Equipping students to make a difference
Shepherd Community Center offers internships and fellowships that uniquely position college students and recent graduates to impact the fight against generational poverty. Interns and fellows gain valuable experience in urban ministry while also deepening their faith and understanding of servant leadership.
SUMMER INTERNSHIPS
Serving the heart of the city
Shepherd’s Heart of the City (HOTC) summer internships immerse college students in inner-city ministry while also growing their leadership skills and faith. This eight-week program offers hands-on experience ideal for students pursuing careers in education, ministry, social work, or psychology, but is open to any student with a passion for urban ministry.
THE FELLOWSHIP PROGRAM
Learning in community
Shepherd’s Fellowship Program provides an immersive, paid experience in leadership development, community renewal, and relationship-based ministry. Open to recent college graduates or those taking a gap year before or during college, this year-long, residential program builds intensive understanding of effective ways fight poverty and serve others in an inner-city context.
IWU BRIDGE PROGRAM
Building hands-on understanding
In partnership with Indiana Wesleyan University, Shepherd offers a part-time Bridge Program to help students learn more about poverty in context. Bridge interns work at Shepherd part-time while at IWU, earning enough to offset part of their tuition and getting practical experience to enhance their education. While part of the program, students may choose to live at Shepherd, in the neighborhood, or closer to campus, with flexible options for specific needs.
THE PATHWAY PROGRAM
Creating unique paths to serve
For students working toward associate, undergraduate, or graduate degrees, our Pathway Program makes it easy to customize an internship that fulfills academic requirements and/or builds experience in inner city work. Pathway fellows develop flexible programs to meet their goals for contextualized learning and service.
ACADEMIC INTERNSHIPS
Fulfilling academic and practical needs
We work with schools to design academic internships that meet Shepherd’s needs while also fulfilling academic requirements. Students work alongside experienced staff members to gain practical experience in inner-city ministry as well as better understanding of the needs and opportunities involved in fighting poverty.
SERVICE FOR HOUSING
Serving in place
Shepherd offers a limited number of internships to young people who exchange eight hours of volunteer time per week for housing in our drug-alcohol-and-smoke-free environment. This program is mission-driven and based on individual needs and goals.
