This past year, our team has made a concerted effort to connect with and prioritize small Jewish communities; places where Jewish summer camp may not always be part of the conversation. For our Camp Director, Katelyn Skeen, this work is personal. Katelyn came to Ranch Camp 18 years ago, from the small community of Los Alamos, New Mexico, after someone from Ranch Camp visited and introduced her family to the world of Jewish overnight camp. That connection brought Katelyn to the Ranch and, nearly two decades later, she now finds herself leading the camp that had such an impact on her.
For the 2027 camp season, we are expanding our outreach and developing relationships with even more small Jewish communities. We will host local recruitment and camp-education events, create resources that help families understand the value of Jewish camp, and develop partnerships that directly reinvest in the communities we serve. This work isn’t simply about bringing more campers to Ranch Camp. It’s about helping more families discover the connection, belonging, independence, and Jewish community that camp can provide. By showing up and investing in young people, we hope Jewish camp can become an accessible and meaningful part of more communities for years to come.
This past year reinforced what Katelyn’s own experience showed nearly two decades ago: every small community our team intentionally visited resulted in at least one new camper discovering Ranch Camp. Her story is just one example of what can happen when young people and families are given the opportunity to discover Jewish camp.
Eighteen years ago, someone from Ranch Camp showed up in Katelyn’s small Jewish community and opened a door her family did not yet know existed. Today, she leads the camp that person introduced her to. We may never know where the connections we make today will lead, but we know what can happen when we show up, build relationships, and give young people the opportunity to find their place.
Katelyn on Teen Village in 2013