Podcast Summary
Guests: Institute President Gregg D. Garner, VP of Enrollment Laurie Kagay, Mitchell Buchanan (SLAM - Students Living a Mission), Amelia Harrison (Summer Internship)

This podcast discusses the summer internship and SLAM programs offered by the Institute for GOD and GOD International, focusing on personal growth, teamwork, and impactful service. It highlights the partnership between SLAM and church/community groups for mission trips, emphasizing community empowerment and long-term relationships. The potential for colleges to partner with SLAM and Summer Internship programs is explored, offering students cross-cultural experiences and skills development. The benefits of participating in these programs for students' future career paths and recruitment efforts for colleges are emphasized. The speakers discuss integrating mission work into college curriculums and promoting upcoming opportunities in East Africa, emphasizing God's plan for the nations.

[00:00:10.90] - Gregg Garner

Welcome back to College Conversations. My name is Gregg Garner, and I'm here with the Institute for GOD's VP of Enrollment, Laurie Kagay

[00:00:18.69] - Laurie Kagay

Hi, everyone.

[00:00:26.50] - Gregg Garner

And also two special guests because this week, we are at the ABHE seventy seventh annual conference Mhmm. And representing Students Living A Mission and the Summer Internship, we have Miss Amelia and Mister Mitch.

Mitchell Buchanan:
Hello!

[00:00:34.00] - Amelia Harrison

'Sup?

[00:00:37.70] - Mitchell Buchanan

Excitement abounds.

[00:00:39.79] - Gregg Garner

Amelia, have have you ever been on this side of the camera?

[00:00:43.70] - Amelia Harrison

I have not.

[00:00:44.50] - Gregg Garner

Okay. That's good.

[00:00:47.20] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. It's the first time I've I've been on it. It really is.

[00:00:48.00] - Gregg Garner

This is wonderful. And Mitch, we we we know we know podcast.

[00:00:53.20] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. This will be a great podcast.

[00:00:54.89] - Gregg Garner

I'm pumped. Well, the the reason why, I have him on the show at this time is because I want to talk to you about Students Living A Mission and the Summer Internship. And their job this week is to talk to all kinds of colleges at the annual conference about what it is that these programs can be for their school. So Laurie's here because, her school actually uses these programs. And so, hopefully, there'll be a little bit of a testimony for how it is that Students Living A Mission and the Summer Internship work with college students. But I think, first of all, Amelia Harrison, if you could tell us a little bit about the summer internship Yeah. And what the Summer Internship would mean for a college.

[00:01:40.29] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. So Summer Internship for colleges that want to partner with us is an opportunity for students in a variety of majors at their schools to come and implement what they've been learning in the classroom in a developing world context. And so they would come with us and our facilitators who have had a lot of experience on the field and get opportunities in specialized areas such as health care, education, pastoral ministry, and get to experience that cross culturally. Yeah.

[00:02:07.40] - Gregg Garner

So whatever it is that a college student has gone to school to study, the summer internship creates an international venue, a cross cultural experience for them to implement service in that area.

[00:02:20.30] - Amelia Harrison

Yes.

[00:02:20.59] - Gregg Garner

And what what is the what is the benefit for students?

[00:02:23.50] - Amelia Harrison

One of the benefits is it provides that cross cultural experience, and so they kind of get out of the moment that they're in as students and, even the location that they're in and get to experience it in a whole new context. Additionally, it provides some professional development that's there where they're learning how to even contextualize what they've learned for a different setting. Yeah. They they just get a lot of real life experience.

[00:02:47.00] - Gregg Garner

Part of the reason why you're here is because you have done the summer internship. I have. And even, part of my comment on you being on this side of the camera is that you're often on that side of the camera.

[00:02:58.00] - Amelia Harrison

Right.

[00:02:59.00] - Gregg Garner

Right? And I think on your last summer internship, you with a film focus, you were behind the scenes, taking a camera all around. So tell us a little bit about your experience as a summer intern and taking your occupational focus of film Mhmm. And utilizing it in a developing world conference.

[00:03:16.69] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. As a summer intern, it was really special, one, just to get to go abroad and even have that experience, of service in an international context. But getting to film this time added a whole new layer to it, where I had learned an occupation that I had done here, primarily in Nashville. But even learning how to navigate that not only on different terrain, which was challenging within itself, but also cross culturally and the social dynamics that are there and, learning how to navigate, how to ask to film, and what's appropriate to film, and when and where I should do that. It added new layers and gave me new considerations that I've even brought back into the ways that I implement that occupation here.

[00:03:58.30] - Gregg Garner

Because you've been on mission trips before. Yes. And the big difference with the summer internship is that unlike your maybe run of the mill mission trip that would have people, like, doing VBS…

[00:04:10.59] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm.

[00:04:10.90] - Gregg Garner

Or, visiting an orphanage, all good things. This allows you to develop professionally

[00:04:18.80] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah.

[00:04:19.39] - Gregg Garner

Within the scope of your chosen major.

[00:04:21.89] - Amelia Harrison

Yes. Exactly.

[00:04:23.00] - Gregg Garner

Alright. So when you're talking to colleges, what what are what is it that you offer to them in the summer internship? Like, are there because I think both of you guys, as as you're about to talk about SLAM, you both have offerings that, I think are leveled. Right? So you got a type of partnership that's level one, level two, level three. Mhmm. Maybe we'll discuss that after you tell us a little bit, Mitchell Buchanan, about SLAM, or Students Living A Mission.

[00:04:46.39] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. SLAM has been a program that we have ran in Nashville across the US, across internationally that has just been fantastic. So I I have well, I was a slam student, myself way back when, and I feel like even in serving this capacity…

[00:05:06.80] - Gregg Garner

Circa two thousand one, two thousand two? Yeah.

