ALT Year Application
Contact Information
Thank you for your interest in ALT Year. Please fill out the following application. After you complete
this application, Josh Graber (Mission Developer/National Director) will follow up with you by e-mail
to give you more information and to schedule an initial interview.
There are four sections to fill out and submit. All four (Interest in ALT, Contact Information,
Education/Work History, and Short Answer Questions) must be filled out before an interview can be
scheduled.
If you are not able to fill out the entire application at one time, save it and come back to it within
7 days. While you are filling out this application, please feel free to e-mail Josh ([email protected])
with any questions, or for clarification about anything that is confusing.
Last Name
E-mail address
Birth Date (DD/MM/YY)
First Name
Today's Date
Phone number
Current State of Residence
If you are older than 18 at the time of this application, giving us the contact information for a parent/
guardian is optional. It is helpful for us to have on file with your application, but confirmed
participants will have a chance later to submit information about an emergency contact.
Parent/Guardian Name
(First and Last)
Interest in ALT
Parent/Guardian phone
number
Parent/Guardian E-mail
How did you find out about ALT Year? (check all that apply)
Pastor
Parent or family member
Youth Director
Web site
Event
Videos
LIFE in Service brochure
Poster
printed material
Presentation or direct contact with Josh
Who did you talk to?
Which one of these had the most influence on your interest in ALT?
Pastor
Parent or family member
Youth Director
Web site
Event
Videos
LIFE in Service brochure
Poster
postcard/flyer
Conversation with Josh
Other
In 2015-2016, ALT Year will likely have three sites: in Ohio, in Southern California, and in
Minnesota. At this point, do you have a geographical preference for your ALT Year?
I am most interested in Ohio (Toledo)
I am most interested in Southern California (Orange)
I am most interested in Minnesota (Minneapolis/St. Paul)
I do not have a geographical preference
Each site will have a focus of ministry, justice issues, and learning areas based on the
strengths and needs of their context. Here are some of that have been discussed at the sites
thus far. Please mark ALL the topics that interest you:
human trafficking
urban ministry
immigrant communities
culture/language immersion
dialogue/conflict resolution
community organizing
outreach to LGBTQ community
inter-generational ministry
young adult discipleship
mission development (starting a church)
alternative learning models (free schools, guerilla gardens)
environmental awareness and action
agriculture and gardening
media production
social enterprise
hunger issues
recovery communities/substance abuse
elder care
food issues (nutrition, cooking, organic/direct source, etc)
housing
Of all the topics that are interesting to you, which are you MOST interested in? List up to 3.
Work/Educational History
Please tell us a little bit about your EDUCATIONAL HISTORY. If you have a resume, you can
submit it instead of filling out the information below.
Yes, I'm sending in my resume
Select File
What high school/s did you attend? (name, city, state)
When did you graduate high school/receive
your GED? (Month, Year)
If you have not graduated yet, when do
you anticipate graduating?
What college/university/other learning
institution did you attend? (name, city, state)
Dates attended (mm/yy-mm/yy)
Graduation Date (mm/yyyy)
Major/Degree earned (i.e. AA, AAS, BA,
BS, MA)
Anticipated major/degree (i.e. AA, AAS, BA,
BS, MA)
Anticipated graduation date
Any other education you want us to know about? (i.e. summer courses, seminars, workshops,
certifications, etc)
Please tell us about your WORK HISTORY
Most recent job (name, location, your title)
Can we contact your employer/
supervisor?
Yes
No
How long did you work there? (mm/yy-mm/yy)
Employer/supervisor name
Employer/Supervisor E-mail address
Employer/Supervisor phone number
Additional Job (name, location, your title)
Can we contact your employer/
supervisor?
yes
no
How long did you work there? (mm/yy-mm/yy)
Employer/Supervisor Name
Employer/Supervisor E-mail address
Employer/Supervisor phone number
Please tell us about your VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE
The first section of VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE asks for information about ongoing or repeated
volunteer experience. If you volunteered somewhere only once, please continue down to the
second section.
Where did you volunteer?
When did you start volunteering here?
(mm/yyyy)
How often did you volunteer? (e.g. 3 times/wk, once/month)
When did you stop
volunteering here? (mm/
yyyy)
What did you do?
Who was your supervisor?
Supervisor E-mail
Can we contact this person?
Yes
No
Where else did you volunteer?
When did you start volunteering here?
(mm/yyyy)
How often did you volunteer? (e.g. 3 times/
wk, once/month)
When did you stop volunteering here?
