Building Hours:For many families, Camp JCC is known as a place where children spend their summers swimming, creating art, playing sports, and making lifelong friends. But ask the staff what makes Camp JCC truly special, and you’ll hear a story that goes beyond activities and schedules. Camp JCC is not only a meaningful place for campers, but also a place where staff grow, connect, and build a community that keeps them coming back year after year.
Behind every great summer is a team of dedicated staff who spend months preparing for the camp season. Before campers even arrive, staff participate in more than 30 hours of training covering essential topics such as first aid and safety procedures, child development, proper supervision, leadership, inclusion, and more. Alongside these important skills, counselors also learn the traditions that make camp so memorable: songs, games, and the art of creating intentional moments of connection with campers.
Camp JCC’s commitment to excellence in training and program quality is also reflected in its national recognition. The camp holds accreditation status from the American Camp Association (ACA), making it the only day camp in the Greater Lehigh Valley to hold this distinction. ACA accreditation requires camps to meet hundreds of standards across safety, staff training, emergency management, facility maintenance, and program quality—ensuring that families can trust their children are in a well-prepared and professionally run environment.
Recently, camp leadership attended the ACA Tri-State Camp Conference, the largest camp conference in the world. The event brings camp professionals together to share ideas, learn the latest best practices, and strengthen the camp experience for children and staff alike. Bringing those insights back to Camp JCC helps ensure the program continues to evolve while staying true to the traditions that families love.
For many staff members, the experience becomes something much deeper than a summer job. During interviews with returning counselors this year, one question stood out: Why do you want to come back to Camp JCC? The answer was almost always the same. “The people.” Staff spoke about the relationships they’ve built with both campers and staff as they watch them grow year after year, asking how their school year went, remembering their favorite hobbies, and picking up right where they left off the summer before. While many people initially apply to work at camp because it sounds like fun, the reason they return is much more meaningful. The friendships, the shared memories, and the sense of belonging create a community that lasts far beyond the summer months.
Campers feel that same sense of connection from the moment they arrive at Camp JCC. They are welcomed by counselors who are not only trained and prepared, but who genuinely care about getting to know them. Through shared activities, laughter, and everyday moments, camp becomes more than just a summer program—it becomes a community. Year after year, the reason so many return remains the same: the people who make Camp JCC feel like home.
