In 2027, Hope for Kids will welcome another generation of young leaders through three experiences along that journey: Chance of a Lifetime, Camp Staff, and the Hope for Kids Leadership Academy. Applications for all three open September 1.

For decades, Hope for Kids (HFK) has helped young people learn to serve, lead, grow in their faith, and discover what God can do through a life willing to say yes.

At HFK, we describe that journey as a spiral of service: first being served, then serving others, then leading, mentoring, discipling, and eventually being sent to begin the cycle again somewhere new. The roles change. The responsibility grows. But the invitation remains the same: follow Jesus by learning to serve.

Chance of a Lifetime Season 7

Chance of a Lifetime (COAL) is HFK’s most intensive leadership and missionary experience: 15 months of community, ministry, mentorship, spiritual formation, and cross-cultural service.

Participants begin with a summer of serving and training at Hope for Kids, followed by nine months as ministry interns. The final phase takes the team internationally to serve churches and communities around the world. Previous teams have served across the United States and in countries including Mexico, India, Germany, Nigeria, South Africa, and the Philippines.

COAL is designed to stretch your faith, develop your leadership, and prepare you to make an impact wherever God sends you next. This is your chance; see what happens when you go all in on God.

COAL Season 7 Early Interest Meeting

Date: Sunday, August 16
Time: 7:00 PM ET / Zoom
RSVP here.

Program info.

Target Audience: 20+ / Young Professionals / Post-Graduate

Camp staff

Behind every Hope for Kids summer is a team of young leaders who decided to give their summer away.

Full-time staff (FTS) is approximately three months of serving, working, growing, and taking real responsibility at a faith-based summer camp in Pennsylvania.

Staff members help make the summer possible while receiving spiritual development, mentorship, and practical job training. They serve children and families, lead programs, solve problems, work as a team, and learn that leadership is often built through doing small things faithfully.

For many, this is where the spiral of service becomes tangible. You stop asking, “What can I receive?” You begin asking, “How can I serve?”

Full-time Staff 2027 Early Interest Meeting
Date: Sunday, August 30
Time 7:00 PM ET / Zoom

RSVP here.

Program info

Target Audience: Ages 17+

HFKLA: Learn to lead by learning to serve

For those beginning to explore leadership, the Hope for Kids Leadership Academy (HFKLA) offers an intentional place to start. HFKLA is a five-week summer experience for older teens and campus students who want to grow spiritually while developing as leaders.

Participants serve alongside experienced leaders, take on meaningful responsibility, receive mentorship, build community, and learn leadership through practice. At the centre of the experience is a simple question: What does it look like to lead like Jesus?

You don’t have to see yourself as a leader already. You simply have to be willing to learn how to serve.

HFKLA 2027 Early Interest Meeting
Date: Sunday, September 6
Time: 7:00 PM ET / Zoom

RSVP here.

Program info

Target Audience: Ages 16–24

Three programs. Different ages, seasons, and levels of commitment. One shared invitation: Keep moving forward in the spiral of service.

Whether you are learning to serve, stepping into leadership, giving your summer away, or preparing to be sent, there is a next step for you.

No matter your phase, Hope for Kids has a place for you to serve, grow, and lead. Come and find yours.

Applications open September 1.