D.C. Summer Bridge

Click here for a downloadable and printable two-page PDF summary of Summer Bridge

What

Summer is an opportunity for deeper engagement. Deeper engagement with the community as we take one internship and invest deeply for several weeks. Opportunity to build lasting friendships with students from your own and other universities. And more lasting connection with our host site and community. 

For more of the practical “what” check out our Logistics & Details page.

When

Summer Bridge DC Internship runs 7 weeks, usually from mid-June through the end of July or early August.

The dates for 2025 are June 17th - July 31st

Note, student participants are expected to be in DC, living with and participating with the program for the entirety of the seven weeks. 

Who

We primarily welcome students from InterVarsity fellowships in the Mid-Atlantic region, but can include others with special requests. Students apply and are accepted as individuals. The team is usually 6-10 students total for the summer.

We seek students actively following Jesus, open to mentorship and learning from IV staff and peers, and eager to serve in a community organization. The summer can be life-changing, exciting, and also emotionally and spiritually demanding. We ask students to consider themselves and ask their InterVarsity staff if their maturity level would allow them to sustain the program’s requirements. We are also eager to welcome students who are leaders in their InterVarsity fellowships and interested in applying what they learn over the summer in their service on campus.

Where

Summer Bridge DC Internship is usually hosted by Casa Chirilagua, an organization in Northern Virginia.  Students stay all together in a local church, or rented apartment or home.   

Cost

Summer Bridge DC Internship costs $3500 per participant. Students are asked to fundraise for the cost using a highly-coached team-based model. Students are responsible for reaching out to friends, family or others to invite them to sponsor them for the summer. InterVarsity staff and program alumni will provide training, coaching, and connection as students fundraise in the months leading up to the summer’s beginning. Recognizing access and privilege play a significant role in fundraising, our approach is communal. Students are responsible for the effort involved in fundraising (time, and reaching out) and we will trust God and one another to meet our needs. (We have used this approach since 2016 with much success). 

Objectives & Outcomes

  • Students will develop a holistic gospel worldview to understand how scripture relates to injustice and God's response to the world's suffering

  • Students will build personal relationships with people on the margins whose lived experiences give faces and stories to issues of injustice

  • Students will practice intentional relationship skills needed to build relationships across difference (ethnicity, nationality, class, worldview, etc.)

  • Students will meet people working on issues of injustice from a variety of backgrounds as mentors and models for justice work

  • Students will discern their own contribution to biblical justice work

  • Students will return to campus equipped with interpersonal outreach skills and deeper understanding of God's presence in a world of suffering and injustice

The Schedule  

The summer begins and ends with a week of learning and engagement for the team, preparing or debriefing us for the summer’s service and spiritual development. During the main part of the summer, students will engage 5 areas:

  1. Internship placement: Students will serve 15-20 hours a week at a local organization or ministry, we do our best to place students according to interest or academic major

  2. Church partnership: We will embed ourselves in a local congregation, seeking to learn, build relationships, and serve. 

  3. Neighborhood relationships: Students will have guided time to get to know neighbors, build friendships, and learn from people’s direct experiences.

  4. Student community: Students will spend time in prayer, worship, and reflection with other students on the team, building a community of challenge and embrace. 

  5. InterVarsity curriculum: We will study scripture together, meet community leaders doing Biblical justice work, and spend our weekends doing site visits to various museums, local sites, and ministries to supplement our learning. 

For the everyday to be sustainable, our rhythms are more relaxed. Students usually work a few hours each day, have some downtime or relational time with other students, as well as some formal collective learning and reflection time. 


Special note: Please note, all student participants agree to our communal technology fast throughout the summer in order to prioritize our energy for our relationships with one another and the community here.