordinator – coordinates schedules and logistics and prepares materials for team sessions; shares key information and updates with the team; and guides the team through the planning process.
2. Accountability Overseer – makes sure work gets done on time by all members by sending reminders, gathering input, and finalizing documents among the team.
3. Champion – brings energy and enthusiasm to the process, maintaining engagement and spirit among the team members.
4. Facilitator – Helps move your team through step-by-step exercises in breakouts during each workshop.
Other work: Watching three recorded webinars at your convenience, reviewing online resources, one-on-one coaching sessions for the team’s leader, and designing and conducting outreach with your camp’s stakeholders complete the requirements of this program.

Applying to Camp GPS

Applications for the 2026/2027 cohort of Camp GPS are open! Apply by October 16, 2026.

>> Apply to Camp GPS Today!

If you are interested in participating in a future cohort or have questions about Camp GPS, please let us know.

Current Participants

TBD

Previous Participants

Camps that participated in the first five cohorts of Camp GPS:

Apachi J Camps (JCC Chicago)
Camp Alonim
BB Riback
B'nai B'rith Camp Oregon
B'nai Brith of Ottawa
Camp Achva (JCC of Northern Virginia)
Camp Centerland (JCC of Greater Buffalo)
Camp Daisy and Harry Stein
Camp Deeny Riback (JCC Metrowest)
Camp Gan Israel Northeast
Camp Judaea
Camp Kef (Kaiserman JCC)
Camp Moshava Wild Rose
Camp Ramah in the Poconos
Camp Shalom and Teen Camp Albany
Camp Young Judaea Midwest
Camp Yachad (JCC of Central New Jersey)
Camp Zeke
Habonim Dror Camp Gesher
Habonim Dror Camp Moshava
Hashomer Hatzair - Camp Shomria Canada
J Camp (Stroum JCC of Greater Seattle)
J Day Camps at the JCC of Greater Baltimore
JCC Abrams Camp
JCC Camp Ruach (Shimon and Sara Birnbaum JCC)
JCC Day Camps of Metro Detroit
JCC Ranch Camp
JEA Camp Savannah
Kings Bay YM-YMWHA - JCC Brooklyn
Ramah in the Rockies
URJ 6 Points Sci-Tech Academy
URJ Camp Coleman
URJ Greene Family Camp
URJ Olin-Sang-Ruby Union Institute

Need More Information?

Please email gps@hgf.org if you have any additional questions about Camp GPS.

"Our team really enjoyed the Camp GPS program. The structure helped keep us on task and the format allowed for all our team members to contribute. It was very helpful to do a deep dive in a variety of areas on an accelerated timeline. I highly recommend the program."

- Brad Finkel, COO, JCC Chicago (Apachi J Camps)

Camp GPS