Summer of Service
Project Transformation’s summer of service experience for young adults offers hands-on opportunities to build mutually enriching relationships with children in neighborhoods that are under-resourced , live in intentional community, experience cultural and socio-economic diversity, and explore various careers in service. Young adults can serve in one of the following cities across Oklahoma: Oklahoma City, Tulsa, Muskogee or El Reno.
Applicants must have completed one year of college or be at least 18 years old, and must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. national, or legal permanent resident alien 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, Community Living, Vocational Discernment, Spiritual Development, and Church Involvement.
Day Camp
During the summer program, Project Transformation AmeriCorps Members work in teams to implement an eight-week summer day camp for 50 to 65 elementary children. Sites are located in churches in neighborhoods that are under-resourced. Components of the program include: a one-on-one reading program, arts enrichment, STEM, recreational activities, and other activities in which the gifts and talents of the PT Corps Members are shared with the children.
Ministry Exploration and Vocational Discernment
Each Friday, young adults are exposed to various vocational opportunities in service through guest speakers, volunteer activities, and interactions with non-profit leaders
Church and Spiritual Involvement
Each week, young adults may choose to participate in worship at their host church with their team. This is an opportunity to connect with the church family and camper families in other ways, as well as further become a part of the community. Young adults are encouraged to examine their personal beliefs through intellectual and spiritual discussions along with personal devotional and reflection time, should they choose to do so. Beyond this, young adults 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 two weeks of May through the last week of July. This includes one week of pre-program training (located in Tahlequah, OK), one week of site training (located in the various site cities), and eight weeks of day camp.
- Young adults will live in community in housing provided through Project Transformation (optional). Dinners will be provided Monday and Wednesday evenings during the eight weeks of camp (as well as breakfast and lunch at the site), and all meals/housing will be provided during the training week in Tahlequah.
- During their summer of service, young adults cannot have commitments outside of Project Transformation, such as summer school or a part-time job, that will conflict with the schedule.
- On Fridays, the young adults explore leadership and service through a variety of professional development sessions and community volunteering experiences. This is a half-day experience.
- Each week, Project Transformation young adults may attend their site church to connect with the host congregation and families in the community.
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 AmeriCorps member, 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 each weekend.
Fourth of July & Juneteenth
Compensation
$3,500 living stipend, $1,459 education award (issued by AmeriCorps after completed term of service and available to be used in November following the summer of service) + room and board.
Application Procedure
Applicants should apply online.
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