Participants are selected on the basis of their intellectual and social development, varied interests, humanistic attitude and potential leadership abilities. For the international participants weight is also put on their command of the English language.

During the 2 month camp period, the participants form a community based on tolerance, cooperation, democracy, and humanism. The staff contribute to creating a fertile environment for the many varied experiences of the participants.

Close companionship for such a long period under these circumstances gives the participants a special opportunity for stimulating intelligence and creativity, while at the same time participants learn to take greater responsibility for themselves and others.

These two American camps are run by The Louis August Jonas Foundation, a private foundation which is independent of political, religious, and racial influence.

CRS Europe is run and organized by The George E. Jonas Foundation. The foundation was instituted in 1996 to promote international understanding, tolerance and cooperation on a democratic basis by establishing and running a summer school for 14-15 year olds from European and other countries.

The foundation has no connections with either political or religious movements. Camp Rising Sun Europe is an eight week camp organized with the same philosophy and program objectives as the two American summer schools.

Mission Statement
The George E. Jonas Foundation is a non-profit organization based in Copenhagen, Denmark, dedicated to developing in promising young people from diverse backgrounds a lifelong commitment to sensitive and responsible leadership for the betterment of their communities and the world.

Aim of the George E. Jonas Foundation
The aim of the Foundation is be to give promising young people the opportunity to experience an international community based on shared human values and thereby give a positive contribution to future development in Europe, with special attention to the countries of Eastern and Central Europe, which want to be part of the process of developing the cultural, political and social values of the Europe of the future.

The initiative to establish a European Camp Rising Sun and The George E. Jonas foundation has been taken by the Danish alumni who during the past 55 years have participated in the Camp Rising Sun programme in two similar American summer schools.

Goals

1. To foster an appreciation of both diversity and common humanity of the participants and encourage lasting friendships cross boundaries of color, religion, gender, and nationality.
2. To expand the participants' intellectual horizons through serious discussion of personal and world issues and by encouraging introspection; to heighten artistic sensibilities through guided exploration.
3. To develop leadership abilities and self-reliance by encouraging each participant to take on significant projects and responsibilities for the program and to gain experience in motivating others.
4. To offer and demonstrate by action a strong working philosophy of living characterized by the belief that personal fulfillment flows from making lifelong commitments to serving society throught the pursuit of humanitarian goals.

These objectives are carried out not only in the structure of the daily program schedule, but also in the process and methods by which the program is implemented and evaluated.