I had the opportunity to spend this week at the annual staff training for TeenPact Leadership Schools.
TeenPact is a four day and a half-day class for high school students that takes place at different state capitols across the country. It is a student-led program that teaches high schoolers how state government works, what students can do to be involved, and what the Bible has to say about government and the political process. Through hands-on experiences, students have the opportunity to experience their state capitols, meet individuals actively involved in the legislative process (I have met Louisiana former-governor Bobby Jindal twice when he came to speak to the TeenPact class), and build relationships with like-minded individuals who are passionate about bringing a biblical mindset to politics across their state.
I have been involved with TeenPact for quite some time now. I learned about their program from an advertisement in a Worldview Academy notebook when I was a student at our summer camps; I wanted to learn what it could mean to be a Christian in politics, and if there were others out there who were asking the same questions as I.
After attending that first week, I went on to staff for the program the following year, and intern the year after that (In TeenPact vernacular, staff and interns are essentially the opposites of Worldview staff and interns).
Since that time, Worldview Academy camps have had numerous former TeenPact staff and interns be a part of the Worldview team for the summers, several TeenPact full-time staff have spent time on Worldview staff teams, and Worldview at the Abbey last year hired Ryan Funkhouser, who came directly from having worked for a year in the TeenPact office. We have shared advertising, exchanged speakers, and encouraged each other in our different spheres.
Sound like we’re close yet?
The reason Worldview and TeenPact have such a common background is because of our similar missions and visions. We want to instruct students in biblical thinking and empower them to serve Christ and lead their culture. We both believe that the future of this country and world is not too far gone to fix and improve, we believe that young people are capable of more than our culture would expect, and we believe that with encouragement and challenge, students can affect change in their spheres of influence for Christ and the improvement of the culture.
TeenPact’s state-class season is just kicking off for the year, and they are in almost every state across the nation. Do you know a high-school age student who might be interested in attending something like this? Check out TeenPact.com for more information and to find the class nearest you!
By August Huckabee, Dean of Student Life
