Summer is Calling!

Share

Use the button below to expand or collapse all sections, or select a heading to view one section at a time. 

Expand/Collapse All

Things to Consider

We know you are busy this time of year, so we've compiled a few common questions to help you plan and refine your upcoming summer programs.

Q. Do you need to create custom policies for your summer camps? 

A. You might! Summer programming often has unique needs. Consider creating summer-specific policies if:

• Your payment policy for the summer differs from the regular school year.
• You offer a different cancellation/refund policy. 
• Students are on-site longer, and a lunch/snack policy may be necessary to address food allergy considerations, mealtime expectations, etc.

Q. Should you create a new Category 1? 

A. Create a new Category 1 to track revenue for your summer programs. If your summer programs vary greatly from your regular programs, creating a new Category 1 will make revenue tracking easier.

Q. Did you offer summer camps last year? 

A. When summer camps are set up as classes, you can use the Enrollment Detail report to help determine any adjustments for this year’s summer camps.

Q. Can you afford to offer multi-student/multi-class discounts? 

A. Set up your summer programs as Classes and consider offering only multi-student discounts, as demand for quality summer programs may be high. Always keep your bottom line in mind when discounting!

Q. What's the best way to market your summer programs so you stand out from the competition? 

A. Think beyond your usual promotions! Plan creative activities, themed weeks, or engaging events to capture attention and boost student engagement.

Classes, Events, or Appointments? What Works Best?

How you set up your summer programming plays a big role in making the experience smooth for both your business and your families. Jackrabbit gives you flexible ways to structure your offerings—here’s how to decide what works best for each type of program.

Classes: Best for Structured Programs or Camps

Jackrabbit recommends using Classes for most summer programs. This setup give you structure, flexibility, an the ability to manage enrollment and communication easily.

• Take attendance in the Staff Portal or use Self Check-in to have the most up-to-date camp rosters.
• Offer flexibility using Per-Day classes, allowing families to choose the days their student plans to attend.
• Communicate easily with families/students by sending texts or push notifications.
• Create custom summer Policies, add them to Policy Groups, and assign the groups to classes.

Events: Great for Short-Term or One-Time Offerings

Events are a great option for separating your summer programs from your regular class schedule.

• Showcase summer programs in a calendar format on your website.
• Ask questions and collect responses in a specific format from families/students.
• Customize the registration form for each Event Type with a graphic, description, etc.

Appointments: Ideal for Private or One-on-One Sessions

Appointments are perfect for private or small-group sessions that require specific instructors, times, or rooms.

• Offer flexible booking with single or recurring bookings - families and staff choose what works best.
• Create Appointment Types to define the details of each service offered.
• Apply appointment-specific policies using Policy Groups.

Set Up & Manage Summer Programs as Classes

If you decide to use Classes for summer programming, start by building your schedule, reviewing settings, and managing enrollments efficiently.

Add Classes

Review your class schedule and add classes as needed. The class start and end dates may only be for a one-week duration.

• Use Per-Day classes to give families the flexibility to choose which days their student will attend. These classes meet at the same time on multiple days of the week.
• Create Sessions and assign them to classes. This makes it easy to copy multiple classes at once, allowing you to quickly create your summer programs from existing classes.
• To manage overlapping sessions, transition a current session to a new session of classes. 

Tuition Settings

Check if you need to update your Tuition Settings to ensure your summer programs follow the right discounting, billing, and prorating options.

• If you bill By Class Fee, create a Discount Rule if your summer programs don't offer the same discounts.
• If you bill By Total Hours, select the checkbox Exclude from Total Hours Count in the Class record on the Summary tab. Any multi-student discounts will still apply.
• If your Prorating Options are set to Yes for your programs during the year, you may want to turn off prorating for individual summer program classes.

Edit Classes

Make changes to your classes to apply summer-specific policies or adjust settings in bulk.

• Use Edit All Classes to modify multiple classes at once.
• Use Add Policy Groups on the All Classes tab to assign summer-specific Policies to multiple classes at once.
• If a registration fee is not required for your summer programs, make sure the Has a Registration Fee? checkbox is unchecked in the Class record.

Registration & Enrollment

Use Jackrabbit efficiently to manage enrollments and make sure families are ready before summer begins.

• Use the Process Class Registrations report to review and manage class enrollments.
• Identify families who still need to accept your current policies:
  • Go to the Families menu > All Families.
  • Set the Filter option Policies: show families that have agreed to all active policies? to No.
  • Use the Send a Message icon > Email to send a reminder email to these families.

Set Up & Manage Summer Programs as Events

If Events work best for your summer programming, start by reviewing your schedule of events and adding additional events as needed.

