Camp Tawonga - Programs and Campers

Programs and Campers

On average, Camp Tawonga welcomes about 250 campers to each of its four summer sessions. The average age of campers increases as the sessions become longer. The first session is one week, the second two weeks, and the third and fourth sessions are three weeks. A second two week session for 3rd through 6th graders runs during the first two weeks of fourth session. The youngest campers first session are about 7 while the oldest in third and fourth session tend to be 15 or 16. The camp is broken up into five to six age groups or "units" each session. Youngest to oldest, they are: (Nitzanim), Carmel, Galil, Eilat, Haifa, and Chalutzim. The first five are named after locations in Israel, while "Chalutzim" is Hebrew for "Pioneers". Each unit typically consists of four bunks of 12 children, two bunks of girls and two of boys. The majority of campers hail from the San Francisco Bay Area or other parts of Northern California; however, there are several campers who come from Southern California and the Central Coast of California, and even from other states and countries. During the first two sessions, Tawonga has a "SCIT" program (specialists and counselors in training) in which 11th and 12th grade campers learn the skills in their certain area to prepare to be on staff in the future. During fourth session, Camp Tawonga also welcomes a delegation of campers from Israel as part of its Noar L'Noar (meaning "Youth to Youth" in Hebrew) program, usually numbering around 20.

In addition to summer camp, Tawonga also runs several other summer programs. The camp sponsors Teen Quests, which are long backpacking and road trips to various destinations around the U.S. In the past Tawonga has also sponsored trips to other countries, such as Costa Rica, El Salvador and most recently Israel as part of its Teen Service Learning program. Additionally, Camp Tawonga offers weekend programs before and after the summer sessions for individuals, couples and families, including general family weekends, a gay and lesbian family weekend (the only such program in the country), and a camp for bereaved individuals or families. Overall, Tawonga serves nearly 2,000 children, teens and adults each year in its programs.

Financial assistance and payment options are available to all families. Through the generosity of donors to camp, the Jewish Community Federation, the Bureau of Jewish Education, and other agencies and individuals, Camp Tawonga offers financial assistance to numerous families. Camp Tawonga also offers an interest-free payment plan. Most plans begin the month following your registration and continue through the start of the camp program. If more than one of child in a given household is attending a summer camp program, any additional children in the household will each receive a 10% discount on their camper fees. Some Bay Area JCCs offer member discounts to new Tawonga families. New Tawonga middle school aged campers may qualify for a need-blind $1800 incentive grant. Visit http://www.onehappycamper.org to learn more and apply.