Hey there, Bay Area parent!
First of all, let us lend you a virtual hug – we get that raising teens in a regular year is not easy. Now, throw in the fact that the whole family is stuck at home together and there aren’t many options for stimulating high schoolers right now. That’s gotta be tough.
Well, you’re in luck, friend. We’re here to help.
JBridge is a brand new website launched by the Teen Initiatives department within the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund. But before we get into the logistical details, let me fill you in on why we did this.
But, here’s what’s ironic. Even with so many opportunities for your teen to get involved, high school can still feel incredibly lonely, not to mention the endless pressures that come along with navigating these confusing years.
As a parent, all you want is to help your teen thrive. To ensure that their mental health is being taken care of. To help them feel challenged while simultaneously making sure they’re not drowning under pressure. To support them in finding a loving and positive friend group without being a “helicopter parent.” We know this reality all too well.
And for these exact reasons, we created JBridge. Our goal is simple: To empower Jewish teens to become their most confident and happy selves and prepare them for a lifetime of leadership, contribution and success. But more than anything, we want to help teens find their people.
As parents, you know the ones we’re talking about. The friends and community that understand your child right away, and welcome them in with open arms. We connect teens to their people and help them explore everything the Bay Area has to offer. Whether it’s leadership, traveling, volunteering or just trying something new, JBridge is here to help.
With that, here is how JBridge works to help you.
Our site, bayareajbridge.org, condenses all Jewish teen opportunities into one simple place.
We divide it into the following sections so that you can easily find exactly what you’re looking for:
Programs
If your teen is looking to get involved with a youth group, sign up for a leadership program, explore outdoors, travel to Israel, take a gap year, or anything else, you’re going to find those broken down into categories under our ‘Programs’ tab.
Volunteer
Whether your teen is in need of volunteer hours or is just looking for a chance to make a difference in their local community, we have a list of Jewish organizations that take teen volunteers under our ‘Volunteer’ tab.
Scholarships
We have scholarships listed under the following categories: ‘Israel Scholarships,’ ‘Tikkun Olam Scholarships,’ ‘Creative Scholarships,’ ‘Miscellaneous Scholarships,’ and, of course, ‘College Scholarships.’ All of these opportunities are vetted and specifically available for Jewish teens in the Bay Area.
JBridge Blog
Our blog is designed to offer support, guidance, and insight for Jewish parents on a mission to raise strong, healthy, happy teens. We’ll continually upload new blog posts on a variety of topics, including mental health, academic support, resonate Jewish values and upcoming programming we don’t want you or your teen to miss out on. The best way to stay in-the-know is to sign up for our newsletter.
Alright, that’s all for now. I hope this gave you a glimpse into what’s ahead. As you can tell, we’re excited to help support you. So if there is anything that we can do to make your experience better, please don’t hesitate to reach out here.
And in the meantime, take a few minutes to explore our new site. We hope you love it.
To Happy Teens,
The Teen Initiatives Team
