Blog with Springboard

The Springboard blog highlights the experiences of Jewish teens and Jewish teen professionals participating in community programs across Chicagoland and beyond. Dive into blogs about different Jewish teen events, leadership programs, trip opportunities, and more! Join us in celebrating the unique perspectives and contributions of Jewish teens and professionals in the Jewish community. To post a blog, please email danielleburstyn@juf.org.


Springboard Blog

Springboard Blog

5 Resources to Help You Thrive This School Year!

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We hope you’re having a great start to the 2024-2025 school year!  Springboard, Chicago’s hub for Jewish teen programs is here to help you navigate the Jewish teen community and high school. Springboard, JUF and our community partners have amazing resources to help you make the most of your time in high school and navigate any challenges that may arise. We hope these resources help you throughout the school year and beyond. 


  1. Book a meeting with a member of Springboard to discuss personalized recommendations about opportunities in the Chicago Jewish teen community.  


  1. Apply for a Springboard Access Grants. These grants are designed for 8th-12th graders attending a multi-day program with a Jewish youth organization for the first time. Springboard will provide 50% of the cost up to $300. Learn more about Access Grants here.  


  1. Explore mental health resources. Balancing family, school, extracurriculars, and friends can be overwhelming. Our partners at JCFS have provided us with some tools that can help you cope with stress during times of turmoil and shared a list of organizations who can .  


  1. Practice social media self-care. Social media can be a great tool to for connecting and learning about things happening in the community, but recent events have also resulted in it being a place where people are coming in contact with hate speech and disturbing images. Here are some tips from JUF to surf the web safely. 


  1. Check out these school resources to make sure your school is providing a safe and welcoming environment for all students. JUF’s Israel Education Center and JCRC are on hand to help families navigate bias in academic settings and educate teachers and administrators on antisemitism.