[00:05:10.10] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. Yeah. Two thousand two. Thank you very much. I In two thousand two. I've known Slam for so long and then how it operates where I think just really not known the qualitative work and not known, you know, the outside perspective. Like, woah. This is such an amazing program that we can offer. And then until just actually even talking to other colleges and working through, hey.

This is actually the benefits that we're able to offer is incredible, and I couldn't speak more highly of it. So, really, on our end, we facilitate, trips for people in Nashville where we're based. They come a lot, and we'll facilitate a week where it's gonna be filled with service. And then internationally as well, when we host teams, we work in, five regions around the world. And from our end, I can only just feel for administrators of how much work it takes to actually put a trip together of, like, are we considering all the logistics, all of the people that are involved, translators and facilitators and guides? And to actually put together a qualitative trip, it can feel overwhelming, and that's something that the last twenty five years has just been something that we have continually invested in more and more in those regions. So it's not as if, hey. We're gonna throw a new region in there and then try to work all that up. It's like, I think we've had such a great connection with our cooperatives there. And in Nashville, like, our our, service project relationships with ministries and programs there where it's really building every single week, month, year where we're able to do more qualitative work there, and it's not reinventing the wheel of having to figure this out for your school or college. It's really we're we have such, I think, in-depth and variety of things that we can do. Because our focus is investing into communities around the world that I think it's just an incredible opportunity to jump in of something that has been building and building and building for twenty plus years.

[00:07:07.60] - Gregg Garner

Mitch, I think that's cool. I think you're kinda giving us the view under the hood, though. Like, what's the vehicle look like? I'm I'm in every hood. What's a slam actually look like? While you're getting a drink of water, I'll I'll help you out. There's there's basically two aspects to slam. There is the the national element, which has us facilitating a service camp. So, essentially, students from all over the country Mhmm. Come out to our college, and they will, have general sessions with worship and speakers.

[00:07:42.00] - Mitchell Buchanan

Right.

[00:07:42.39] - Gregg Garner

And then they'll have service projects in the morning and then some afternoon alternative game type things. And then, in the evening, they'll even have, like, what we call late nights, which is an entertainment experience. And throughout the week, they get this routine of a schedule that culminates in a testimony time where everybody gets to review all of the things they did to make an impact in the community within which they're serving. And that paradigm carries over into the different cities where SLAM has been able to help facilitate this same experience for other schools or churches who, adopt the program. And as you said for the under the hood segment, this even helps your ministry develop relationships with other ministry partners in the area as you provide the human resources through the young people who want an opportunity to serve. Right. And and that's a really important component to SLAM. But then there's the international element. And the international element of slam is is effectively mission trips.

[00:08:46.50] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm.

[00:08:46.89] - Gregg Garner

Right? But and and you've gone on several slam mission trips. What would you say are some distinctives of a slam mission trip experience? Because while it is true that the national paradigm that we do here is something we would do there, It and it's the slam mission participants that actually help to facilitate that slam experience on the local level for the folks who are abroad. Mhmm. But in that mission trip trajectory, for SLAM, what are some distinctives that from your experience?

[00:09:15.79] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. I think, something I highlighted just in in reflecting back recently is our focus is I I it feels like you can take a mission trip, and it's gonna be project based. So it's like, hey. We're gonna build this house. And it's like, really, no matter where you go, you're gonna have the same kind of formulaic steps because it's gonna be the same project. You're just doing that.

[00:09:37.60] - Gregg Garner

Right.

[00:09:38.00] - Mitchell Buchanan

Or it's like location based. We're going to Kenya, and it's like, that's the highlight. And it's like, oh, yeah. This is really what's amping people up. I think something that's distinctive is that on every level, it's really about our team dynamics. So the the group that's going of in the facilitation, it's like, yes. The project is how we're serving. Yes. Like, we are in a cross cultural setting, but, like, how are we doing that together where it's like, hey. We're not just hammering nails or finishing off projects. Like, we need to be bringing ourselves to that process just as, you know, believers where it's like we're bringing ourselves to love another, to engage with other people, and to actually serve together as a team. And on the other side, like I kinda mentioned, I think we're serving communities and peoples on the other side of our service. So I think something that we, like, really, like, stress and highlight is that it's we're not there to complete a task. Anyone can take a trip and, like, fulfill a project. Mhmm. We're there to grow as a team together where it's like, hey. We're seeing the fruit of Christ come out of us and what that does in your schools that go, in church groups that go. And on the other side, we're able to invest and see that it's gonna affect dozens and dozens and dozens of people in this community that we're serving.

[00:10:49.70] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. Because SLAM partners with specific church groups and community groups so that there is a strategic relationship that's developed between the team that goes and the people who receive the team. Mhmm. So it's it's not like a tourist venture where you're just going to this orphanage, saying hi to the kids, and and and leaving

[00:11:08.79] - Mitchell Buchanan

For Sure.

[00:11:09.39] - Gregg Garner

There's organization is community oriented. Like, everything is to, raise up and develop that community, and a slam mission team gets to be a part of that overarching effort.

[00:11:28.60] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yes.

[00:11:29.00] - Gregg Garner

Right? So it's not like you go and then nobody's gonna have any contacts with the people that you minister to until you come back again. In the meantime, there's empowerment that's happened even for some of the the locals, even as a result of the teams that have come Mhmm. So that they're able to carry forward the work. And I think that that is a really fantastic aspect about SLAM is that you're you're not just working with, these and a lot of people don't know this about missions, but everybody out there in the developing world is, sees a business opportunity when it comes to, westerners coming over. And all of a sudden, you know, there's not regulations on how you create a community entity Right. Abroad like there is here in the United States. So all of a sudden, they're a pastor. There's an ordination. There's nothing there. They they just had a kiosk, and now they're pastor. Now they have a church. Nobody can understand their language. So they they they think that they're saying, come listen to the speaker talked about Jesus. And, really, in their language, they're saying things like, hey, everybody. Come over here. Listen to this white guy. He's got money. Maybe you'll get some. And I never knew that stuff until I learned the languages. Yeah. Once I started being able to hear the language..

