J Day Camps 2023

Why Camp Matters

Study after study supports what camp directors have been saying for decades: Camp does kids a world of good. Summer camp provides a platform for children to strengthen their soft skills. Self-confidence and selfreliance are the foundation of what great camps provide. These pillars offer the support for campers to make new friends, develop and improve skills such as swimming, and to foster creativity and promote physical activity. Camp is a face-to-face community, giving campers daily practice dealing with real situations and experiencing a range of emotions. Campers learn through friendship, teamwork, frustration and a lot of success.

What makes the J Day Camps so extraordinary? It’s our attention to relationships. It’s our understanding of children and staff trained to be supportive, caring and engaging. It’s our activities which inspire fun, build skills, keep campers moving and empower imagination. We spend our days smiling and spreading laughter. We create a space where children learn and practice social and coping skills, which help them build success outside of camp.

J Day Camps create an environment where parents need not worry and campers have the freedom to be themselves, in a kid-friendly community led by caring adults.

Our motto is PLAY, CONNECT, GROW. We invite your childen to PLAY at camp, where they’ll make CONNECTIONS to people, activities and positive habits, the result being GROWTH physically, emotionally and socially.

Activities for every kid: We offer one camp at each location, but campers can customize their days. We offer everything from arts and crafts to sports, gymnastics, swimming, wall climbing and more. On-site swim program: All campers swim almost daily, enjoying our five indoor and outdoor pools. This includes free swimming lessons after an assessment by our certified aquatics instructors. During free swim, campers use their new skills, supervised by certified instructors and the watchful eyes of camp counselors. Caring, well-trained, professional staff: Our staff is led by full-time, year-round camp professionals who guide and train our summer team through 30+ hours of training on how to “think like a parent, act like a friend.”

All are welcome: Our kids and staff are diverse in every way imaginable, including personality, creativity, athletic ability, ethnicity, culture, developmental ability, gender, and religion. Our community allows your child to feel at ease and to learn more about other people in the world we all share.

Accredited by the American Camp Association (ACA): Our camp is a proud member of, and accredited by, the ACA. This means we maintain industry standards, are annually reviewed, and are committed to providing a safe and nurturing camp community, focusing on campers.

Come for one week, multiple weeks, or all summer: With each session lasting one week, kids can spend as much of their summer with us as possible without interfering with other plans.

Creve Coeur Both

Camp Baer – K-2nd graders get a taste of everything with preset schedules, including four swim lessons per week.

Baer Focus – 3rd-6th graders customize their schedules for the week with the opportunity to mix and match focus activities like sports, arts, gymnastics, climbing wall and more.

Baer Adventures – Our oldest campers (7th-9th grade) split their time playing at the J and visiting awesome St Louis attractions.

Teen Skills – 15-25 year-olds with developmental disabilities. Campers work on social and vocational skills alongside their peers. Campers spend time in the community engaging in a variety of interesting outings and volunteer projects as well as having fun at the J!

Flexible Before-Care Camp 9am-3pm After-Care

Great Facilities Indoor/outdoor On-site Climbing

Preschool

Preschool camps include We’ll Make Kosher, nut-free $36/week See menu

Camp Nat Koplar Camp Katan

How do I register?

Register at community.jccstl.org. For more detailed instructions, go to jccstl.com/jdaycamps and click on the Registration Help button.

I can’t remember my J account password and/or I’m having issues registering. What should I do?

Contact the J Registrar, Emily Brimberry at ebrimberry@jccstl.org or 314.442.3110.

What if I want to change/cancel my registration?

Contact the J Registrar, Emily Brimberry at ebrimberry@jccstl.org or 314.442.3110. See jccstl.com/daycamps for change/cancellation policies.

When is the last day I can register?

Monday at midnight the week before the week you want your child to attend.

I registered for camp. What’s next?

Join us at our virtual orientation on May 23. You’ll also receive a welcome email the Friday before each week your child attends camp. If you have any questions before then, contact Brad “Chots” Chotiner at 314.442.3423, bchotiner@jccstl.org (SFC) or Jess Bauer at 314.442.3431, jbauer@jccstl.org (Fox).

My child has a disability which requires support. Is that something you provide? Yes! You must register for camp and speak with Erik Carlson, Manager, Life Enrichment and Camp Services, (ecarlson@jccstl.org, 314.442.3295) to receive support. Spaces are very limited. Preference will be given to families who register before February 28 for the greatest number of weeks.

How much does camp cost? Pricing starts at $275/week. Visit jccstl.com/daycamps for details.

Can I set up a payment plan?

Yes. When you enroll, you have the option of paying in full or making payments. If you choose a payment plan, a deposit is due when you register, and camp payments will be charged on March 1, April 1, May 1 and June 1. If registering after June 1, entire camp balance is due at time of registration.

How do I apply for financial aid?

First, submit a camp registration. Next, download a scholarship application at jccstl. org or contact Sally Lang at slang@jccstl.org or 314.442.3241. Scholarship deadline is April 15, 2023.

How do you choose your staff? We have ten full-time, year-round professional staff on our team, and we recruit seasonal, well-trained staff from area schools each year. Fun fact: one-third of our counselors were once J Day Campers!

Should I attend the orientation? Yes, please join us, especially new families! We will review important information and give you the opportunity to get all of your questions answered!

Life Enrichment

Camp is a fast-paced day, that involves lots of transition of activities and locations. We know some of our campers need extra assistance navigating the camp day, and that’s why we offer Life Enrichment at J Day Camps.