Teen Engagement

 

Did you know that 60% of Jewishly involved teens participate in 2 or more Jewish organizations? Whether the connection point is through the congregation, youth group, summer camp or day school, Jewish teens are on a quest for understanding their place in the world and look to their Jewish organizations to foster their emerging identities and answer their big questions. We are here to help you access the tools to aid them in their search for meaning as they navigate these critical years for self discovery and Jewish identity formation.

Find Your Summer

FindYourSummer.org is the place for Jewish teens to discover summer experiences as unique as they are. Teens and their families can use the site to search among more than 400 programs that appeal to different passions, interests, and backgrounds. From specialty programs focused on surfing and the arts, to social action projects and international travel opportunities, and so many more, there’s a perfect experience for every Jewish teen.

RootOne

RootOne is an ambitious new initiative that aims to help bring tens of thousands of Jewish teens from the US to Israel on immersive summer teen trips. Seeded by a generous gift from The Marcus Foundation and powered by The Jewish Education Project, RootOne will provide major subsidies for trip participants (called RootOne Vouchers), invest in elevating trip curricula and experiences, and work with its partners to create deeper pre- and post-trip engagement opportunities to help strengthen participants’ Jewish identities and connections to Israel before they begin college.

Generation Now – Study & Outcomes

Adolescence is defined by a period of questioning and identity development, including Jewish identity. The GenNow study is a seminal body of work that shifted how funders and programmers alike can evaluate the success of programs to ensure programming is relevant and meaningful to Jewish teen participants 

What metrics do you use to evaluate your work? The GenNow outcomes chart is a tool to help you ensure your programming is rooted in helping your teens in their quest for meaning and connection from the outset of program development. Use this tool to develop and evaluate your programming. Want help putting it to action? Email @Jodie Goldberg  or @Rebecca Ruberg  and work with a Jewish Education Project consultant to develop theory into practice.

GENERATE Fellowship

The GENERATE Fellowship is a one-year fellowship experience to provide early career teen engagement professionals (0-3 years of experience) with the tools, skills and knowledge to become better mentors for their teens. The GENERATE Fellowship focuses on providing teen engagement professionals with the foundation they need through multiple avenues of learning. 

  • Cross Denominational Network of Teen Professionals across North America  

  • Arc of Learning to Understand Today’s Teens  

  • Exploratory Session to Unpack Key Tensions which arise in the Teen Professional Experience  

  • Ongoing Mentorship from Inside and Outside the Institutional Structure  

  • Microgrant Funding Towards Application of Knowledge  

GenZ Now

The GenZ Now: Understanding and Connecting with Jewish Teens Today, is the result of a unique collaborative partnership between funders, researchers, and the leadership of 14 national youth-serving organizations. The survey responses of 17,576 Jewish teens provides a heretofore unprecedented understanding into who these teens are, what they care about and want, and to some extent, what the Jewish community can do to enhance their lives as people, and as Jews. 

Rooted in the original Generation Now Research, the Jewish Education Project, in partnership with Rosov Consulting embarked upon this ambitious project. Funded by The Jim Joseph Foundation, The Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation, and Lippman Kanfer Foundation for Living Torah, this new research has endeavored to gain a broader and deeper understanding of the Jewish teen landscape across the United States.

The Youth Professional Roundtable is an opportunity for youth and teen professionals to build relationships with colleagues in the field, examine key challenges that arise in their roles and explore opportunities for collaboration across the New York area. 

Youth Professional Educator Networks

Youth Professional Roundtable

The Youth Professional Roundtable is a great entry point to engaging with our teen work at The Jewish Education Project. We offer Youth Professional Roundtables in the Following Regions: 

  • New York City (and the 5 Boroughs) 

  • Long Island

  • Westchester (In conjunction with Westchester Jewish Council) 

Youth Professional Innovator’s Network

The Youth Professional Innovator's network is designed for experienced youth professionals to network with colleagues and explore the following: 

  • Build and deepen relationships with key colleagues in the field of Jewish teen education and engagement across regions and denominations.  

  • Examine key tensions which arise in the role of the youth professional and problem solve issues which arise in their respective settings.  

  • Investigate cutting edge educational models in teen engagement and explore how to apply these within their respective settings. 

  • Explore resources from the field of Jewish teen education and engagement and beyond and examine how to adapt these resources into their respective settings.