In the City Covers Same Turf From New Sites
Founded in 2012, In the City Camp has steadily grown to the point that it served 440 different kids over eight weeks at a pair of locations in Druid Hills and Sandy Springs.
To meet the growing demand from families of all levels of religiosity, the camp is moving to two news locations this summer — Congregation Shearith Israel in Morningside and Atlanta Jewish Academy in Sandy Springs — with bus service from locations such as Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs and Young Israel of Toco Hills and before and after care available at both sites.
The intown camp offers eight one-week sessions from June 5 to July 28; the Sandy Springs location offers four one-week sessions from July 10 to Aug. 4.
The camp offers activities from ga-ga (a variant of dodge ball) to Jewish and Israeli cooking (with an expanded curriculum including the history of various dishes) to off-the-beaten-path field trips.
Among new offerings this summer are archery, a low ropes course and a tinkering lab.
Rising kindergartners to middle school students attend the camp. High school and college students and even parents work at the camp.
In the City is a day camp based on an overnight camp model. Campers are encouraged to sign up for multiple weeks in a row to make strong friendships and sample all that the camp offers.
The camp is divided into two age groups: Kid Camp serves rising kindergartners through fifth-graders and offers a half-day option; Tween Camp is for sixth- through eighth-graders.
Each day, campers arrive to a list of activities. They choose two morning options, eat lunch, have free time, and move on to swimming and afternoon activities.
Tween campers benefit from a tight-knit group of just 22 kids each week with a dedicated staff. Tweens also embark on a weekly overnight field trip.
The Jewish content for the tweens can be sophisticated. Past campers heard about bullying from the Anti-Defamation League and met a Kindertransport survivor.
Last June, the Foundation for Jewish Camp named In the City one of eight camps awarded a national grant to engage and enroll a more diverse camper community.
In the City Camp is using the grant to create a Camp Ambassador program to bring interfaith, Russian, Israeli and LGBTQ families and Jews of color into the summer program, enhancing what is already recognized as an inclusive and diverse community.
That inclusiveness is important because In the City maintains connections throughout the year.
Campers receive a directory with friends’ names and contact information. Camp reunions are held during the offseason. Playdates and gatherings are encouraged through the camp’s Facebook page. And the camp partners with other Jewish organizations for events such as the Intown Mega Challah Bake Junior held in November.
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