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Summer youth volunteers unloading a truck.Summer youth volunteers unloading a truck.

Summer Youth Program

The MDS Summer Youth Program (SYP) is a week-long service experience designed for high school youth and their sponsors to put hands and feet to the gospel by serving others.

View Summer Youth Program Calendar

How It Works

  • Work hard and have fun
  • Receive meals, snacks and lodging Monday-Friday
  • Arrive Sunday evening and work Monday through Friday
  • Provide their transportation to and from the project
  • Participants are high school youth age 15+ (or have completed grade nine)
  • One adult to every four youth is required with half the adults skilled in construction
  • Read all orientation and prep materials ahead of arrival
  • Follow MDS guidelines for dress and safety
  • Male and female adult supervisors must accompany groups with male and female minors

How To Apply

MDS runs week-long youth projects during the summer months. Groups arrive Sunday early evening, work Monday through Friday, and leave the project site Friday evening or Saturday morning. In January you will receive an MDS email announcing the upcoming SYP weeks and locations.

Your group will then submit your group’s request for their preferred week by January. The MDS Coordinator for Weekly Volunteers will be in touch with your group to confirm your placement. Once you have agreed to a placement, each participant must complete the required registration documents (exact deadlines for each step are indicated on the application form).

Summer Youth Response Locations

The SYP project locations for 2025 will be determined by mid January.

JOIN THE WAITLIST

If your youth group is interested in spending a week with MDS at a Summer Youth Project location, please JOIN THE WAITLIST to submit a request for your youth group to serve for summer 2024 or summer 2025. When the SYP project locations are determined (usually by mid January) inquiry groups will receive an email inviting them to apply through our online scheduling system.