FAQ
What is Springboard?
What types of experiences are available?
Just how Jewish are these school break experiences?
Who is behind Springboard?
What is Springboard?
Springboard is a new initiative designed to increase the number of teens actively engaged in the Jewish life. Teens can participate in alternative school break trips that appeal to different passions, interests and backgrounds.
What types of experiences are available?
Each year organizations are invited to apply to be a part of our menu of spring break offerings. Organizations are encouraged to develop unique and innovative experiences designed to appeal to a diverse audience of teens with different passions, interests and backgrounds. Through this initiative we hope that new specialty programs will be added each year, ensuring that there are exciting experiences available for every type of teen.
Just how Jewish are these school break experiences?
Springboard is for Jewish teens from all backgrounds and across movements, with an appreciation for the diversity of Jewish identity expression and practice. While every program has a different approach to Judaism, all programs are intended to be enjoyable to all teens, from for those who have never considered doing something Jewish to those who are steeped in Jewish life.
Some programs may, and others may not, include religious practice. All programs prioritize Jewish teens connecting with each other, exploring their Jewish identities, and learning about Jewish values while doing something they love. No matter what your connection to Jewish life is, these programs will allow you to discover yourself while discovering your connection with the larger Jewish community.
Who is behind Springboard?
Springboard is a program created in partnership with the Jim Joseph Foundation, the Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago and a consortium of local funders. We are working together with teen professionals and organizations across Chicagoland to create new, fun and exciting experiences designed for Jewish teens.
The Jewish United Fund/Jewish Federation of Metropolitan Chicago's ("Federation") mission is to fund a vital network of agencies that act upon core Jewish values: caring for people in need here at home, in Israel, and around the world; and nurturing and sustaining the Jewish community today and for future generations. Engaging teens in Jewish life is a priority currently reflected in the work of the Israel Experience and Youth Initiatives Department, which connects with teens and families through direct programming, financial support programs, and serving in a "concierge" role connecting families to quality Jewish experiences.
Springboard is the culmination of a thorough process that engaged professionals, lay leaders, teens and parents across metropolitan Chicago to identify and define the most effective strategies for Jewish teen engagement and education. The planning process, led by JUF staff, touched scores of individuals and dozens of organizations in a grassroots effort to surface major challenges and opportunities, and to craft an engagement approach that holds the promise of resonating with a diverse local teen population.
By investing in promising Jewish education grant initiatives, the San Francisco-based Jim Joseph Foundation fosters compelling, effective Jewish learning experiences for youth and young adults in the United States.
Jim Joseph, z”l, was a dedicated Jewish philanthropist whose passion charted the mission of the foundation that bears his name. He believed that focusing on young people and instilling in them pride in their heritage was the best way to preserve a strong Jewish faith and to ensure a successful future for the Jewish people.
The Jim Joseph Foundation seeks to make an indelible impact on the lives of young Jews, recognizing that dynamic Jewish learning takes place in a multitude of settings. Since 2006, the Foundation has partnered with effective organizations and awarded grants to engage, educate, and inspire young Jewish minds to discover the joy of living vibrant Jewish lives.