Institute Launches Second Year of ProDev: Work-and-Learning for Students
The Institute for GOD Launches ProDev Partnerships for 2024-2025 Academic Year
The Institute for GOD is excited to announce the launch of its Professional Development (ProDev) Program partnerships for the 2024-2025 academic year. Now in its second formal year, ProDev connects students' biblical education with real-world work experience, enabling them to graduate debt-free and confident in their career paths. President Gregg Garner, a theologian and entrepreneur, has been developing this program iteratively since 2011. Together with The Institute staff, he is committed to breaking the stereotype that Bible college graduates struggle to find employment.
Aligned with the college’s mission to produce "spiritually mature, competent professionals for global impact," The Institute combines rigorous Scriptural study with practical work experience and extensive global internships for every on-campus student. Since 2011, this unique combination has resulted in a 100% job placement rate for graduates—14% higher than the national average.
Students attending The Institute for GOD on campus are invited to participate in the Professional Development (ProDev) program, giving them opportunities to gain real-world skills in tandem with their education, with a paired scholarship. A "crowd favorite" (pictured here) is working at GOD International's CASE After-school program, giving tutoring and enrichment assistance to five local middle schools.
How Does It Work?
Traditional on-campus students enrolled in The Institute’s undergraduate program are invited to participate in the ProDev program. Here’s how it works:
Preference-Based Placement: Students undergo a personalized matching assessment that seeks to align individual career goals with available experiences with Christian businesses and nonprofits committed to investing in the next generation of professionals in Nashville
Scholarship Support: ProDev Partners contribute to a scholarship fund that significantly reduces the cost of students’ biblical education, helping students to graduate debt-free while gaining professional experience in their field of interest.
Real-World Experience: Students commit to 15-25 hours a week of professional experience in fields as diverse as medicine, education, hospitality, construction, social services, and the arts.
Flexible Learning Opportunities: Students may switch ProDev placements each semester to explore different career paths or to stay in one role to build a specialized skill set toward a specific career goal.
Career-Ready Graduates: By the end of their undergraduate education, students will have earned a bachelor’s degree in Biblical Studies or Community Development, complemented by a resume rich with workplace experience, additional microcredentials, and a wealth of soft skills developed through mentorship and practical engagement.
Students interested in HVAC, Electrical, Plumbing, and Solar are given opportunities to explore the trades at MCH Nashville.
ProDev is more than a scholarship program, it’s an opportunity for incredible personal growth. President Garner explains: “Students participating in the ProDev program will have the chance to determine if what they imagine they want to do is truly grounded in reality. In this way, students don’t find themselves realizing after earning their degree that it’s not what they want to pursue. Instead, they gain that insight before even completing their general education. This saves families money, it saves students time, and it significantly enhances their experience. Once a student identifies their passion, they become more eager to learn about it. By the time they reach their upper-division courses, they’ve already filtered out what they realized they didn’t want to pursue. Now, they’re driven to learn. When you combine someone driven to learn with opportunities for practical application, explosive growth follows. That’s what the Professional Development program offers.”
Now Alumni Gabby Parker shares her ProDev experience at an accounting firm in The Institute’s episode of The College Tour, now on Amazon Prime. Watch it here.
2024-2025 Partnerships
In the fall of 2024, The Institute is thrilled to provide professional opportunities to its students working in the following areas, alongside the college’s departments of assessment, admissions, A/V tech, and marketing:
CASE After School Program
Hopewell Family Care Integrative Clinic
NOVA Birth Services
Nyumba Food Services (Califarmia Food Truck)
Nyumbarista (Coffee Shop)
GOD Int’l Facilities & Maintenance
The Arts at Center Street (Music and Theatre)
Center Street Dance Academy
Genovations HR
Genovations Accounting
Genovations Media
Church Community for GOD
MCH Nashville (Plumbing, Electrical, HVAC, Utilities, Geothermal and Solar)
Nashville Futbol Club
Academy for GOD (Preschool-12th Grade)
Opportunities in the arts are a regular part of ProDev, including film, graphic design, and performing arts and dance.
A Collaborative Effort: ProDev at The Institute for GOD
This fall, we were thrilled to see students approaching graduation hired at Nashville’s leading maternal health service, a tech company, a Christian private school, a preschool, a local charity, and an integrative health center. These students are making meaningful contributions, honing professional skills, and building relationships that extend beyond their time at The Institute.
In today’s job market, industry connections are crucial. Studies show that 70-80% of jobs are never posted and are filled through professional connections. The ProDev program provides Institute students with these vital connections but also facilitates hands-on experience and ethical grounding through students’ biblical education. This combination leads to higher job satisfaction, as students pursue careers they love within a supportive Christian network.
On our podcast, College Conversations, we discussed the launch of the Professional Development program in the Spring of 2022. Tune into our podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or YouTube.
What Can You Do?
For businesses and nonprofit organizations interested in joining this innovative program, or for students eager to enroll in a program that combines faith with practical experience and financial freedom, please visit the instituteforgod.edu or contact Laurie Kagay, the college’s VP of Enrollment, Marketing, and Communications (laurie@instituteforgod.edu).
