SMU’s Perkins School of Theology created a new programthis year for high school juniors, looking to explore theirChristian faith through volunteer work and mentorships with localministers and clergymen.
The Youth School of Theology, a two-year program made possiblethrough a $1.4 million grant from the Lily Endowment, will offer 25students from the Dallas/Fort Worth area the opportunity tocomplete missions and various community service projects during theschool year.
The program also gives students the opportunity the experiencethe culture and nature of the SMU-in-Taos campus at Fort Burgwin,NM for three weeks in July in the Summer Academy.
According to the informational packet, “During this time,the youth will engage in an integrated program of critical andconstructive theological reflection on the practice and theory ofthe Christian faith.”
The Perkins Youth School of Theology is open to any high schooljunior. All participants will attend the Summer Academy throughscholarships, which will cover the cost of travel, lodging, foodand a stipend to compensate for any lost funds students would havereceived while working in the summer.
“It is a unique opportunity for youth in that it is theonly program of its kind in the southwest,” program directorthe Rev. Tonya Y. Burton said.
“The program is not limited to a specificdenomination,” she said. “We are drawing from all kindsof Christian backgrounds.”
The school welcomes all applicants who are actively involved involunteer service work and who want to make the two-year commitmentto the program.
Students can obtain applications through their church’soffice.
The application requires that prospective participants meetcertain requirements. Students must have two recommendations fromadults, provide a personal narrative and sign a commitment tocommunity service and to meeting once a month with pastors andmentors.
While the program staff encourage the students to develop newalliances, mentors may be placed with students they nominate forthe school.
The mentors, or theological dialogue partners, meet with thestudents to discuss the process of the missions, the impact thestudents feel they are making and how they are finding God in theiractions.
Although the intent of the Youth School of Theology is for thestudents to help others, there is a benefit to being affiliatedwith a major university when the high school juniors are beginningto consider colleges.
“The program introduces them to the resources of thecollege campus and provides a service of helping them to furthertheir education,” Burton said. “If they becomeinterested [in SMU] that is great, but we want to introduce them totheological education.”
The program also would like to involve SMU students in theprocess and invites them to volunteer at Taos for the SummerAcademy.
Burton does not yet know if the program will continue every twoyears, but hopes the grant will be renewed in 2006 to provide theopportunity to other interested students.
Although the program has officially had only one applicant,Burton hopes to get started as early as late September when mentorswill have completed
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