Application Tips for our Youth Applicants:
We’re very excited for this year’s Summer Program! We are looking forward to accepting 75 youth participants, 5 Junior Crew leaders, 5 Assistant Crew leaders and 5 Head Crew Leaders. If you are interested in participating, here are a few things you should know:
- Students who participated in the past and earned a positive evaluation get “first dibs” on a position this summer. If you participated last year, you DO need to apply again and submit letters of recommendation. If you have never participated before, it may be hard to get a new position. Last year we had 16 new participants ages 13-18, and 10 new 12-year-olds. This may seem unfair to new folks trying to get in, but we operate this way for a reason: We are rebuilding a community- and not just with bricks and mortar. We become a family and desire to invest in the youth of our community over the LONG haul. We build our program to be the best it can be, but more importantly we are about building the kingdom of God, which is all about relationships.
- Check for accuracy!! Last year we received well over 200 applications for 75 positions. If we can’t read an application, if the information is not true (like a fake address), or if the application is not complete, it doesn’t get the same consideration as fully completed and accurate applications. Some places of employment will throw away applications that aren’t complete or have spelling and grammar errors. We are not as worried about spelling and grammar as we are you expressing your true thoughts and giving us a COMPLETE application.
- Get at least ONE recommendation! When a student turns in an application without any letters of recommendation, we worry about two things: ONE, They don’t know any adults who think they’d benefit from Harambee or TWO, they didn’t care enough to do what it takes to get a position on a Summer Crew. When it’s someone who’s participated before, we get REAL worried- we know they have Crew leaders they could ask, and it makes it seem that they don’t care enough to complete the application correctly. We know your teachers are busy, but we have made the process as simple as possible with our online recommendation, or they can write me a short e-mail or letter expressing why they think Harambee would be good for you. You don’t have to be a star student to ask a teacher to do this!
- Turn in your application early or on time- not late. We absolutely do not consider new applicants who turn in applications after the February 28th deadline.
If you have any other questions about the application process, feel free to e-mail Aaron Jones at [email protected]. For updates, “like” our Facebook page.