[00:12:40.89] - Laurie Kagay

And you can kinda tell it. You know, they'll wave. It's like, wave. Hello. Wave and (give).

[00:12:45.39] - Gregg Garner

Play me.

[00:12:45.79] - Laurie Kagay

Like, you know, it quickly turns from, like, “Hi.” to “Money?” It’s quite the exerience. But I think that's a great promise that colleges can get because it's hard to establish that kind of long standing relationship.

[00:12:58.70] - Gregg Garner

Because it's cool when your team comes back and says, I met this person and that person. And maybe that individual that came back from the trip won't go back again, but they inspire another friend who then is like, man, I really hope I get to meet little Maria that you met. And then Mhmm. They go the next year, and then the friend who couldn't go because they're heading off to med school now passes a note to Maria. And then, through their friend, Maria gets the note, and the friend meets Maria. And so there's, like, continued bonding even between the students based upon the shared experiences.

[00:13:27.89] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. I think it's part of, you know, the heart of SLAM where it's you know, overall, you can put time and effort and all this energy into, like, making a mission trip happen. I think SLAM can be a great partner for bible colleges. Like, let's build a missions program where you're having that long term vision of, like, there's a connectivity of

[00:13:47.10] - Gregg Garner

Yeah.

[00:13:47.29] - Mitchell Buchanan

One trip to the next.

[00:13:48.50] - Gregg Garner

Ok, like Let's talk about those those those levels that we offer between SLAM and summer internship because I know there's there's three levels of partnership. Before we get to the three levels of partnership, let's talk about the five levels.

[00:14:00.20] - Mitchell Buchanan

I thought it was I thought we're gonna do a commercial break. I was ready…

[00:14:04.70] - Gregg Garner

Before we get Five levels of slam. Do you know them?

[00:14:10.00] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yes.

[00:14:10.70] - Gregg Garner

Let's go. Level one.

[00:14:14.50] - Mitchell Buchanan

Level one of SLAM is….

[00:14:18.39] - Gregg Garner

A service camp national experience. So it's a local experience, and it's a service camp just like we previously described. Level two….

[00:14:26.10] - Mitchell Buchanan

Do you know it?

[00:14:26.29] - Amelia Harrison

Cross cultural.

[00:14:27.60] - Gregg Garner

Good. It's a national experience, but it has a cross cultural component. So typically, for us in the United States, that's gonna be to, like, a Hispanic community. But also some of us in our different cities have Mhmm. Have, like, immigrants, refugee communities from other parts of the world. I know that we've worked with everyone from people from Kurdistan to Somalia. Do you know level three? Come on, man. You got this.

[00:14:51.70] - Mitchell Buchanan

Level three is international.

[00:14:54.89] - Gregg Garner

Yes. Nailed it. International and it's typically typically going to be a a high facilitated experience that that has a, a a culture that is not so foreign that, it would require enhanced levels of training and typically a language that is either more familiar or where English is still predominantly spoken.

[00:15:20.29] - Laurie Kagay

Mhmm.

[00:15:20.60] - Gregg Garner

Where level four is still international, but at this point, you're you're introducing those complexities. You now have a culture that's very different than a western culture. So likely in an eastern culture and then a language or an area where you don't have people speaking English or it's a language you're unfamiliar with. India would be a good example of that. Totally different culture, totally different language, where in level three, a good example would be like Mexico or El Salvador or something like that. And then level five is where you have all of the things in level four, except now you have a physical component that is is, that makes the experience more challenging. Maybe on this trip, your team is going to hike up the mountain to be able to bring the gospel to a group of people or help out with a church that's up in that area, or you're gonna have extensive amounts of walking because there's there's not gonna be, terrain that vehicles can navigate in this part of the village or whatever. So the physical component is five. But those are the five levels, students in the admission. I knew you knew, dude. The camera on there. It it it adds weight, and it also makes or breaks. Breezes your mind. Yeah.

[00:16:25.39] - Mitchell Buchanan

There's five levels, and there's five regions, and they're…

[00:16:38.20] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. So the first level of partnership with, summer internship is that students, at the colleges just join on our programming that we're already facilitating.

[00:16:47.10] - Gregg Garner

Yeah.

[00:16:47.39] - Amelia Harrison

So that starts on our campus. They come to Nashville for a boot camp week and then go abroad with us to the regions that we're in. And the, element that they get to choose though is that occupational experience, and how it, aligns with the major that they're doing at the moment.

[00:17:03.29] - Gregg Garner

And and that that's for individual students, or can it be for cohorts from the school?

[00:17:07.20] - Amelia Harrison

It can be both. It can be for individuals, or it can also be for cohorts.

[00:17:10.40] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. Yeah. So you don't mean the number four individuals. You mean for the preposition. Yes.

[00:17:16.29] - Laurie Kagay

Yeah. For preposition for cohorts.

[00:17:18.40] - Gregg Garner

Individuals or a or a cohort from school. So a cohort would be would mean the school has decided it's gonna allow for a group of students. Maybe they were in a certain class Yeah. Yeah. To be able to participate.

[00:17:30.50] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. We have seven students. It needs to be four. Drop three of them.

[00:17:37.09] - Gregg Garner

That's a confusing word. It is.

[00:17:39.00] - Laurie Kagay

Yeah. It is.