Adding an Event

Adding an event is a two-step process. An Event Type acts as an umbrella for all the specific dates and times of that type of event. For example, an Event Type of Summer Camp Weeks could have dates of 6/20/25, 6/27/25, 7/11/25, etc.

• Step 1 - Create the Event Type
  • All the summer programs can fall under this event type.
  • On the Summary tab, you will see the enrollment and transaction details for all the dates.
    Note: Class Registration Fee settings do not apply to Event Registrations.
  • The information entered on the Description, Questions, and Agreements tabs customizes the Event Registration Form.

• Step 2 - Create Event Dates/Times
  • If you would like summer camps to run for one or two weeks, you only have to select the start date for this step.
  • For a camp event that runs for a duration of one week, we recommend you set it up as follows:
    • Click the Add Event (Date & Time) button.
    • In the Create Events From Date field, select the start date. Select the same date for the Through Date.
    • Enter the Start Time and End Time, along with any additional information needed in the Add Event Dates window.
    • Select the checkbox for the day of the week the event starts. Only one checkbox should be selected for your camp/event.
    • Click Save.

Registration & Enrollment

Families can enroll in your events in their Parent Portal (existing families) and on your website using the Events Calendar (new families). Alternatively, staff can enroll families directly in Jackrabbit.

Once families are enrolled:

• Manage Event enrollments by selecting the date link from the Event Type > Dates & Times tab. Here, you can view enrollment in an event, see responses to questions on the Questions/Options tab, and email families enrolled in the event.
• Run Event Reports to track and monitor event registrations and enrollment details.
• If you set the Event Type to Do Not Post Fee, refer to Post Event Fees for more details.

Next Steps

Use these Jackrabbit features to help you make your summer a success!

Collect Summer Enrollment Payments

Make the most of ePayments to simplify your payment process and reduce manual work.

• When ePayments are enabled, payment can be required when families enroll students through the Parent Portal.
• Use Process ePayments to process payments for new registrations. Create a schedule to process ePayments daily, weekly, monthly, or on a set date to collect deposits/full payment of summer program registrations before your programs begin.

Ensure Staff Availability

Use Staff Availability to plan your summer staffing needs with confidence.

• Check instructor availability by day and time to ensure camps and classes are fully covered.
• Spot coverage gaps early so you can reassign staff or hire additional substitutes for certain days.

Stay in Touch with Families & Staff

Remember to communicate important dates, registration, and enrollment information to your existing families and staff.

• Email your families with updates about camps, schedules, and reminders.
• Use the Parent Portal to communicate with families.
• Use the Staff Portal News to keep your staff informed.

Market Your Summer Programs

It's super important to spread the word and create a marketing strategy so families can learn about your great summer programs and what options they have for their kids! Consider all these ways you can market your business.

Promote on Your Website

Make it easy for families to find and register for your summer offerings by featuring your programs prominently on your website.

• For Classes - Add Class Listings Tables to make classes visible on your website. Classes will be available for enrollment on the date you set for registration. You can also filter your Class Listings Tables to set the summer programs apart from other traditional classes you offer year-round.

• For Events - Display your events online and follow our Checklist for a Successful Rollout. We provide you with the steps to take to make it easy for your families to enroll online. Share a direct link to your Event Calendar and optionally filter your Event Calendar specifically for your summer programs.

Send Email Campaigns

Use email to connect with past, present, and potential families—it's one of the most effective ways to share updates and drive registrations.

• Reach past students by emailing last year’s classes with early registration offers - easily email students enrolled in an archived class to get started.
• Use a custom-designed email template to send summer-specific messages to families. Go to the Gear icon > Settings > Email Templates and search for camp, or customize an email template of your own.
• Reconnect with inactive families by emailing leads from your Lead File to encourage them to return for summer programs.

Use Newsletters, Flyers, or Postcards

Print materials are still powerful! Use them to raise awareness in your local community and reach families who may not be actively checking your website or email.

• Drop newsletters, flyers, or postcards in the mail, or leave them at local schools or businesses to promote your program.
• Use family mailing labels or print mailing labels for your leads for easy distribution.

 Check out our blog 7 Tips for Staying in Contact with Prospective Customers

Build Your Social Media Presence (Facebook, Instagram, etc.)

Social media platforms (Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, etc.) are great ways to grab attention and generate excitement. Use them to share eye-catching visuals, key dates, and links that drive families to your website and boost summer registrations.

• Create your online presence using social media. A simple Facebook page with information and links to your website can help get the word out about your summer programs.
• Post photos from past programs that look colorful, fun, and appealing.