Faithways Academy Helps Young People Grow in Their Faith
Submitted on February 6, 2020
Faithways Academy, offered to high school students each summer at Georgetown College, aims to help young people mature as Christian leaders, asking them important questions about how they can better serve their churches and their communities. It also serves as a bridge between high school and college, encouraging students to think more deeply about faith. In this spirit, any student who completes the academy receives a $10,000 scholarship ($2,500 per year for four years) to Georgetown College.
Now in her second year as Director of Faithways Academy, Hollis Dudgeon, is already looking forward to this summer and to taking Faithways into a new decade of shaping young minds and creating a safe, inviting learning environment for young people.
“I talk to a lot of ministers who say they wish they would have had something like this in high school,” says Dudgeon. “Being able to facilitate these kinds of discussions and seeing the level of growth in these young people is a really special thing.”
This year at Faithways Academy, there will be a particular emphasis on the relational aspect of the camp, which Dudgeon sees as key to helping students open up and grow in their faith. “We’re always thinking about how can we become more open, more expansive, and more compassionate, and I think it starts from a place of human relationality.”
To facilitate this, several team building exercises and a team hike will take place earlier in the week at the camp, allowing students to grow closer with their fellow campers.
Throughout the week, Faithways Academy students take courses taught by Georgetown College faculty members on topics such as the Bible and Theology, and they also choose electives to take during their week on campus. This year, though, Faithways Academy will offer students a broader array of electives ranging from Sports and Faith, Theatre and Faith, and Finding God Through Play.
By expanding the electives offered to students, Dudgeon hopes students will begin to see God in all aspects of their lives and understand their larger calling no matter which academic and career path they eventually choose.
That concept falls in line with the overall vision of Faithways Academy. Dudgeon has a board on the wall in her office that has been her guide as she enters into her second year at the helm of the camp. It says, “A place to engage, expand, and deepen our understanding and connections with God, ourselves, and one another.”
To learn more about Faithways Academy visit http://www.georgetowncollege.edu/faithways-academy.
