Youth Serve Program Overview

 

• Youth Serve is a service-learning program especially designed for teams of adults and young adolescents going into the 8th and 9th grades in Catholic parishes and schools. Teams must include one adult for every five youth. The adult can be a youth minister, teacher, junior high catechist or involved parent.
• Youth Serve gets young people involved in service, and provides them with the learning and reflection opportunities needed to transform ordinary service into a discipleship event.
• Youth Serve gives young people and their leaders concepts and skills that are easily applicable to service projects in their backhome setting.
• Youth Serve is family-friendly, offering family members the opportunity to share in the experience and to grow in their commitment to serving others together.
• Youth Serve is a new program developed by the Center for Ministry Development to support the service efforts of local dioceses, parishes and schools.

Youth Serve Program Schedule

 

• Youth Serve in the Archdiocese of Omaha is 4 day-3 overnight experience that offers quality time for learning, service and prayer.
• Youth Serve begins at 1:30 PM on the first day and closes at approx. 7:00 PM on the 4th day.   The last day includes a special, early-evening session for parents.
• Given its design, Youth Serve  can serve as a great school break, holiday or vacation program. Schools may also choose to offer Youth Serve midweek as an integral part of their regular teaching week.

Youth Serve Program Goals

 

• To provide local faith communities an opportunity to involve young adolescents in a creative and integrated approach to service learning from a Catholic perspective.
• To introduce and model for local leaders a process for engaging young adolescents in effective Catholic service learning experiences.
• To provide local communities an opportunity to impact the way families with young adolescents view, understand and respond to justice issues in their community.

 

Youth Serve Participant Objectives

 

By participating in this program young adolescents will…

 

• deepen their understanding of the gospel call to discipleship and justice
• learn about local and domestic poverty and explore its causes, consequences and responses
• explore Catholic social teaching and its application to life today
• live, learn, pray and work in community with other Catholic youth and adults
• engage in hands-on service involvement with people and agencies that assist people in need locally
• share their learning insights and creative ideas with peers and family members
• discover ways to continue their justice and service involvement as individuals, with their families, and with their parish or school groups
  

Youth Serve is co-sponsored by the Archdiocese of Omaha and the 
Center for Ministry Development