With four travel programs and a new initiative assisting chapters in facilitating local road trips, CTeen has used the summer months to reach and engage with over 200 teens by providing them with immersive overnight experiences.

Heritage Quest, CTeen’s 22-day trip to Poland and Israel, attracted teens from throughout the United States, Europe, Canada. Both the boys’ and girls’ trips were filled with adventure, spirit and an engaging approach to Judaism.

For Ashley Brauning from Vacaville, California, Heritage Quest “helped me discover myself and helped me understand what kind of Jew I want to be.”

Harley Derrickson from Honolulu, Hawaii, shared a similar sentiment. “The knowledge and the sense of community I gained from this trip far outweighs how I could have spent my time at home.”

In addition to the Poland-Israel trip, CTeen Xtreme, a two-week traveling camp, launched its fourth year. The trip once again began in Denver, Colorado and ended in Los Angeles, California, giving teens the opportunity to leave their comfort zones with some extreme sports: mountain biking, white water rafting and rappelling. The teens took part in volunteer projects and experienced Shabbat with the Jewish communities in Aspen, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles.

“I never knew that Judaism could be this much fun,” mused Chloe Meyer from Southborough, Massachusetts.

“CTeen Xtreme provided a perfect balance of fun and adventure with appreciation of nature and Judaism for our daughter,” shared Rachel Gordon, from Rochester, New York.

The latest summer initiative, CTeen Road Trip, launched in June and aims to empower CTeeners to organize three-to-six day local road trips.Trips have already taken place in Panama, Brazil, New York, and California, with more scheduled to take place in Illinois, Washington, Tennessee, and Colorado.