Our Mission

To provide the facilities and related sponsorship for summer camp programs that support the personal development of youth and families, with a particular focus on underserved communities.  Our programs are conducted in partnership with select schools and other non-profits to promote spiritual, educational and character development, leadership skills, and physical and emotional wellbeing.

About The Julian Reiss Foundation

Begun initially by Julian Reiss, the Julian Reiss Foundation’s sponsorship of its summer camp programs has been greatly enhanced and expanded through the years under the direction of Julian’s son, Dr. Paul J. Reiss, Ph.D., and now is run by a Board of Directors consisting of other Reiss family members. Currently, camp programs are conducted in collaboration with St. Ignatius School, a “Nativity-model” middle school in New York City.

The Julian Reiss Foundation’s first camp program with Nativity Mission Center began in 1962 (when Nativity Mission Center was just an after-school program), and the full year-round, camp-school Nativity model was born in 1971 with the founding of Nativity Mission School. In the years since, that Nativity model has been replicated in numerous other communities, leading to the formation in 2006 of the Nativity Miguel Network of Schools.

The campers served by the Julian Reiss Foundation are young people who demonstrate considerable potential. By reason of their families’ financial circumstances, their neighborhood environment and their limited educational opportunities, however, reaching their full potential is a constant challenge. The combined camp-school concept of the Nativity-model constitutes an effective intervention into the lives of these children as they enter middle-school age. The impressive results are not only apparent at camp right before your eyes, but also in the longer term achievements and personal development of the graduates.

The Foundation partners with St. Agnes Parish and School to hold a day camp program that serves the needs of families in the region. Families First is another local organization that the Foundation has recently partnered with to hold single day retreats for at-risk families in Essex County.

The Foundation also partners with the City Squash program out of New York City to provide the opportunity for an intensive multi-day camping experience in the Adirondacks. The service to these disadvantaged inner-city children is focused on developing academic and athletic excellence and leadership.