What are YouthWorks mission trips?
YouthWorks Mission Trips began in 1994 to provide quality, affordable, life-changing, Christ-centered mission opportunities for teenagers. That first summer, we had two mission sites with over 400 youth participating in mission trips. Now, almost 16 years later, we have 75+ mission sites and expect 40,000 participants in 2009.

What does a typical week look like?
Each week a group of approximately 65 teenagers and their adult leaders arrive at your site. Youth groups come from across the country and from many denominations. Site staff facilitate their mission trip. From breakfast until lights out, you will serve them, build community, organize service projects and spend time getting to know them. Groups arrive each Sunday evening and depart on Friday mornings. Some sites may also be facilitating a couple weeks of family mission trips (in place of youth mission trips those weeks). See below for more information on Family Mission Trips.

What are Family Mission Trips?
Twelve of the 75+ YouthWorks sites will be facilitating two weeks of YouthWorks Family Mission Trips this summer as part of their programming. Tailored to the needs and capabilities of families (from small children to grandparents), these weeks provide meaningful service opportunities for multi-generational groups, as well as cultural and recreational opportunities.

Where will I serve?
Summer staff are needed to serve at one of 75+ sites in the summer of 2009. Sites are located across Canada, the United States, Mexico and Puerto Rico. The types of communities include: rural, small town, small city, urban and American Indian reservations. Check out our website to learn more about the unique personality of each site.

Can I choose the site where I'll serve?
Several factors go into site placement and the process takes much time and prayer. YouthWorks wants to find the best match for staff and communities. After all staff have been hired, they are assigned to a site. If you have specific knowledge, experience or passion regarding a site or type of site, please let us know in the interview and we will take it into consideration. The YouthWorks Recruiting Team makes all final decisions about site placement.

What are the positions?
A typical site has a Site Director and three Site Staff. Of the three Site Staff, one will be a Program Staff; the other two vary depending on the type of site. YouthWorks also hires several people to fill the Utility Staff position. See the page on Job Descriptions for more details.

What are the requirements for working on YouthWorks staff?
YouthWorks staff are selected based on their qualifications. At minimum, potential YouthWorks staff must be in their first year out of high school (equivalent to a first-year college student). YouthWorks policy requires that staff be 20 years or older to be eligible to drive company vehicles; non-driver staff positions are very limited. Positions available to non-drivers are Kids Club and Program Staff. YouthWorks also requires that staff be able to conduct various physical and strenuous tasks in a safe manner. Tasks include, but are not limited to, lifting and carrying up to 60 pounds, directing participants in meal preparation and safely operating YouthWorks vehicles.

What are the dates of employment?
The dates for full-summer employment are May 25 – August 11, 2009. YouthWorks will also be hiring a small number of Late Start Utility Staff for a shortened period of employment – June 10 – August 11, 2009; Late Start Utility Staff must be eligible drivers by June 10, 2009. All staff must be available for the entire summer. Site Directors also have a weekend training in Minneapolis in late spring.

Is there an application deadline?
Positions are filled as applications are reviewed and interviews are completed. It is best to get your application in as soon as possible. We begin hiring staff in November and will continue to accept applications until all positions have been filled. Check our website for staffing updates.

What happens after I send in my application?
When we receive Part I of your application, we will review it and determine if you will receive an interview. If so, we will contact you about getting scheduled for an interview and will email you Part II of the application to complete. Please note that a final hiring decision may be delayed until all three references have been received.

How much will I get paid?
The salary for new summer Site Staff is $2,500.00; Late Start Utility Staff have pro-rated salary. Site Directors have a higher starting salary. Returning staff receive a pay increase from their last YouthWorks summer. In addition to your salary, YouthWorks provides lodging, meals and transportation (with the exception of travel to your training location at the beginning of summer and travel home from that location at the end of the summer, as well as any meals eaten off site). Because of limited summer expenses, summer staff have found that they can make a comparable summer wage to that of a mainstream summer job.

Do I need to be Adult CPR or First Aid certified?
You will need to be both Adult CPR and First Aid certified if hired to be on summer staff. Please note that online CPR and First Aid courses do NOT meet our certification requirements. Certification must be completed before the start of summer training. YouthWorks will reimburse you for half the cost of the class(es) if you are hired as 2009 staff. We advise all potential staff to begin looking for a class as soon as possible. Check out www.redcross.org or call your local fire department for possible classes in your area. Many schools offer certification classes as well.

How does training work?
Summer staff spend their first week training with their team at one of our five training locations; you are assigned to the training location closest to the YouthWorks site that you will be serving at for the summer. After training, staff teams travel (using YouthWorks vehicles) to their site to spend the next week preparing their site for participants. Programming typically begins the following week; more experienced YouthWorks staff will be on site that week to provide additional leadership and training for you and your team.

What is GreaterWorks?
GreaterWorks is an opportunity for summer staff to extend their time in specific YouthWorks communities through the year as a ministry intern. The program gives young adults an opportunity to work, serve and learn while living in community. Interns practice the simple ministry of presence, intentionally loving their neighbors while serving through established ministry partners. Learn more about GreaterWorks at www.greaterworks.us.

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