[00:17:40.09] - Gregg Garner

Alright. So and then what's level two?

[00:17:42.00] - Amelia Harrison

Level two adds a little more customization to it where, students can even participate in a boot camp at, their school. And so our facilitators would then come to their school and help put that on there. And then …

[00:17:53.59] - Gregg Garner

They can even leave for their international programming from Yes. Your college.

[00:17:57.20] - Amelia Harrison

Yes. So they wouldn't have to necessarily travel to Nashville to then go to the region. They would leave, yeah, from their own city, and that first portion would be able to go to them.

[00:18:06.09] - Laurie Kagay

And that's a cross cultural training? Or like, what are they being trained for if you go to their college?

[00:18:11.50] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. At the camp aspects. Yeah. Yeah. There's,

[00:18:14.40] - Laurie Kagay

What's included?

[00:18:15.09] - Amelia Harrison

A lot of aspects. There there's times of worship and bible study and even, yes, that cultural preparation preparation preparation, not preparation.

[00:18:22.20] - Laurie Kagay

Yeah. I mean, because, you know, they're

[00:18:23.90] - Gregg Garner

They’re learning basic greetings and languages. They're getting cross cultural education as from everything from how to appropriately shake hands or have Mhmm. Gendered relationships. Yeah. They're they're gonna learn some songs.

[00:18:36.20] - Laurie Kagay

Right.

[00:18:36.59] - Gregg Garner

They're gonna get acquainted with perhaps some of the activity that they would implement. And, the boot camp is a very, I mean … you’ve all gone through it.

Yeah. It's a it's a an intensive time that challenges you physically, emotionally, spiritually, and it's it's really getting you prepared for what great thing you're about to do when you get abroad. Yeah. But, yeah, it's brought to the college. Mhmm. And that's on there. What's level three?

[00:19:02.59] - Amelia Harrison

Level three is, when our facilitators actually come and teach leadership at your college, to help them learn how to even facilitate their own summer internship at their school.

[00:19:14.09] - Gregg Garner

So the program gets to be customly integrated into the college. Yes. So the college now can run its own summer internship and run its yeah.

[00:19:26.00] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah.

[00:19:26.29] - Gregg Garner

And and in that case, there's a team there of leadership that gets, all of the things we've learned over the last twenty plus years of running summer internship so they can and then also, they don't have to do all of the tough global cross cultural administrative work of of creating venues…

[00:19:45.79] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. Yeah.

[00:19:46.90] - Amelia Harrison

And for for ministry. Time.

[00:19:49.00] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. And so a lot of the the heavy lifting administrative stuff Yeah. Still gets carried by summer internship in Nashville. Mhmm. But the program implementation for the college, the leadership at that college is now trained on how to do it so they can make it happen.

[00:20:04.70] - Laurie Kagay

How long does that training take for, like, the leaders at the college?

[00:20:07.79] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. We're we're I think we're saying as close it it can happen in in as as less as three years. Mhmm. Less as three years. Little as less. Thank you. In as little as three years. And, it could take up to five, but in three to five years, that transition could fully take place. Because it's a it's a similar thing with SLAM. What are the three levels over there?

[00:20:30.09] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. It it'll be a a really similar format of just progression towards more and more, I think, ownership with the your school or college. So the first level is we have, trips in Nashville, and, sometimes we'll have a trip to Morristown or other places that you could probably join in on a trip that's already planned and kind of, like, register your school or a team of people to come. And it'll be service based, mission that will have a fantastic time.

[00:20:56.29] - Gregg Garner

And and that also includes international stuff. Right? So, like, if SLAM is doing a trip to El Salvador…

[00:21:00.90] - Laurie Kagay

Right.

[00:21:01.29] - Gregg Garner

They could get either some individuals from college or a team Mhmm. To go and participate in a SLAM's trip. Yeah.

[00:21:06.40] - Mitchell Buchanan

And it'll be something where it'll it'll be we'll probably advertise, hey. This is something your college can join in if you want. It's already kind of set up, and then all you really need to do is find the availability and the students and join in. So, the second level is gonna be giving training to student leadership at your school or college where this is something we've done for years and years and years in Nashville, and it's it's really every every time someone comes on a slam trip, we say, this isn't just for a week and an experience. How can you take this back and, you know, live it out where you're at? And I think this would just be a very, very clean step into, hey. We're training you on organizing service projects, really undertaking something of organizing a week of service, and that then you can, you know, experience that in your town. So we're gonna make ourselves available to do training, to have consistent meetings on, hey. Here's the tools. Here's the pitfalls we've gone down, and here's what you're gonna really need to do to have everything lined up and ready to roll.

[00:22:06.70] - Gregg Garner

And and with both of these programs, the schools get all of the respective branding and considerations, including, like, access to, like, for the summer internship, the collateral that allows a student to raise money and for it to be tracked or Mhmm. With SLAM that, the considerations that people maybe won't make concerning how it is you update parents or or or or or, you know, the nitty gritty of things. Schools are gonna get all of that information. So even in your level two thing, we're gonna come to your town, and we're gonna work with your leadership to help facilitate things. But it's still highly facilitated by SLAM personnel at that point. Right?

[00:22:47.40] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. I think and I think for those first two levels, that's something distinctive from us as opposed to a typical work camp week or something where we're just kinda teeing up the projects and then you're doing that. Yeah. It's that we wanna make sure that we in everything we do, that it's marked by, you know, the presence of the Lord Mhmm. That it's marked with an intentionality. So we, in our experience, wanna make sure that that is imparted on those first two levels where it's like, hey. We're investing into this week in a level that's beyond the logistics, and it's like wanting to see this experiential spirit of Christ reign in what we're doing. Yeah. I think the third level just takes that a step further where it's like, hey. We aren't necessarily gonna be facilitating everything. We're gonna train you to such a degree where, hey. We want this to be something that you can really fully step into and have ownership as a school.

