Youth Staff Internship Program

High School aged youth have an opportunity to serve the church in a paid internship program as leaders in our Children’s Ministry Program on Sunday mornings.   In Full Circle:  Fifteen Ways to Grow Lifelong UUs, Katie Erslev shares her research about what experiences lifelong UUs cite as reasons they remain in the faith.  One of the common threads in the research is that early leadership in Religious Education programs is something that inspired youth to stay in the faith.
Our youth staff program has encouraged leadership among our youth since the early 2000s.  It helps youth make it to church, gain skills and experiences that help them grow, teaches them about Unitarian Universalism.  At the same time youth provide a crucial backbone of leadership and continuity to the Children’s Ministry Program. They are there every Sunday, welcoming children.  They model for children what it looks like to grow in the faith. Our youth staff partner with volunteers and church staff to make our Children’s Ministry Program excellent.
The program is open to youth in the 9th grade or 14 years old (for homeschoolers).  The internship is one year, but youth may reapply each year if they wish to continue throughout their high school career.  The internship is from August-May, though interns may work in our summer programs and camps as well.

Each intern is assigned to a particular age group and is expected to work in the Children’s Ministry Program each week (except for  illness, travel or special circumstances). Youth Staff Interns work one service (1.5 hours) on Sunday morning. Interns under 18 years of age are paid $13 a service.  Interns 18 and older are paid $15 per service.
Requirements for the internship are:

• Application
• Interview
• CPR and First Aid certification. (The church offers opportunities for CPR training and it can be obtained via the Red Cross)
• Available to work a Weekly Sunday Service
• Attend Monthly Staff Meetings
• Prompt Weekly Communication