Big News.

So today I had my interview with Youthworks and it was amazing. I think Rita, my interviewer, and I should be friends :) It lasted about two hours and consisted of everything from updates since my last summer, to scenarios, "strengths and weaknesses", how do you strengthen your faith questions, leadership styles and decision making, how to work in a team, why you want to work with youthworks, etc. I felt very confident in my answers and felt like I was accurately conveying my leadership style, experience and understanding of youthworks and their values. I was highly impressed with the transitions they are trying to make into a more social justice based realm of content and education rather than skin-deep ministry which is typically self serving and short term. The work they are beginning to work with will have lasting impact and hopefully inspire action plans in the future. For my SJ project I am going to write a proposal/position paper about where I think Youthworks should be moving and what my ideal of their organization would look like based on my understanding of Education for Social Justice. This will tie directly to my desire to begin an organization like Youthworks, but one that is more effective in lasting and longterm impact on both community and youth serving. The job is pretty exciting, great compensation, and the skills I will develop are going to be so helpful in rounding out my resume. I am hoping to move into an Area Director position in the fall and continue on with them for my practicum, but I am not sure if that will happen.

The weird part right now is much like my situation when I was in Uruguay (last time I was in this application proces swith them for my summer in Juarez). I have no idea where they might place me. I know that it won't be Mexico or Puerto Rico, it will probably be either a rural or smalltown site, or a native american reservation. I told her I wasn't sure about working on the native american reservations because I didn't know youthworks' history with those sites. She said from their standpoint all of the sites youthworks is on, abroad and domestic, they have been invited into by the community. They typically have contacts within those communities, or groups who have been on trips elsewhere have contacts, and they are invited to come work with them. She said they first and foremost have worked with the tribal councils to make sure that the work they are doing is something that would meet community needs, and then the did networking within that community to connect with other churchs and possible resources in the area before coming in. Although I am still working through what it means to be a somewhat evangelistic group coming into this type of a situation, I appreciate their process and understanding of that need in the first place. It calmed some of my fears.

the point. YAY!

So now I am trying to get work done early so that I can go on my training next weekend to MN, figure out what I'll need to buy in the next few weeks, and get organized for the summer! WOOT!