The Summer Ministry Intensive is a ten-week summer program of concentrated experience in ministry.  Students spend 400 hours total of internship in parishes, community organizations, or other ministry settings throughout the United States. Students return to YDS’ campus every second week for a Practicum with peers or arrange to participate via the internet. After consulting with trusted advisors within their own denominational traditions, students propose a list of potential sites to the Director of Supervised Ministries who approves or disapproves each site. Students are then free to interview and choose their own sites from amongst those on the approved list.  The summer schedule makes travel to more distant sites, including some in urban centers, possible.

What is it?

• This is a summer internship program that fulfills the supervised ministry requirement for the MDiv degree. Students find placements in organizations, or parishes, if the latter are very active in the summer months. The internship involves 400 hours of supervised internship at a qualified site, including a 2-hr biweekly practicum led by a practitioner.

Who is eligible?

• All YDS students in degree programs are eligible to participate in such an internship, provided they complete the application process and the prerequisite Negotiating Boundaries workshop.
  

What sites are possible?

• In this internship program, students will work directly with the Director of Supervised Ministries to identify sites. There is no bank of sites to choose from at this time—students will suggest potential sites and, if given approval, will approach those sites directly.  Students may intern in any geographic location, provided that he or she can return to New Haven for the bi-weekly practicum sessions OR participate via internet (e.g., Skype).
• As to which sites will be approved—we are seeking sites that meet these requirements:
• Active enough in the summer months to be a good experience for the student, providing significant tasks that a student can accomplish and learn from on a short-term basis.  Churches and schools that have significantly reduced programming during the summer would not be good sites.
• Give a student an opportunity to work with people on serious issues;
• Has a qualified supervisor, i.e.:

              1. Supervisor is in his/her career for at least 3 years and at that particular position for at least one;
              2. Supervisor (or another person who agrees to serve as theological mentor) has received theological training;
              3. Supervisor attends training session (we will hold one in May to accommodate this) or has had supervisor training;
              4. Supervisor will be physically on site for at least 70% of the summer.

Are there sites that are impossible?

• A student may not intern at his or her own church, a church where he or she currently works or has worked in the past.
• A student may not do a summer internship at the same site where he or she was a part-time intern in the previous academic year or will be in the year to follow the internship.

What will interns be doing?

• Interns and Supervisors will agree on a learning plan. 

What are the dates?

• Students and supervisors will set up an individualized schedule for completing the internship.  Each intern must amass 400 hours of internship time between May 21 and August 20.  Total hours include the 15 hours in Practicum and commuting time greater than 15 minutes each way.  Some students may choose to work 30 hours a week for 12 weeks, and fill the rest of their time with a part-time job or some other activity. Others may choose to intern full-time for 10 weeks, or to take a week “off” in mid-summer, and intern some intermediate number of hours for the remainder of the summer.  This schedule also allows interns the option of accompanying youth on a mission trip or summer camp, if desired. The scheduling is up to you and your supervisor, with the one requirement that even if you complete the internship early, you continue going to bi-weekly practicum until its conclusion.

Credit, Class and Money Information

• This internship earns 3 academic credits. The credits meet the supervised ministries graduation requirement for M.Div. students and count as electives toward any degree.
• Tuition for summer classes is not included in your block tuition. The rates are typically around $1200 for a summer 3-credit class. You will receive academic scholarship for that class at the same rate at which you receive scholarship for the academic year (if you receive 80% tuition scholarship in the school year, the same applies in the summer, as an example.) In addition, you will receive a scholarship (stipend) of $3500 for supervised ministry, which is applied to your student account.
• Commuting expenses are not covered by YDS. Some sites might be willing/able to help with these. Others may not. Likewise, some sites might be willing to help with housing costs.
• There is no cost to the sites.

How do I apply?

1. Attend one of the student orientation meetings for supervised ministry.
2. Schedule a meeting with Lucinda Huffaker early in the semester to talk about places you’re considering and make a plan as to which sites you will approach first. Students will receive a form letter that they can give to potential supervisors that will describe the program, their role in it and their obligations.
3. Begin looking for potential sites by talking to people (your own pastor, denominational reps, etc.) for ideas, and looking sites up online.  Visit sites, talk to them, explore their interest in having an intern.
4. When you have found a site, fill out the Application (and send it in to the OSM.  Remember to attach your resume.
5. The OSM will contact the supervisor and discuss with them the terms of the internship.  When you have found a site, and they have signed an agreement with the Office of Supervised Ministries, you must register for the course at YDS.
6. The process must be complete by April 30. Training will be offered for new supervisors in May.