[00:23:34.70] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. So in the same way that summer internship would do it, SLAM says, hey. With level three, we're gonna partner in such a way. So in three to five years, you guys are running your own SLAM program.

[00:23:44.40] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm. Yeah. A hundred percent. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:23:46.29] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Which is a fantastic gift with, respect to how long and how hard people have worked to create what it is that is now slammed

[00:23:58.59] - Amelia Harrison

or the solution.

[00:23:59.20] - Laurie Kagay

That's what I think is amazing. Yeah. Like Yeah. I was in a session today. I I spoke on the session, but they were like, so can you just give me kind of a template for how I would do something like that? But that's what these programs are both at the in they're both ready to do. Yeah. Mhmm. There's only a couple colleges. Literally, I only know of us and one other that that does mission work regularly.

[00:24:19.20] - Amelia Harrison

Mhmm. Right.

[00:24:19.79] - Laurie Kagay

So, like, this and it's at the heart, obviously, of bible schools. I think it just often probably feels out of reach of, like, how they could make that happen.

[00:24:27.79] - Gregg Garner

And let's let's talk about that a little bit more, Lori, because it is true that the institute is one of a few colleges that we know that does regular mission trips.

[00:24:36.29] - Laurie Kagay

Like, where every student, especially

[00:24:38.20] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. You You

[00:24:38.50] - Laurie Kagay

You know, does that as a part of their program.

[00:24:40.20] - Gregg Garner

So for for you guys as a faculty and administration of the institute, when it comes to, SLAM and students' SLAM or summer internship compared to you guys as a faculty and administration?

[00:25:02.09] - Laurie Kagay

I would say we've been very blessed, like, to share that load

[00:25:06.50] - Amelia Harrison

Mhmm.

[00:25:07.20] - Laurie Kagay

With our students. I I've been able to, you know, go on mission with my students and be a part of the facilitation teams sometimes. But I would say for me personally and even for our faculty and staff, we are not we haven't done a lot of the heavy lifting. We've been so blessed to, you know, to offer this to our students.

[00:25:30.59] - Gregg Garner

And not over exert yourself?

[00:25:33.20] - Laurie Kagay

Yes.

[00:25:34.50] - Gregg Garner

As as administrators. Because it I think, you know, anytime anyone does something really well, it looks easy. You guys ever notice that? Like, like, we know a guy. He's he's a chef. He's, like, a five star chef. Been doing it for, like, twenty some years. Right? Like, New York awarded kinda guy. And I'll sometimes ask him about things. He'll be like, yeah. You just do this. And and he's talking, and and I'm like, man. That sounds exhausting. And the way he makes it sound is as if it's like nothing. And then you watch him do it, and it looks like he's doing that thing.

[00:26:04.79] - Mitchell Buchanan

Right.

[00:26:05.29] - Gregg Garner

Looks like he's just Yeah. Yeah.

[00:26:06.40] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah. Like, I

[00:26:06.79] - Gregg Garner

if I was if I was to, like, be an actor and imitate him, I'd just be like.

[00:26:10.40] - Laurie Kagay

It's like the proof of a good dancer. It's like if it looks easy for them to do. Yeah. But you think through it. You're like, there's no way Right.

[00:26:18.09] - Gregg Garner

Right, that was they made that look easy.

[00:26:19.20] - Laurie Kagay

But that's, like, how you can tell them.

[00:26:21.20] - Gregg Garner

And that's why I can say sometimes when people look at, like, high performance organizations, which I think, SLAM and summer internship, they're, like, really, really well worked out.

[00:26:31.79] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm.

[00:26:32.40] - Gregg Garner

When people see it, they could be like, oh, that'd be easy to duplicate. But, man, there is there is a lot under the hood.

[00:26:38.29] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. There is a lot under the hood. It's because, I mean, first of all, it's, especially when you get into the international aspects of it, it's dangerous.

[00:26:47.20] - Mitchell Buchanan

Yeah.

[00:26:47.59] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. It's dangerous.

[00:26:48.50] - Laurie Kagay

And Yeah. So to just experiment with that Yeah. Is risky.

[00:26:52.59] - Gregg Garner

And Slam and Summer Internship, both of them have international staff that have been with them for decades. Decades. Like, we know not even some of their kids go to, the institute abroad and are implementing SLAM on their own out there. So it's like these long standing relationships that help you to know who it is that you're working with are actually very rare when it comes to missions. I I know people who would say, yeah. We've been working with this church or this community for x amount of years or this organization. And typically, when they work at the organization, they change out the people that they're working with. Yeah.

[00:27:31.50] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm.

[00:27:31.90] - Gregg Garner

And if they're working with the church or community, the leadership or the even the personnel and people in the church community change out with some kind of frequency. And so it can become very challenging to facilitate and administrate, especially if your school's already overwhelmed with the task it has at hand. And so slamming summer internship says, hey. We just wanna come alongside of you, and then we can make this part of what offerings you have to offer as an institution, which that's why I have you here today. Like, you're you're the enrollment, officer, for, the institute. What role does SLAM and Summer Internship play in attracting a student?

[00:28:11.59] - Laurie Kagay

Well, yeah. I was thinking of a few things while you all were talking

[00:28:13.79] - Laurie Kagay

One, like, one is, I have read even, like, top regrets students have about choosing a college. And one of, like, the top five is that they didn't study abroad while they were in college. So, like, even regardless of of field, that is something I think that students are recognizing. Man, if I didn't do it in college, probably won't happen. Right. Whereas college is kind of this awesome moment in time where you don't have some of the other obligations to a family or to a job where you can experience something like that.

