Your interfaith service-learning network and program have the potential to cultivate in young people a lifelong commitment to service and to interfaith engagement. They will look for opportunities to stay connected to these issues and approaches after they have completed your program, graduate, and/or move. Here are some ways your network can support their transition into new leadership roles in new places.

Stay Connected to Your Network

• Become leaders and mentors for younger youth. Identify roles that young adults and program graduates can play to support the youth-focused opportunities that your network provides. They can help facilitate reflection, coordinate activities, do development and communications work, and many other leadership roles.
• Expand opportunities for young adults. Your network can consider offering interfaith service-learning opportunities for young adults.
• Integrate young adults into the leadership structure for your host and partnering organizations. Because of the skills and perspectives they have developed, they are ready for significant leadership roles alongside other adults. In addition, they will be invaluable advocates for interfaith service-learning in these roles.
• Invite them to serve as interns in the host or partner organizations, utilizing their skills and expertise while also developing experience that will be useful for their career development.

Connect Youth with Other Opportunities

Encourage youth to find opportunities to pursue their own passions and interests. These may include:

• Join (or start) a local or national group that addresses the social issues raised through the interfaith service-learning programs and projects.
• Explore career or vocational options that build on the issues and/or skills and interests that were cultivated through involvement in interfaith service-learning.

Engage in National and International Service and Interfaith Leadership

Each year, thousands of young adults commit their time and expertise to engage in full-time service and leadership programs. There are hundreds of available opportunities. Here are a few options:

• AmeriCorps is a national service program that offers about 75,000 opportunities for adults to serve through a network of partnerships with local and national nonprofit groups addressing a wide range of social issues and community priorities. It is made up of several different programs, each of which has its own focus, structure, and criteria. These include AmeriCorps State and National, AmeriCorps VISTA, and AmeriCorps NCCC.
• Peace Corps provides opportunities to serve for two years in dozens of countries outside of the United States, addressing a wide variety of youth development, health, economic, and agricultural needs around the world. Most Peace Corps volunteers are college graduates.
• Interfaith Youth Core’s Fellows Alliance provides stipends for college students to organize interfaith service-learning work on their college campus. Fellows receive trainings on how to be an effective interfaith organizer, resources and tools to enhance interfaith work, media opportunities, a network of peer colleagues, and mentors in the interfaith movement. Fellows are responsible for spending at least 8 hours each week organizing interfaith community service activities on campus or in the broader community.
• City Year engages young people of all backgrounds for a year of full-time service, giving them skills and opportunities to change the world. As tutors, mentors and role models, these diverse young leaders make a difference in the lives of children, and transform schools and neighborhoods in 19 U.S. locations and one in Johannesburg, South Africa. Just as important, during their year of service corps members develop civic leadership skills they can use throughout a lifetime of community service.
• Idealist, a project of Action without Borders, is an interactive Web site focused on exchanging resources and ideas to create a world where all people can lead free and dignified lives. It lists thousands of volunteer and service activities (including jobs) around the world.
• Many faith traditions, denominations, and religious relief and development organizations provide opportunities for young adults to serve in the United States and around the world. Check directly with those organizations.