(mm/yyyy)
What did you do?
Who was your supervisor?
Supervisor E-mail
Can we contact this person?
Yes
No
This second section of the VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE asks for information about one time
volunteer experiences.
Please list other ONE TIME volunteer experiences (e.g: VBS, summer mission trip, special
event)
Please give us the name and contact information for TWO REFERENCES who can speak to your
character, your personality, your work ethic, your relationship skills, etc. References could be
teachers, coaches, non-parent family members, friends, teammates, etc. It is important that these
two people are willing to be contacted as references for you. If you have difficulty identifying
someone to be a reference for you, contact Josh at [email protected].
Reference 1: Name (first and last)
Reference 1: Contact phone number
Reference 1: Contact e-mail address
Reference 1: Relationship to you
Reference 2: Name (first and last)
Reference 2: Contact phone number
Reference 2: Contact e-mail address
Reference 2: Relationship to you
Please give us the name of a PASTOR, YOUTH DIRECTOR OR SPIRITUAL MENTOR who will be
submitting a LETTER OF RECOMMENDATION on your behalf. This letter of recommendation can
include why this person supports your interest in being an ALT participant, what gifts/strengths you
bring to a community, and what impact he/she hopes this experience will have on you. This person
is also encouraged to say something about your faith development. If you need help identifying
who could write this recommendation form, contact Josh at [email protected]. This letter of
recommendation can be e-mailed directly to [email protected].
Name of Recommendation writer
E-mail address of Recommendation writer
Short Answer Questions
We want to hear a little bit more about your life, your faith development and why you want to be part
of ALT Year. We would like you to respond to these ten questions to help us know more about you.
Please think carefully about your responses and try to write clearly, but your responses do not need
to be longer than a paragraph. You can expand more on your answers to these questions in an
interview.
A key objective in ALT Year is to help participants explore their strengths, passions, and vocation.
1. What are you good at? What do you feel passionate about? What do you see
happening in the world that you want to support? What do you want to challenge or
change?
The learning model in ALT involves making connections and asking questions about a variety of
cultural voices.
2. List some books, essays, magazine articles, TV programs, or films that have
impacted how you view yourself or the world around you?
ALT participants spend a significant amount of time learning, both independently and together.
3. What ways of learning are most effective for you [Independent study, listening to
others, activity-based learning, etc.]? What ways of learning are most challenging? Give
an example of a positive and negative learning experience from your past.
A key component to an ALT Year is living in intentional community, which means navigating close
interaction with others and growing through relationships.
4. Talk about an experience of being part of a group (team, club, youth group, etc.).
How did the relational dynamics lead to tension or success? What was your role in that
group?
Committing to an ALT year involves being able to recognize the value in both positive and negative
experiences.
5. What have you learned about yourself from an experience of failure or
disappointment?
As a ministry centered in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, participants will be regularly engaging in
discussion, learning, and reflection around faith, God, and Christianity.
6. At this point in your life, what do "faith" and "church" mean to you? Who or what
has informed your understanding of these things?
7.
What are your ‘big questions’ about God, religion or the universe?
ALT Year participants live together in a specific community. ALT Year is committed to helping
participants evaluate, understand and learn from the communities in which they live, for the purpose
of appreciating the challenges and opportunities that community has to offer. Participants learn how
to appreciate the history of their community, how to engage in the current reality of that community,
and how to be part of shaping that community’s future. These skills will be valuable wherever
participants go after ALT.
8. How informed do you feel about your current community (think about politics, poverty
and wealth, education, job availability, arts and music, ministries and organizations that
are making a difference, etc)? What encourages or discourages you about what you see
happening in your community?
ALT Year is a holistic, multi-faceted, communal learning experience. The most important thing we
look for in applicants is a genuine desire for this type of formation, knowing that you will enjoy some
parts more than others, but that you are committed to the whole experience as a way to grow in
your understanding of yourself and your world.
9. Which of the six major elements of the ALT Year Experience most interests you
(Folk School Sessions, Life and Leadership Sessions, Mentorships, Focus Area, Life
Together Faith Practices, Service Leadership)? Which element seems most challenging?
(you can find out more about these elements of ALT Year at http://altyear.org)
10.
What do you hope to get out of your year with ALT?
Is there anything else you want to tell us about yourself or your interest in an ALT
year?
I verify that the information contained in this
application is true and accurate to the best of
my knowledge and ability.
Submit
Yes