Community Work Internship

Ross Woods, Rev. July 10, Jan. 14

My goal in this e-book was to make a unique one-year internship for a team of young people working in juvenile detention centers. The program is eligible for Youth Allowance and Austudy.

The purpose is to change kids' lives through consistent personal contact, formal programs, special events, and regular events. For gap-year kids (taking a year after high school), it is a good chance for them to figure out what they will do with their lives. Some might continue on to the Diploma as interns. Some will continue to Bible college or university to do something quite unrelated.

I've divided the year into four terms so we can start with a gentle orientation and build up to assessment of more demanding skills. In practice, groups of interns have different abilities. This may too hard for some groups and too easy for others.

First term

Interns are mainly getting adjusted to the team, to what is done in detention centers, and to the purpose of why they are doing it.

This term must be personally very engaging for them; interns need to see it as a positive experience that they are doing with friends who care.

• Purpose
• Discipleship and team building
• Induction (the rules, OHS, visit the different institutions)
• Participate in existing groups as an ordinary member
• Reflection on what is observed
• Clarify their own role (Who am I? How much am I a leader? How much am I a follower? Don't preach. Respecting and accepting people)
• Run seminars on event coordination, communication, legal stuff.

Second term

This term is about helping them to get more involved with people and start learning skills.

• Assign them relatively simple events to coordinate (church, Easter, bands)
• Sort people into teams to run simple groups on a regular basis. There might be only two people in some teams, depending how capable they are they are and how many. Many of the groups below are not too difficult.
• Give them some relational goals to get closer to kids.
• Induction into teaching one of the education stream courses (see below)
• Further team discipleship with regular prayer and Bible study

Third term

During this term, interns build on what was done last term by starting to teach under supervision.

• Keep simple groups going
• Start teaching, but under supervision
• Perhaps lead an Alpha group working as a team

Fourth term

This term is purely for assessment of what has been done in the previous terms, with the additional preparation for Christmas.

• Keep simple groups going
• Teaching
• Perhaps lead a group working as a team

 

Kinds of groups

Events: Visiting bands, Football, Basketball

Life skills courses: Fitness training groups, Cooking instruction, Handicrafts

Recreational groups: Hair colouring and styling, Board games, Visitation (sit around and chat)

Christian groups: Coordinate monthly church services in cooperation with churches, Conduct Alpha and Beta groups, Special events: Christmas and Easter

Education: Music, Drama, Pre-employment skills, Assist in the general day school, Provide computer training, Basketball clinic