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Boulder’s new Camp Inc. rewards young entrepreneurs

Jewish values, such as Shabbat, are incorporated into Camp Inc., an entrepreneurship camp near Boulder.CAMP INC., a newly-launched entrepreneurship camp for Jewish seventh to 12th graders, is giving young, budding business owners the opportunity to trade their bright ideas for free tuition this summer.

The camp, which runs from June 22 -Aug. 6, 2014, is offering a free session to the three best product or service ideas submitted by potential campers. Applications for the contest must be submitted by May 1.

“At Camp Inc., we inspire entrepreneurship in teens, and give our campers the skills and tools needed to follow their dreams and turn an idea into reality,” said Camp Inc. Director Josh Pierce.

Located in the mountains above Boulder, Camp Inc. is a Jewish overnight summer camp where participants develop community, confidence, leadership and Jewish identity through business and entrepreneurial experiences.

Campers will work together to launch a product or service using the skills and tools learned through daily team challenges, interactions with guest entrepreneurs, tours of local businesses and weekly, “Shark Tank” style competitions.

Students interested in joining the Bright Idea competition will need to provide a detailed description of the product or service they want to launch, how it will work, why it’s needed and who would buy it.

Applicants not selected for a free session will receive a discount.

Camp Inc. is divided into sessions based on age, with seventh and eighth graders attending for two weeks at a time, and ninth, 10th, 11th and 12th graders participating in three-week sessions.

The program for seventh and eighth graders teaches campers about such business fundamentals as idea creation, branding and presenting.

Older campers learn such high-level business skills as website design and financial management and start their own foundation, which will provide real grant money to local non-profits.

ALTHOUGH geared toward business, the camp is not limited to aspiring entrepreneurs. Campers will learn leadership skills such as team building, cooperation, articulating and achieving a vision, and thinking outside the box, all of which can be applied to any future endeavors.

In addition to gaining business insights, campers will spend their days hiking, climbing, swimming, playing sports on a 135-acre site located 35 minutes from the entrepreneurial hub of Boulder.

“Camp Inc. is going to be the first camp of its kind — educating campers about business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy in a ridiculously fun overnight camp experience,” said Scott Peppet, president of Camp Inc.’s advisory board. “It’s also going to be the first camp to connect entrepreneurship to Jewish values and to celebrate the spirit of entrepreneurship in the Jewish community.”

Camp Inc. is one of four specialty camps selected for funding by the Foundation for Jewish Camp. In September, 2012, the camp was chosen to be part of the foundation’s specialty camp incubator program, designed to engage a new, underserved generation of Jewish campers.




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