Our Programs
As we pursue our mission to connect and empower communities who practice and teach servant leadership, Co-Serve has developed a variety of programs to serve our partners and their students, as they endeavor to develop servant leaders. These programs often involve elements of international partnership and exchange, reflecting Co-Serve’s core value of cross-cultural connection. Some of our primary programs are shown below.
PROGRAMS
Learn about our programs and partners around the world.
Co-Serve’s mission is ultimately carried out by fostering a global network of relationships that support, encourage and learn from each other as they strive to cultivate communities of servant leadership in their unique locations. In this context, Co-Serve has developed a variety of programs that may be useful resources to communities as they endeavor to learn more about servant leadership.
These programs often involve elements of international partnership and exchange, reflecting Co-Serve’s core value of cross-cultural connection. Some of Co-Serve’s primary programs, offered regularly throughout the world, include:
PRINCIPLES OF SERVANT LEADERSHIP COURSE
This 30-hour course is designed to model the building of an open and accepting community that demonstrates the incredible value of each participant, their stories and their ideas. Through a process of action and reflection, participants learn from their hearts and from each other, as they consider the values and principles of servant leadership, including the great value of people and relationships, the meaning of service, the unique purpose of each person, and the importance of serving in community.
MENTOR PROGRAM
This program connects individuals with a mentor so that they can reflect together on the application of the principles of servant leadership in their lives. The program involves weekly Internet-based discussions between participants and their mentors over a five month period. Using a workbook designed by Co-Serve, mentors and participants are guided in their discussion around a specific topic each week.
SERVANT LEADERSHIP ACADEMY
Co-Serve created its “Academy” program to help participants learn from real-life examples of leaders who are building servant leadership communities. The Academy program operates as an intensive, 2-3 week, experiential learning process that brings together 10-15 participants from around the world. These participants experience a series of servant leadership communities and reflect daily together on what they are learning. One outcome of the program is that participants develop their own personal mission statement as a servant leader.
INTERNATIONAL EDUCATORS ACADEMY (IEA)
This Academy program is an experience specifically designed for university teachers and administrators from Co-Serve’s partner universities around the world. In this experience, international educators are hosted by colleges and universities that exemplify the principles of servant leadership. Visiting educators are immersed in the life of the institution as they attend classes and faculty meetings, and as they meet individually with students, staff, faculty and administrators. Co-Serve mentors work daily with the participants to debrief their experiences. This program is usually held for 2-3 weeks for small groups of participants.
EDUCATION THROUGH BUSINESS IMMERSION (EBI)
The EBI program desires to build cross cultural understanding by inviting select students to spend 3 1/2 weeks in the USA, where they live with an American host family and have an internship experience at an American business. Ideally, each student lives in a separate home and works in a separate business. This is primarily an educational experience where the student is introduced to and experiences the company’s mission, objectives and values. The type of work is dependent on the type of businesses that offers to mentor a student.
TEACHING ABROAD PROGRAM
Co-Serve partners with places of learning around the world including at international universities. These universities are often interested in utilizing English-speaking teachers in their academic programs. This presents a wonderful opportunity to serve these universities and to model the values of servant leadership in the classroom. As a result, Co-Serve recruits volunteer teachers of English, Business, Humanities and other subjects to teach at international universities for periods ranging from 2 weeks to 4 months. Through this program, qualified volunteer teachers are hosted at an international university, with their lodging and meals provided. Volunteer teachers usually fund their own international travel to the university.
INTERNATIONAL SERVANT LEADERSHIP PROGRAM (ISLP)
In some countries and contexts, Co-Serve combines the following four programs into a larger, two-year program called the “International Servant Leadership Program”: Principles of Servant Leadership Course, Mentor Program, Servant Leadership Academy, and Community Building Demonstration Project. In some cases, the Education through Business Immersion program is also included. Students completing the entire program receive a special certificate of recognition from Co-Serve.