One of the challenges that comes with school-based ministry is helping our leaders to stay connected with their YOKE kids during the summer months. While there is plenty to be done over the summer in order to prepare for the next school year—connecting with financial partners and local churches, helping out with special events, and recruiting new leaders—we want to ensure that YOKE Folk have a way to stay in touch with kids over the summer and continue to invest in their lives. That is why every Tuesday in the month of June, YOKE hosts Summer Adventures!
YOKE’s Summer Adventures program is open to middle school students in all 30 schools that YOKE serves, from rising sixth graders to rising ninth graders. Participating students will attend four day trips which encourage a healthy, adventurous lifestyle, and provide middle school students with an opportunity to get out of their environment and try new things.
“So many of the things I love to do now as an adult are things I first experienced as a middle school student with YOKE,” says Eli Cockrum, now YOKE’s Program Director. “That’s one of the reasons I look forward to sharing our Summer Adventures with YOKE kids.”
The program kicks off on Tuesday, June 4th with a whitewater rafting trip down the Pigeon River. The next week’s activity is a hiking trip to the Twin Arches at the Big South Fork recreation area on June 11th. On June 18th we will spend the day at Ijams Nature Center, traversing the Navitat Canopy Adventures and kayaking on the river. We will close out the program on June 25th with a “Snow & Swim” day—during which students will get to go snow tubing and swimming in Pigeon Forge on the same day!
The cost for students to attend all four Summer Adventures and receive a t-shirt is $120. If a student can’t attend all four trips, each one costs $40 and t-shirts are available for order at $10 each. You can visit the Summer Adventures page on our website for more details.
At YOKE, we never want financial barriers to prevent any student from participating in our programs, and we do our best to make sure every kid who wants to participate is able to. If you’d like to sponsor a kid for Summer Adventures, click on the link below.