Participant Guidelines

The RYS Approach | Organization and Activities | Health and Wellbeing
Finances | Transportation | In Summary | RYS NORMS

We recommend printing the following pages for reference.
You may download a Word Document version here.

Commitment
In order for the project to fulfill its commitments to the local communities, and for you to gain the most from the program, you are expected to participate in the regular work schedule (barring health problems), as well as the scheduled cultural events. You should also be prepared to help in the cleaning of the living space. People who do not actively participate in all aspects of the program will be asked to withdraw from the project. We are coming together not only to work but to participate in an interreligious community, and all these activities help build and enrich us as a community.

The project by its nature involves travel—to and from work sites and other locations. Transportation will be provided. However, it is essential that you get to the vehicles before the time scheduled for their departure, since they will leave at that time even if some volunteers have not arrived. We will be working with local people, so we must maintain a professional standard in our work schedule, even though we are only "volunteers."

Schedule
Upon arrival, the entire group will remain together for Orientation. After the Orientation, our entire group will divide into groups. For multi-site projects, the site groups usually function autonomously with their own structure and accommodations. Participants at each site will work in one community with a specific work project designed for the benefit of that particular community. RYS does not impose project ideas on the selected communities, but responds to their requests. Then during the closing, we will again come together as an entire group for a reflection/retreat before our departures.

Structure

Leadership
Each site will be coordinated by a site couple who, assisted by the headquarters staff and a local on-site staff, are in the position to manage the work at the project site. The site directors will guide the interreligious evening and weekend programs as well as serve as a connecting point for RYS in community relations. When appropriate, the site directors will call together the entire site group to disperse information or to discuss important issues.

Small groups
Each site will be divided into 3 to 4 teams, each with a group leader and about 9-10 participants. There are several purposes for these small groups. On the practical side, they are very helpful for tasks such as cleaning, traveling to and from the job sites, task organization and training, and health maintenance. Breaking into teams will greatly facilitate the smooth flow of the whole project. Individual participants are expected to work within the context of their team in order to avoid confusion. On the social and cultural side, these groups will provide an environment more intimate than the entire project group. The smaller number will make it easier to meet and get to know each other and to develop deeper relationships.

We will try to include as great a mixture of religions, cultures, races and nationalities as possible in making up each small group. This way there will be someone in each group able to represent the different religions and parts of the world as much as possible.

Group Leaders
Group leaders have been selected to represent the various world religions, cultures, and nationalities. They all have different areas of expertise. They will try to help you have a fulfilling experience as best they can. They are also responsible for job coordination. Please get to know your group leader well and freely communicate problems to him or her. Remember, group leaders are also participants who need your support and friendship.

Three or four times per week, there will be opportunities to meet together as a group. These meetings will provide the chance to share experiences and inspirations, discuss lectures and related topics, and deal with any problems or practical concerns.

Friendships
The participants of RYS are drawn from a diversity of backgrounds. As roommates, group participants and site co-workers, we will have a unique opportunity to learn how to relate to individuals whose perspectives are very different from our own.

One of our purposes is to promote friendships among group members and site participants. Although it may often be easier to associate with those of similar cultures, associating with participants from other countries and religions can be a broadening and rewarding experience. We encourage you to take full advantage of this opportunity to share with this world community.

Journals, Creative Writing and Art Work
The project may go very quickly, and it will all tend to blur unless one keeps some kind of record. A journal will help you to remember and to reflect on your experiences of the summer later on. You may want to keep a record of poems, descriptions, or sketches. Not only will you encounter other cultures and religions, and other members of the group as individuals, but you will also be able to see yourself from a different perspective. A journal will help you to reflect on these encounters and grow through them.

Information Board
We will maintain an information board in a central location during the Orientation and Closing periods. Also at each work site, there will be a public information board. Information about the daily itinerary, optional programs, group meetings, work schedules, maps, etc., will be posted on this board. Participants should become accustomed to checking the Information Board for current information.