Emily Barnard
95th Anniversary Reunion and Gala Photo Gallery

Thank you for celebrating 95 Years of Camp Rising Sun! From October 24-26, 2025, we gathered at the iconic TWA Hotel to celebrate 95 years of Camp Rising Sun—and the global community that has made it all possible. Click to view photo highlights from the weekend celebration!

95th Anniversary Reunion and Gala Photo Gallery
Emily Barnard
11th Annual NYAA Picnic in Central Park

This year was the 11th Annual CRS NYAA Picnic in Central Park! Thank you to the New York Alumni Association for hosting and for everyone who joined us. Click the post to check out photos from the event.

11th Annual NYAA Picnic in Central Park
Emily Barnard
95 Years of Impact: Liz Lee

Since 1930, LAJF and our programs, Camp Rising Sun and The Ethical Leadership Experience, have shaped the lives of more than 6,500 alumni from dozens of countries around the world. Across generations and continents, CRS and TELE alumni continue to lead with empathy, curiosity, and courage—bringing Rising Sun values into classrooms, courtrooms, creative industries, clinics, and communities. As we celebrate 95 years of impact, we’re spotlighting just a few of the many stories that show how a summer at Camp becomes a lifetime of meaning.

Here’s Liz Lee’s story—current Minnesota state representative of St. Paul’s Eastside district—who attended Camp Rising Sun in 2004.

95 Years of Impact: Liz Lee
Emily Barnard
95 Years of Impact: Richard Gibbs

Since 1930, LAJF and our programs, Camp Rising Sun and The Ethical Leadership Experience, have shaped the lives of more than 6,500 alumni from dozens of countries around the world. Across generations and continents, CRS and TELE alumni continue to lead with empathy, curiosity, and courage—bringing Rising Sun values into classrooms, courtrooms, creative industries, clinics, and communities. As we celebrate 95 years of impact, we’re spotlighting just a few of the many stories that show how a summer at Camp becomes a lifetime of meaning.

Here’s Richard Gibbs’ story—a 1963 CRS alum, ballet dancer, and founder of the San Francisco Free Clinic.

95 Years of Impact: Richard Gibbs
Emily Barnard
95 Years of Impact: Jeff Orlowski-Yang

Since 1930, LAJF and our programs, Camp Rising Sun and The Ethical Leadership Experience, have shaped the lives of more than 6,500 alumni from dozens of countries around the world. Across generations and continents, CRS and TELE alumni continue to lead with empathy, curiosity, and courage—bringing Rising Sun values into classrooms, courtrooms, creative industries, clinics, and communities. As we celebrate 95 years of impact, we’re spotlighting just a few of the many stories that show how a summer at Camp becomes a lifetime of meaning.

Here’s Jeff Orlowski-Yang’s story—an Emmy Award–Winning filmmaker and environmental advocate—who attended Camp Rising Sun in 1999 and 2000.

95 Years of Impact: Jeff Orlowski-Yang

Making Camp Rising Sun More Linguistically Accessible

Making Camp Rising Sun More Linguistically Accessible

Considering the diversity of our community, LAJF is taking steps to become more linguistically accessible. Considering the barriers that non-English speakers face when it comes to learning about, applying and going to Camp is very important. This LAJFellowship project will coordinate the translation of the key elements needed to learn about and apply to Camp Rising Sun to more than 15 languages. Having finalized the research phase, we are looking for volunteers that would like to help with the process of translating different resources. Learn more about the project in our blog this week.

Celebrating Changemakers: Meet 5 CRS Women who are Changing the World

Celebrating Changemakers: Meet 5 CRS Women who are Changing the World

From New Jersey to the Netherlands, from EMTs to climate justice activists, these alumni are changing the world. We will be hearing from five changemakers who are inspiring their communities in different ways, a continuation of and an addition to our series of Instagram takeovers over the last few months. And Kristen Chang ’14, Linda Barry ’16, Dominika Lasota ’18, Woohyun Kwen ’19, and Anneteke Adoga ’20 all certainly have a lot to say.

#LifeAfterCRS - GEJ Scholars explore art, gender, and education

#LifeAfterCRS - GEJ Scholars explore art, gender, and education

The 2020 GEJ Scholars are selected as they exemplify LAJF’s mission of fostering a lifelong commitment to compassionate and responsible leadership for the betterment of our communities. Over the coming months, we will feature the 2020 GEJ Scholars so that you can get to know them. To learn more about this and other opportunities for CRS alums, please visit our website.

Read our blog today to learn about Alicia Sandoval Vadillo ‘13, who recently curated a show titled “My Soul Reaches for Dreams” at the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum in New Mexico, and Zachary Kaplan ‘08, former social studies teacher and currently at law school.

CRS Alumni Directory

LOUIS AUGUST JONAS FOUNDATION
6 RISING SUN LANE
RHINEBECK, NY, 12572, UNITED STATES
+1 (212) 686-1930
CONTACT@LAJF.ORG

The Louis August Jonas Foundation (LAJF) and Camp Rising Sun (CRS) have a long-held commitment to the principles of diversity, stemming from our mission. In that spirit, LAJF and CRS do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, creed, color, sexual orientation, nation of origin, gender, sex, or gender identity.