The Growth of YTI

For more than 25 years, the Youth Theological Initiative (YTI) Summer Academy has gathered rising high school juniors and seniors from across the country and around the world to Emory University for an experience in Christian theological education.

As we looked to the future, we launched YTI IMPACT (Immersion in Meaningful Practices of Action, Community, and Theology) which expanded our offerings to meet the needs and challenges facing our youth, the church, and society today. Emory YTI IMPACT now hosts multiple programs for high school students, but the cornerstone of YTI remains the residential summer academy.

We remain committed to empowering youth with critical skills usually reserved for adults. We respect teenagers and believe that they should be empowered. We also believe that the world needs their unique gifts to help build a more just and compassionate world.

The Need

The cost of this two-week residential academy is $2,800—with the opportunity to return the following summer for an additional experience at the same cost. The program cost includes transportation, room and board at Emory, instruction from world-renowned Emory faculty and graduate students, and the contextual experiences around Atlanta. While YTI remains far less expensive than other residential summer experiences, we understand that $2,800 remains a challenge for many. We are committed to making this program available to all youth regardless of their financial circumstances.

With this commitment in mind, we ask for your support. During this five-week Momentum campaign, our goal is to raise $5,600—enough to fund at least one scholar to complete both summer experiences.

A Challenge to Donors

This year, at the end of this crowdfunding campaign run, Beth Corrie will add $10 to the gift of every donor who gives to the campaign, up to $1,000. She is especially eager to see YTI alumni and former staff give to this campaign.

Let’s make YTI possible for the next generation of youth!