Summer Opportunities on the Horizon!

By Deborah Neisel-Sanders

As the office administrator, I am the first line of contact for anyone asking questions of the UUA Office of Youth and Young Adult Ministries. One inquiry I get frequently (usually later in the spring) is: What kind of summer opportunities are there for Unitarian Universalist youth and young adults? Believe it or not, it’s not too early to think about that! Recently the White House announced Summer Jobs+, an initiative to connect low-income and disconnected youth with summer jobs in businesses, nonprofits, community groups and government in the summer of 2012. A number of the participating organizations have, as their core mission, principles that align closely with those of Unitarian Universalism. The formal statement also describes how “United Way Worldwide will work with local chapters in approximately 30 cities and regions to host a series of Community Conversations, where local leaders will join with ordinary citizens to map out what they can do to pull together the support needed to create opportunity and pathways for young adults.” If the record numbers of youth and young adult unemployment matter to you, consider contacting your local United Way chapter to find out about participating in these vital conversations. Several UU camps close their applications process this month, so if you think you might like to spend your summer working in the great outdoors and serving your faith, it’s time to act. In addition to Unirondack (we posted about that earlier) located in – where else? – the Adirondack Mountains, UU young adults can also check out Star Island Family Retreat and Conference Center in New Hampshire. They are currently looking for “Pelicans,” their summer staff who work for and share their small island community with people who come there for rest and relaxation. You have to have your application in by January 20th, so move fast! UU young adults can also look into The Mountain Retreat and Learning Center in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. The Mountain offers Residential Intern and Young Adult Residency positions for young adults, from which you could gain college credit and valuable experience. These positions are not restricted to summer but run year-round. Finally, you can check out www.cu2c2.org for a listing of camps, conferences, and trips that are UU-related and service-focused. Any one of them might be open to an inquiry about summer employment opportunities. We’ll be talking more about other types of summer opportunities (like service trips) later in the spring, but the time to start thinking about it is now! ~ Deborah Neisel-Sanders
Plus_sign
College Student Using Catalogue
cu2c2_img