YOUR FAMILY'S 2020 TUITION
Dear Usdan Parents & Guardians,
On Tuesday we shared our difficult decision to cancel in-person camp at Usdan. Our campus will be so much quieter; it’ll be up to the woodpeckers and jays to provide all the music, the clouds to paint the skies, and the sassafras to do all the dancing.
But the kids will be back!
We remain deeply committed to providing our Usdan campers the unique experience they love, the one that fuels them, the one that gives them the space and means to grow into the creative makers and doers of the future.
Since opening in 1968, Usdan has operated as a nonprofit camp, which means that 100% of our student tuition and all of our donations go directly into funding our programs and scholarships. Those scholarships enable at least 25% of our students to attend Usdan. We aim to preserve that opportunity and your support will allow us to continue to make Usdan a camp that draws students of all economic backgrounds.
COVID-19 has impacted your lives and ours, and we understand that you may need a full refund. However, we are offering some alternatives that will sustain Usdan into the future.
By Friday, June 5th, one of our staff will contact you via email to schedule a time for a phone call. We’re happy to learn from you which of these options in combination or alone best suits your family.
Make a tax-deductible donation of your 2020 tuition to Usdan’s “Future Fund.”
Every dollar you donate will be doubled by an anonymous donor.
Leave your tuition as a credit for our 2021 season.
You will receive a 10% bonus for every dollar you leave as credit. For example, $1,000 of your 2020 tuition will turn into a $1,100 credit for 2021.
You can receive a full tuition refund if you choose to withdraw before November 30, 2020.
If you have a scholarship for this summer, you will receive the same scholarship percentage in 2021.
Request a refund of summer camp tuition fees paid to date.
Refunds will be processed through August 31, 2020 according to the date on which you enrolled.
All families who enrolled for our 2020 camp season will have the opportunity to receive first choice classes for 2021.
On behalf of the Usdan board and staff, we hope you and your family are well and we look forward to speaking with you in the coming weeks.
Sincerely,
John Usdan, Chairperson of the Board of Trustees
Lauren Brandt Schloss, Executive Director
UPCOMING COMMUNITY EVENTS
PARENT & GUARDIAN TOWN HALLS
Please join us at our second Town Hall gathering. This will be a parent and guardian-only event.
Parent & Guardian Town Hall #2
Thursday, May 28 @ 6:00 – 6:45 PM
REGISTER HERE
LOOKING AHEAD TO SUMMER: Helping
Campers Cope
Mark your calendars for a parent and guardian webinar with child psychologist and art therapist Robin F. Goodman.
Looking Ahead to Summer: Helping Campers Cope
Tuesday, June 2 @ 5:00 PM
Registration link to follow
VIRTUAL FAMILY GATHERING & PERFORMANCE
On Saturday, June 6 we will host a virtual gathering for our students and their parents including a performance by “The Knights.”
Virtual Family Gathering & Performance
Saturday, June 6 @ 11:00 AM
Registration link to follow
UNDER THE LIGHTS: A One Night Only Virtual
Event to Support Usdan Summer Camp for the Arts
Wednesday, June 17 @ 6:00 - 6:45 PM
The event is free and kids are encouraged to attend.
The people who make up Usdan - our campers and their families, staff, faculty, board members, and supporters – are the heart of our campus and while we may be apart we can still stay connected. Now more than ever, we are grateful for the chance to gather, albeit virtually, for an evening of entertainment and inspiration. This year's theme, “Under the Lights,” highlights one of the most fundamental forms of artistic expression, theater, and reminds us that even with the limitations of coronavirus, the show must go on.
The program will feature student and alumni performances as well as an awards presentation honoring Usdan alum and Broadway notable Seth Rudetsky, and local theater leader Ruthie Pincus of Stage the Change.
While the event is free for all attendees, sponsorship opportunities are available and there will be a chance to donate during the event. Funds raised can help us sustain many of our core needs, including scholarships and the restoration of the Lemberg Theater, a staple of Usdan’s campus.
More information can be found at www.gala.usdan.org. We hope you will join us.
SUPPORTIVE RESOURCES
Here are some resources for sharing the news with your children and adjusting for the summer ahead:
- Share with them this video from Usdan’s Director, Lauren.
- Watch this video by Tyna Payne Bryson, PhD about helping kids manage disappointment over summer plans.
- Email us at director@usdan.org to let us know what else we can do for your family right now.
