Summer of Service

Applications open: October 1st

Priority Application Deadline for Leadership Roles: February 1st

Project Transformation’s summer of service experience for young adults offers hands-on opportunities to build mutually enriching relationships with underserved children and youth, live in intentional community, experience cultural and socio-economic diversity, and explore various careers in ministry and service.

Applicants must have completed one year of college or be at least 19 years old, and must be U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or legal permanent resident of the United States to serve.

Competitive applicants for the Summer Program will:

Be highly motivated, self-starters

Possess strong interpersonal and communication skills

Enjoy working with children and/or youth

Be open-minded

Have a desire to love and serve others

Be dedicated to living in community with other young adults in a structured environment.

There are five primary components to the Project Transformation experience:

Day Camp
During the summer program, Project Transformation PT Corps Members work in teams to implement an eight-week summer day camp for 70 to 85 elementary children and youth. Sites are located in churches in the heart of low-income communities. Components of the program include: a one-on-one reading program, arts enrichment, recreational activities, and other activities in which the gifts and talents of the PT Corps Members can share with the children. PT Corps Members have the option to volunteer in child/youth Bible lessons apart from their AmeriCorps service hours.

I have learned that God can do things that people can’t imagine.
- 5th Grade Participant

Community Living

An integral component of Project Transformation’s summer of service is the opportunity to live in intentional community throughout the summer. Young adults live in dorm style housing with their peers, while experiencing daily life in a diverse, loving community. Young adults are encouraged to participate in social activities and build relationships with other members of the community.

Ministry Exploration and Vocational Discernment
Each Friday, young adults are exposed to various vocational opportunities in service or ministry through guest speakers, field trips, and interactions with lay and ordained church leaders.

 




Through our affiliation with the United Methodist Church and not as part of the AmeriCorps program, Project Transformation offers the following options:

Spiritual Development
Project Transformation invests in the spiritual development of each young adult, opening their eyes to the needs and opportunities for ministry. The program emphasizes the importance of community through worship, Bible study, and guest speakers. The young adults may voluntarily participate in weekly worship as well as other spiritual formation activities apart from their AmeriCorps service hours. Young adults are encouraged to examine their personal beliefs through intellectual and spiritual discussions.

Church Involvement
Each week, young adults have the option to voluntarily participate in worship at their site church with their team, apart from their AmeriCorps service hours. This is an opportunity to connect the church family to the program and its families so that sustainable relationships are established during the summer. Beyond this, young adults have the option to voluntarily connect partner churches with the program by recruiting volunteers to read with the children that attend the day camp, collecting supplies for the program, and sharing the stories of their experience.

Specifics

The dates for this service experience are the last week of May through the first week of August. This includes one week of pre-program training, eight weeks of day camp, and either one week of overnight Urban camp at Bridgeport Camp & Conference Center with youth, LITE College Tour with high schoolers  or “Adventure Week” with elementary students in Dallas.

  • From late May through early August, young adults will live in community in housing provided through Project Transformation. Dinners will be provided from Sunday through Thursday evenings, housing and meals are also provided during the week of Urban Camp at Bridgeport, LITE College Tour or Adventure Week in Dallas.
  • During their summer of service, young adults cannot have commitments outside of Project Transformation, such as summer school or a part-time job.
  • Sunday through Thursdays, young adults must attend nightly dinners that are prepared by partner churches in order to share the summer service experience with partnering volunteers. One night per week, the young adults can choose to participate in a group worship time.
  • On Fridays, the PT Corps Members explore vocations in ministry and service through field trips, service projects, and dialogue with lay and ordained leadership of various partnering non-profit organizations, businesses, and United Methodist institutions.

In many ways working with Project Transformation in the summer program exceeds participating in a summer job and crosses into a summer life. The time expectations can be great, but the potential for personal rewards that come from this kind of commitment are even greater. While much is expected of each young adult leader, much is given in return in the form of love from the kids, support and fun from living in a community, and the energy created by exploring your own personal potential to impact the world around you.

Time Off

Friday afternoon-Sunday morning each weekend.

Compensation

$4,000.00 living stipend- paycheck, $1,824.07 education voucher (issued by AmeriCorps after completed term of service), and room and board.

Application Procedure

Proceed by filling out and turning in the Application for Summer Service, including 3 references who know you well.  (EX: past employers, professors, teachers, pastors, etc.). References will receive an email from Project Transformation asking them to complete a short online form for you.

After the completed application has been submitted, the Project Transformation office will contact the applicant to set up an interview.


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