The JCamp 180 Enrollment Program is designed to give camps the tools to increase both the retention of current campers and the recruitment of new families. The program is based on our philosophy that strong retention and recruitment involves four core elements:
- Effective storytelling
- Top-notch customer service
- Data-informed decision-making
- A great summer program
The current version of the Enrollment program is
Enrollment GSD (Gather, Strategize, Deliver). This program is for camp professionals responsible for camper recruitment and retention; it provides time, space, and accountability partnership for camps to evaluate/update their enrollment plan and define 3-5 specific projects to grow their enrollment over the next year.
The program follows the JCamp 180
Enrollment Assessment & Activity Workbook. You can download the Enrollment Assessment & Activity Workbook here:
jcamp180.org/enrollmentbook.
New This Year! Camp 180 is offering two cohorts of Enrollment GSD - an online sprint for overnight camps and an in-person sprint at the Fall Jewish Day Camp Conference for day camps.
Applications for the 2026/2027 cohort of Enrollment GSD are open!
Apply by August 31, 2026.
>> Learn More About the Online Cohort of Enrollment GSD for Overnight Camps!
>> Learn More about the In-Person Cohort of Enrollment GSD for Day Camps!
What is Enrollment GSD?
What GSD is: a sprint with follow-up sessions to carve out time to do the work of planning out your enrollment strategy for the year. There will be guidance from JCamp 180, and opportunities to share across participating camps, but the bulk of the program is
self-directed work to create a strategy and get work done in your enrollment efforts.
What GSD is not: a series of webinars/lectures on best practices or prescription on what to do. This is not a rotating cast of experts or camp professionals leading conversations on what has worked for them. We recommend participants reference those
past webinars that would most directly help them in their enrollment work this year.
Learning Outcomes
Camps that participate fully in the program will benefit from time, space, and accountability partnership to evaluate/update their enrollment plan and define 3-5 specific projects to grow their enrollment over the next year. The enrollment program begins with an intensive five-day sprint to evaluate current practices and identify project areas. Camps will walk away with a completed poster outlining their big plans and topics. Throughout the program, you will have opportunities to get feedback and wisdom from fellow camp professionals and a JCamp 180 coach.
2026 Enrollment Sprint Schedule
The Enrollment Sprint consists of two parts:
- The initial sprint will be held October 7-9 and 19-21, 2026. Participants should plan to hold 1 - 3:30 PM Eastern/10 AM -12:30 PM Pacific on those days. Additional work as a team to complete enrollment may work may be required on those days.
- Follow-up/check-in sessions to help camps stay on track with their enrollment plans and learn from their peers will be held on dates TBD.
Enrollment-GSD-Map-8-14
Applying to Enrollment GSD
Applications for the 2026/2027 cohort of Enrollment GSD are open!
Apply by August 31, 2026.
>> Apply to the Online Cohort of Enrollment GSD for Overnight Camps!
>> Apply to the In-Person Cohort of Enrollment GSD for Day Camps!
If you have any questions about the program or are interested in taking part in a future cohort, please contact
Ari Polsky.
Enrollment Resources
There are a variety of resources to help with improving enrollment at camp on our knowledge center, including recorded webinars from previous cohorts of the JCamp 180 Enrollment Program.