Summer Dream Team
by Patrique Harris, Youth Ministry Director
One of the most exciting and fulfilling parts of my role at Mission Adelante is curating and executing our flagship Summer Internship. This summer, five spectacular teens from our neighborhood – Anisha, Sifa, Amelia, Ira and Ignacio – joined our team. They added vibrancy and new life to our building and programs, and formed a fellowship of varied backgrounds and cultural experiences. For context, Amelia has roots in Laos, Ignacio has roots in Mexico, Anisha has roots in Nepal and both Sifa and Ira have roots in Uganda. Talk about the diversity of Wyandotte County! This diversity allowed for a beautiful exchange of cultural perspectives, music, and food!
What’s more, the Summer Interns added a ton of value planning and leading in our weekly Kids and Youth programs. In particular, their contribution to the week-long Summer Arts Camp and Tuesday’s Kids and Youth activities was impressive. Arts Camp had almost 90 students in attendance and they went above and beyond to create the best experience for them! They taught dance, jewelry-making and crochet classes, completed administrative tasks, helped with food service, managed traffic, and so much more!
Outside of our weekly programs, the Summer Interns partook in community service activities, exposure trips and informational workshops. Highlights include Cultivate KC’s Juniper Gardens Training Farm, Giving the Basics, Cross Lines Community Outreach, Urban Scholastic Center, Adelante Thrift, Central Ave Cleanup, Clean Air Box workshop, Kansas State Capitol visit with Kansas State Treasurer Lynn Rogers, Snack Shack KC / Argentine Neighborhood Tour, Quindaro Neighborhood Historical Tour, Epic Arts Clay Studio and the Nelson Atkins Museum. Other standout moments include our two overnight retreats and the Maverick City/Kirk Franklin worship concert we attended.
It has certainly been an intense summer but I am in awe of the work God is doing in our community through our youth. The growth and leadership of this year’s Summer Interns has inspired a wave of other promising teens, now eager to be a part of our leadership development pipeline. With this caliber of leadership, the future of our neighborhood is looking very bright!