[00:28:43.29] - Gregg Garner

Right.

[00:28:43.70] - Laurie Kagay

And then when you're experiencing your occupational focus while there, it and we live in a globalized world. Like, it it it is, you you know, igniting you to be a cross cultural person

[00:28:55.40] - Gregg Garner

Right.

[00:28:55.79] - Laurie Kagay

Which is beneficial anywhere. You know? You don't even have to do that long term. Like, we've had students who, you know, are we train to be childbirth educators but they spent six months doing that in Uganda. But they now also do that for refugees in Nashville and they gained that experience there. They understood, you know, what what it looks like to live in a slum in Uganda and to, you know, lack the kind of basic health care that even changes the way they teach a class or changes the way they support a mother.

[00:29:29.20] - Amelia Harrison

So I think the

[00:29:30.50] - Gregg Garner

contrast between a person's experience here in the United States and the experience that they have abroad, that contrast, is a is a catalyst, you're saying, even for the students' future enthusiasm for how they implement their work?

[00:29:46.59] - Laurie Kagay

Yeah. I think it's a it's a benefit for anyone anymore professionally to have cross cultural skills.

[00:29:53.70] - Gregg Garner

That's good.

[00:29:54.20] - Laurie Kagay

Because we live in a globalized world.

[00:29:56.00] - Mitchell Buchanan

Sure. Right.

[00:29:56.40] - Laurie Kagay

And so when people are able to walk the path alongside people, you know, you're not having to simply kinda intuit that from a documentary you saw once or something. Like, you you understand a different part of of life and where they come from Yeah. That allows you, no matter how, where you go in a profession, to demonstrate the kind of compassion, understanding, and consideration and excitement for for what people are going through no matter where they are in the world now. But I also think it ignites passion, like, in students Yeah. Period. So when we're talking about schools at ABHE, we're talking largely about mission school or ministry, you know, based educational programs. And I think Slam and Summer Internship for our students have done a great job at just keeping their hearts ignited Mhmm. For the things of God. Mhmm.

[00:30:47.40] - Amelia Harrison

For sure.

[00:30:47.90] - Laurie Kagay

They they're not just spending a summer, like, whatever it is. You know? Like, doing a job that doesn't matter. They're spending a summer internship.

[00:30:56.40] - Gregg Garner

Slam or your students who go on summer internship, you see them return with, like, a greater sense of purpose, a greater sense of enthusiasm.

[00:31:03.20] - Laurie Kagay

Because they're getting to practice the things that they're learning in the classroom right away, not after graduation. You know? Say they they just took a final on it in May.

[00:31:12.50] - Gregg Garner

Right.

[00:31:12.90] - Laurie Kagay

They're able to practice it May twentieth, you know, or whatever.

[00:31:16.79] - Gregg Garner

We had a student some years ago. I remember he, was, on a medical track

[00:31:22.00] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm.

[00:31:22.29] - Gregg Garner

And he got to go on his, internship to India. And because of the rules and regulations in India, the doctor and the hospital they worked at basically allowed him to operate in, like, a a minor operate? Yes. A capacity

[00:31:39.90] - Mitchell Buchanan

as a doctor.

[00:31:40.59] - Gregg Garner

Oh, okay. But he did small surgeries.

[00:31:42.90] - Mitchell Buchanan

Oh, yeah.

[00:31:43.50] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. He was able to do, like, small eye surgeries and things.

[00:31:45.70] - Laurie Kagay

Oh, I think so.

[00:31:46.09] - Gregg Garner

And he was, like, talking to the doctor there, and the doctor was just like, we can do this here. It's okay. Let us let us, and so, I mean, he he got to do even more. And, of of of course, you know, that's gonna be subject to every person that you work with wherever. My point is, when he returned, that kind of locked down for him that he was going to serve the Lord through medicine, and he was going to find some way of making that happen.

[00:32:14.09] - Mitchell Buchanan

I think something like that is like you're have you're down the path for medicine. You get that experience overseas. It almost, like, takes the it takes the lid off of, like, oh, this is what's possible. You know? It's like Sure. That experience is, like, reevaluating why do we have training to do all these things when I could step in and help right away or, like, is this beneficial or not? And, like, I think it helps you just reanalyze something that you learned in the classroom that is now, like, turned all the way around because you experience it in a different culture.

[00:32:41.50] - Laurie Kagay

And I think the experience because especially with Gen z, like, they they watch documentaries, they learn things, and then that's the temptation is, like, why does it even matter what I learned? Let me go do something now. But often, they don't go and do it. Right. But, like, the practice of going and…

[00:32:53.90] - Gregg Garner

doing it and It makes you come back to the classroom.

[00:32:55.50] - Laurie Kagay

It makes you come back to the classroom and be like, oh, man. I need to learn more.

[00:32:59.29] - Gregg Garner

Right. Amelia, did you have that experience with you?

[00:33:01.59] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. I did. And I was even thinking, like, this aspect of it too is different than other trips because it doesn't leave you with a sense of guilt. Like Mhmm. And it to a degree, it's it's, pushes you forward even and excites a desire to learn more because there's so many real needs in the world Yeah. That you have to have a passion for in the classroom if you're gonna be able to do something about it one day. Yeah. And I think that's what summer internship does for students is and even SLAM too. When they get exposure in in this way that is led by people who have had these experiences before, it does it appropriately and and not in a way that's just guilt tripping them for the rest of their life Yeah. But, pushes them forward.

[00:33:39.20] - Gregg Garner

That's good. That's good. I I think it's important for people who are listening to this, especially colleges and administrators who internship. I think it's important for them to know that we believe in education. Mhmm. And we believe in higher education, especially biblical…

[00:33:56.20] - Laurie Kagay

Right.

