Our Founder

Jill Rose, the co-founder of Camp It Up!, has been working in various camp settings since age thirteen. As a Counselor, Music Specialist, Program Director, Director, Staff Trainer and Consultant, she has become familiar with every aspect of camp management. She co-founded Camp It Up! over thirty years ago with Ellie Schindelman. She's a co-founder of Camps In Common, a non-profit corporation that manages Feather River Camp for the City of Oakland, California.

Her work with Camp It Up! is both a culmination and manifestation of her commitment to non-urban camps as a source for individual, familial and communal healing and empowerment. As director of Camp It Up!, Ms. Rose was able to experience the thrill and gratification of knowing that it is possible to make real and positive changes in people's lives. Whether it has been training teenagers to work with young children, enabling individual to attend and enjoy a week's camping experience with their families for the first time, or encouraging a staff member to take on a new and challenging role, her work has been a source of challenge and healing, and has compelled her to continue reaching out for other opportunities that "make a difference." As a former Oakland public school music teacher, songwriter, community organizer and event producer, Jill has been fortunate to find many such opportunities in her life. Jill retired in December 2016 from being Director of Camp It Up!

Ms. Rose has been a Northern California resident since 1967. She loves to travel and, she can be found playing piano and singing with friends, spending time with her family or playing a decidedly uncompetitive game of Scrabble.