The Yitro Leadership Program, made possible by the generosity of the AVI CHAI Foundation, is an intensive 12-month Fellowship that invests in assistant and associate camp directors who are passionate about continuous learning and want to lead the Jewish camp movement into the future.

Yitro Fellows will:

• Be engaged in a diagnostic process to identify core management competencies to be strengthened, and develop individualized independent study plans to strengthen those skills.
• Increase familiarity with basic Jewish texts and build self-confidence in Jewish text study to provide a Jewish frame of reference for on-going leadership, program, and management responsibilities.
• Learn to intentionally strengthen, deconstruct and replicate key experiential components associated with the assistant director's roles and responsibilities as strategies for strengthening Jewish identity in camp communities.
• Become equipped with the language and training tools necessary to model and teach younger staff how to be intentional in their use of rituals, role modeling and relationship building with their campers.
• Be paired with a graduate of FJC's Executive Leadership Institute (ELI) program for camp directors, who will provide mentorship for each Fellow.

For more information on the Yitro Leadership Program, including program features, eligibility, benefits and guidelines, please click here.

The Yitro application process is now closed. Thanks for applying. The 2009 Launch Pad Fellows will be notified on or around February 13, 2009.

Yitro Leadership Program Timeline 2008-2009

December 1, 2008                Statement of Intention to Apply Due

December 16, 2008              Application Due

February 9-13, 2009            Applicants Selected and Notified

March 29 -April 1, 2009        Session I: You: The Jewish Learner, Leader and Teacher

October 14-22, 2009            Session II: Israel Seminar

December 13-15 2009         Session III: Zehut: Using Rituals and Creating Culture

February 21-23, 2010          Session IV: Doogma Eesheet: Role- Modeling

April 25-27, 2010                 Session V: Creating Kehilla: Relationship Building and
                                             Presentation of Projects (Directors Present)