Melting Pot Ministries Practicum Student Intern Pittsburgh, PA · Intern Company website

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Library, located in South Park Township, is one of many small coal-mining communities established by the Pittsburgh Coal Company at the turn of the twentieth century. Unfortunately by the l960s, the coal industry no longer provided viable employment options for Western Pennsylvania and many families in certain sections of those communities began to face serious hardships and began witnessing the deterioration of the community as they once knew it. Our communities expressed fear that our children and youth would surrender to negative risk factors that existed in their environments if they did not increase the community’s capacity to protect them. The need to provide services to the target population and neighborhood dramatically increased as we began experiencing an influx of low-income single-head of family residents following the demolition of deteriorating inner-city public housing plans in the city. Academically, many of these children were now attending local area schools but had come from schools that were declared by the State Department of Education as failing. Today, we are a grassroots organization rooted in the Christian faith, with strong ties to both the Christian community and underserved families in the South Hills. We currently reach over 150 socially, culturally, and economically disadvantaged South Hills youth and their families each year. We have built a distinctive collaborative team drawn from our faith-based, mental health, and educational communities, and our committed Board of Directors represents a diverse cross-section of our Christian faith and professional community.

AFTER-SCHOOL PROGRAM (School Year)

• Homework help & tutoring
• Literacy & math support
• Social-emotional mentoring
• Creative arts & recreation
• Nutritious meals
• Positive youth development

SUMMER CAMP (6 Weeks)

• Daily enrichment activities
• STEM, arts, & recreation
• Field trips
• Team-building & character development
• Nutritious meals
• Supportive relationships

IDEAL FOR STUDENTS IN

• Early Childhood Education
• Child Development
• Elementary or Secondary Education
• Social Work
• Counseling
• Psychology
• Human Services
• Family Studies
• Youth Development
• Nutrition / Dietetics
• Culinary Arts / Cooking
• Recreational Therapy

WHAT YOU’LL DO

• Mentor children & teens
• Provide academic support
• Lead crafts, STEM, or recreation
• Assist with meal prep & nutrition education
• Facilitate therapeutic recreation
• Build positive, consistent relationships
• Participate in supervision & team meetings

Practicum Roles

1. Youth Mentoring & Discipleship

• Build relationships with children and teens
• Model Christ-like compassion and character
• Support social-emotional development
• Encourage spiritual growth through conversation and example

2. Academic Support

• Homework help
• Literacy and math tutoring
• Small-group academic enrichment

3. Program Leadership

• Lead crafts, STEM activities, games, or devotionals
• Assist with group management
• Support daily program flow

4. Nutrition & Culinary Support

• Assist in planning and preparing nutritious meals
• Teach simple cooking skills to youth
• Support food-based enrichment activities
• Model healthy eating habits

5. Recreational Therapy & Enrichment

• Lead structured recreation activities
• Support movement-based or sensory-friendly programming
• Facilitate group games, team-building, or therapeutic play
• Help design inclusive recreational experiences

6. Family & Community Engagement

• Observe family interactions (when appropriate)
• Assist with resource referrals
• Participate in case discussions with staff

Learning Objectives

Students will be able to:

• Apply trauma-informed, faith-based approaches to youth work
• Demonstrate effective mentoring and relational ministry
• Support academic and developmental growth
• Facilitate recreation, arts, or nutrition-based activities
• Practice ethical and professional boundaries
• Understand the needs of families experiencing poverty and instability

Supervision and Evaluation

MPM provides:

• A qualified practicum supervisor
• Weekly supervision
• Midterm and final evaluations
• Documentation of hours and competencies

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

• Model Christ-Like Faith 
• Build strong healthy relationships with children and their families 
• Further the MPM Mission and Vision
• Maintain God-honoring behaviors
• Reinforce and support community engagement, service and lifelong learning
• Construct and teach lessons on life skills 
• Provide wrap-around services for students that include parents/guardians to understand how best to serve students.  
• Utilize and adhere to the designated schedule
• Exercise time management and management skills
• Participate in regularly scheduled meetings 
• Maintain a clean work area 
• Participate in skits and performances 
• Meet with OST Program Director | Academic Coordinator

Qualifications

• Current undergraduate or graduate student in Social Work, Education, Counseling, Youth Ministry, or related human services fields.
• Strong desire to serve vulnerable, at-risk youth grades K-12 and comfort working within a faith-based, Christian ministry environment.
• Ability to pass all standard Pennsylvania background checks, including Act 33 (Child Abuse), Act 34 (Criminal Record), and FBI Clearances, mandated reporter certification, Annual Disclosure Report, food services certification, first aid and safety training required.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, active listening, patience, and emotional maturity when engaging with children and teens.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse families, community members, and ministry staff.
• Diplomatic approach to problem solving, time management and ability to take initiative in project completion.
• Demonstrated knowledge of working with at-risk youth, and/or counseling.