[00:33:56.50] - Gregg Garner

Higher education. And we facilitate anything that's done with SLAM or summer internship is facilitated in such a way that it is going to return that student back with increased enthusiasm.

[00:34:10.50] - Laurie Kagay

Mhmm.

[00:34:10.80] - Gregg Garner

For being in the classroom. Yeah.

[00:34:12.00] - Laurie Kagay

I would say, like, if you're having trouble with students being apathetic Yeah. Even, like, even in the attitude in which they come to worship, in which they come to class, let them have this experience.

[00:34:22.59] - Gregg Garner

It's transformative.

[00:34:23.80] - Laurie Kagay

They’ll be transformed They'll come back different. Yeah. They will.

[00:34:26.69] - Laurie Kagay

And not just, like, the different of, like, “I feel bad for those people. I'm grateful for what I have.” Not that kind of different. Like, the the different that's, like, my life has been changed.

[00:34:34.50] - Gregg Garner

And they start telling their friends and other people about how they experience god. And as students at your school, like, that becomes a way for even other people to think about, I wanna have the experience they have, and they got that at their school. Mhmm. Maybe I should go to that school. So talk to me a little bit about the role that, these programs play in your recruitment efforts for students.

[00:35:00.09] - Laurie Kagay

Yeah. I think I think there is, you know, a draw especially for students, you know, gap years are becoming a thing and so they maybe just say I wanna take a a year off. I want to travel. I want to experience these things, which I think can be fine. My issue with gap years is they often turn into gap life. Yeah. Gap life. And Jeff called me one time a chasm. They're just nothing happened at the end. But I think a program like this helps you get the benefits of a gap year in a summer. Yeah. You know, sometimes where it's like you may not even need a whole year. You may just need a moment like this to allow you to build a team dynamic, to allowed you to gain some experience practically, to allow you to be in a different space geographically.

[00:35:42.80] - Gregg Garner

And that that's something that, you know, talking to you, Lori, as as an a person who's recruiting and getting people enrolled that you guys didn't share was, like, there there's a course sharing element…

[00:35:53.40] - Amelia Harrison

Mhmm.

[00:35:53.80] - Gregg Garner

To, this programming, particularly with summer internship. And and what does that mean, Laurie?

[00:35:59.90] - Laurie Kagay

So for course sharing, it allows, especially within this ABHE network, that someone can have this experience and like there, it will count for either a certain course or a couple courses within, their college as well.

[00:36:12.50] - Gregg Garner

So So so a student then, through a course sharing agreement, could attend their college, go on the summer internship, get a study abroad experience Yeah. Facilitated for them that and my my my favorite part about all this is this is like boots on the ground advancement of the kingdom of God, great commission stuff. You know?

[00:36:34.59] - Laurie Kagay

Like, no competition even between schools. It's like Yeah. One school can benefit from another school's hard work. Mhmm. Yeah. And even the protection of we know where they're headed. Because that's what I've talked to other colleges, and they're like, we just don't know how to establish all the contacts or all the places where students would go. And it it's like, I understand that. I was like, I don't know how you would either. We have, you know, we have these five and we feel great about those, but, like and I tell that to students too. Like, because their parents are sometimes like, I don't know if I want them to go to Africa. And I'm like, well, they're we're not just letting them wander around. Like, they're actually there's a campus. And I think it's There's a campus. We know what they're gonna do.

[00:37:10.69] - Gregg Garner

People need to know too because because there are a lot of missions organizations out there that have been kinda like start ups, start up by young people. But, like, the the international contacts that SLAM and Summer Internship have, I mean, having a situation actually was with your husband. We were out in Africa this summer. We came into a situation that was challenging. Like, we needed some help. Mhmm. And I was able to call the, his his titles, the deso, but it is the district internal security officer. And he's a friend of mine. I called Richard. Mhmm. And immediately he dispatched, the the the police department in the area. And they got there immediately and were able to help us out of the situation and then did us a solid and even got us to our next place utilizing all the privileges of, police escorts. And it it was just it was so, encouraging because I could remember twenty five years ago being in a similar situation, and it's like, you're only you're calling on Jesus. Like, but I'm so thankful that Jesus now has made it so that the calling on Jesus Right. Gets gets Richard to pick up his phone in the middle of the night, which is exactly what happened.

[00:38:21.40] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

[00:38:21.80] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. Yeah. So it's it's like there are all these things that schools need to think about. You need to think about the safety of your young people. You need to think about the fact that the organization has in mind they want to return your students to your school to be better students for your school.

[00:38:38.30] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah.

[00:38:38.50] - Gregg Garner

Becau se there are some mission organizations out there who are kind of pitching this, you know, you don't need school. Just be a missionary. You don't need school. Just come out here and do the hard work of feeding people and very dangerous. But that's not what's happening with summer internship and with SLAM.

[00:38:53.59] - Mitchell Buchanan

That's or I I just wanted to say, I think I feel I feel so just awesome and, like, excited because I feel like it's returning so much value to us as an organization and the schools where it's like, I think for us, hey. Can we organize more trips and get more people to go? Surely, that would be the case. But I think establishing a relationship with bible schools, it's, I think, long term, just such a better investment for for us as a missions program where we know that they are gonna be investing into it, that they have a connection to it, and it's connected directly to, like, them learning the bible as students. And then for a bible college, as opposed to I'm gonna put effort into planning a trip or going with the organization, how how much more value could it be of knowing this organization's been doing this for twenty five years and will be doing it for a hundred more and that they've had deep rooted connections in these places that they can grow into and become more and more invested into a continual relationship and all the benefits of them returning as, like, motivated students pumped about their experience. I feel like we're getting value and we're giving so much value that's like this is an incredible opportunity.

