A TYPICAL DAY

When a work team is at camp, all the summer staff and interns are in charge of loving and guiding the team members.  They will work with them or serve them during the day and hang out with them at night.  The kitchen/laundry helpers will help prepare the meals, clean cabins, and do laundry.  The work team hosts will serve alongside the teams, guiding them for the entire week in all their activities, devotion times, etc.  The wilderness helper will either being leading adventure trips or working alongside the work team members in a construction project.

The work bosses will lead a small group of work team members in a work project.  The work project could be anything from landscaping, to building a rock wall, to painting, etc.  The work bosses work alongside their group, motivating them when they are tired, making decisions about the project itself, and building relationships (the best part).  You are leading them in the construction project, as well as spiritually -  sharing with them who you are in Christ.  At the end of the day, you'll be in charge of making sure your project is cleaned up and meeting with our construction supervisor.

When a team is at camp, the summer staff and interns will share all your meals with them, giving you more time to build relationships.  At night there will usually be some sort of evening meeting, with praise & worship, a game, speaker, whatever.  You are encouraged to participate in this time with the team, and afterwards you can hang out or go to bed.
When we don't have teams at camp, you will be doing a variety of things which could include: continuing to work on construction projects, doing a homestay with a Dominican family for a couple of nights, adventure trips, a day of solitude, Bible studies, and more.  These times will be great bonding experiences for you and the other interns and the staff.

SUMMER STAFF COORDINATORS

Among other things, Summer Staff is a powerful opportunity for personal discipleship.  In addition to working with North American and Dominican staff and volunteers, you will be supervised, led, and discipled by adult volunteers from the states.  These highly qualified folks will plan and prepare in an effort to offer you every opportunity to draw closer to Christ.  This may prove to be a highlight of your experience! (If you wish to be a coordinator, fill out the same application and indicate "coordinator" where it asks for job preference.  Individuals, married couples, and families are welcome!  You do not need to be on Young Life staff or have any prior experience with YL, just a heart for college age folks.  If you are on Young Life staff, this could count as your summer assignment.)

COSTS

What will it cost me?  Everything!  You will never be the same after an experience like this!  Unlike the Young Life properties in the United States, Pico Escondido does not enjoy capital surpluses to help offset the expenses of hosting volunteer laborers.  For this reason, it is necessary for Summer Staff and Interns to cover their in-country costs.  However, Young Life makes it possible for you to raise these funds through tax-deductible donations.  We will guide you through each step of this process and you will be amazed at how the Lord raises up a "team" of supporters to stand behind your mission!

For the summer of 2009, we are asking the summer staff to raise $1275, which includes a $75 administrative fee.  You will also be required to cover your own airfare costs.  Costs are slightly different for coordinators and interns, so if you are interested and qualified for one of these positions, please contact us and we can discuss the costs.  The Dominican Republic also requires you to pay a $10 entrance fee.  Included in your set fees are all meals, housing, in-country transportation as well as a small spending allowance that you will be given upon arrival. Any money for additional travel either before or after your summer staff session, gifts, souvenirs, or daily extras (sodas, trips to town for ice cream, etc.) will be each individual's responsibility.

If you are accepted to be on summer staff or as an intern, we will send you a thorough packet of information to help you write fundraising "support" letters and generate donations in other ways.  Please do not let costs or fundraising be a deterrent to your involvement!  It is a wonderful exercise in faith and a great way to see the Lord's faithfulness.

TRAVEL

We will gladly assist you in arranging your flights.  You are welcome to use your own travel agent, the Internet, etc., though we will still have strict guidelines as to when and where to arrive. 

APPLICATIONS and DEADLINES

We request that you have your applications in as soon as possible.  To apply, simply click on the link at the top of this page for the SS Application.  This will allow us to place you and get you started on fundraising as early as possible.  We will begin doing some acceptances by the first of January, though we will be making official acceptances in March, when we tend to receive the most applications.  Applications received after this time will be accepted and reviewed on a first-come, first-serve basis.   We will try to let you know if you've been accepted as early as possible, though there is no guarantee that you'll hear from us before March, when acceptances will officially begin.  If you apply after this date, we will simply let you know as soon as we can.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

The following are answers to some of our most frequently asked questions.  If you have additional questions, please feel free to email us at yldr@picoescondido.com.