[00:40:03.09] - Laurie Kagay

So God does. It's like a cup overflowing style.

[00:40:06.00] - Gregg Garner

And while we're talking about value, what does this cost the college to get involved? What will it cost the college itself?

[00:40:12.69] - Mitchell Buchanan

Nothing. No upfront cost.

[00:40:14.19] - Gregg Garner

No There's no cost. Yeah. No direct cost to the college.

[00:40:17.69] - Laurie Kagay

Everyone hear that? Nothing. Important.

[00:40:19.90] - Mitchell Buchanan

Amelia said that earlier today, and, like, the like, eyes lit up, like, now we're talking. Yeah. Seriously.

[00:40:25.90] - Gregg Garner

Because, you know, people would think, like, this should cost us something, but there there are costs. You know? You have to pay for plane tickets.

[00:40:33.40] - Laurie Kagay

Mhmm.

[00:40:33.59] - Gregg Garner

You have to you have to pay for the the lodging and meals and such, but that's that's passed on to the student. Now here's the cool thing about being a college, especially if you hit a level three with us where we teach you how to, or I mean, really, if you get in the course sharing element too, we can integrate that into the curriculum for the school, and this actually becomes part of their COA or cost of attendance. Mhmm. And then if that's part of the cost of attendance and they are getting some kind of financial aid or assistance with title four, this actually can become something that's part of the school's curriculum that can be paid for by financial aid and scholarships

[00:41:07.90] - Mitchell Buchanan

along those lines..

[00:41:08.30] - Gregg Garner

which is a really cool thing.

[00:41:10.09] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah.

[00:41:10.30] - Gregg Garner

It's amazing. But but we would we, you know, we train the schools with respect to how they can fundraise. Right?

[00:41:16.40] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm.

[00:41:16.69] - Gregg Garner

And how they can help those students get it. But as far as the schools paying any money, they don't.

[00:41:20.69] - Amelia Harrison

Yeah. Correct.

[00:41:21.09] - Gregg Garner

They don't. They don't pay any any money. And I think that that,

[00:41:25.19] - Mitchell Buchanan
To have no upfront cost and then from day one, a student comes on campus, this mission opportunity is hand in hand tied with your curriculum, your culture, where you're guiding that student in their academic path. That's I mean, what are we doing? That's awesome.

[00:41:40.80] - Gregg Garner

We can make it all better. Than cost then?

[00:41:44.50] - Mitchell Buchanan

Add in upfront cost.

[00:41:45.90] - Laurie Kagay

It's gonna be worth it.

[00:41:47.00] - Gregg Garner

No. But Laurie's right. You know, this is this is, this is the spirit of God. The spirit of God

[00:41:52.30] - Mitchell Buchanan

Right.

[00:41:52.80] - Gregg Garner

Is is God himself said he wants his glory to fill the earth, and he's given us his spirit, and we are those mobile tabernacles.

[00:42:01.19] - Mitchell Buchanan

Mhmm.

[00:42:01.40] - Gregg Garner

We just gotta get a bunch of laborers to go on to that harvest and and serve the lord. You guys, thank you so much

[00:42:07.80] - Laurie Kagay

Oh, yeah.

[00:42:08.30] - Gregg Garner

For this time and great interest.

[00:42:09.40] - Laurie Kagay

Note just real quick. There are spots available for this summer's summer internship.

[00:42:14.50] - Gregg Garner

Oh, really? Are left for that one?

[00:42:16.59] - Laurie Kagay

There are, eight spots left.

[00:42:19.40] - Gregg Garner

Eight spots left.

[00:42:20.30] - Laurie Kagay

Mhmm.

[00:42:21.30] - Gregg Garner

That'd be fun.

[00:42:22.59] - Laurie Kagay

So, yeah, that would be, I think, a level one. Is that what you're saying?

[00:42:25.69] - Gregg Garner

So so well, either individuals or cohorts.

[00:42:28.80] - Amelia Harrison

That's true.

[00:42:29.40] - Gregg Garner

Yeah. Yeah.

[00:42:30.00] - Laurie Kagay

Only in only in groups of four.

[00:42:31.80] - Amelia Harrison

Only fours. No.

[00:42:33.40] - Laurie Kagay

No. So if you do I mean, you wanna give a little plug for this either of you for this summers? They're headed to East Africa. Right? Yeah. So June twelfth through July nineteenth.

[00:42:44.59] - Gregg Garner

Amelia needed you to be more direct with her. Yeah. Amelia gives a plug. Yeah. Yeah. So what are the dates again?

[00:42:50.59] - Laurie Kagay

June twelfth through July nineteenth.

[00:42:52.59] - Gregg Garner

June twelfth through that third week of July sometime. Yeah. That's that's awesome. And and, where can they go to, find that?

[00:43:02.00] - Laurie Kagay

GODSI…

[00:43:02.30] - Gregg Garner

d d s I dot org or slam web dot org. That's right. Get you to either one of these programs. Right? G o d s I dot org or slam web dot org.

[00:43:11.50] - Amelia Harrison

If they're colleges, they can backslash a b h e on both of them. Yeah. And it'll take So,

[00:43:16.30] - Gregg Garner

like, godsi.org/abhe? Yes. slamweb.org/abhe? Yep. Slashes are important. Oh, yeah.

[00:43:23.19] - Mitchell Buchanan

There we go.

[00:43:24.09] - Gregg Garner

Alright. Well, thank you everybody for tuning in. We hope you have a very blessed whatever it is that you're doing. And, hey. We pray. We pray because, God's moving and he doesn't want his glory to fill the earth. And it's, you students that are tuning in here that is gonna be God's chosen vessel to make that happen. Love you all.