Past Student Projects

The community leadership skills demonstrated in the learning and service projects of ULA graduates are illustrated by the following initiatives:

Building wells in Africa
A student from Scandia Lutheran Church came to the ULA and learned about the many communities in Africa that did not have access to clean water. This high school senior designed, planned, and organized a trip to a country in West Africa to build wells in rural communities. She gathered a team from her church, led the fundraising efforts, and led about 20 people from Minnesota to build over 12 wells in Africa.

Urban Lynk Ministry Teams
A group of students from Christ Church International came together to share what they had learned at ULA with other students around the region. They led a dance group, drama team, worship team and technical team. They prepared ministry performances and traveled in the region ministering to youth. They ministered in several churches in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, as well as at MN Youth Convention to an audience of 3,000 teenagers.

Homework-n-Hoops
A student who graduated from the ULA’s first session designed and led a project in which he served the local Somalian community teens. He decided to help the students with after-school tutoring and coaching to better their grades and study skills. To attract the young teen boys, he held an open gym where the students played basketball before the tutoring session.

Hmong Nursing Home
A group of students from Hmong Baptist in Minneapolis designed a project to interact with elderly Hmong people, and to share the gospel of Christ. Many of the older Hmong people had never heard the Christian message, or hadn’t heard it contextualized, so the young ULA students decided to visit a Hmong nursing home. They went and heard the stories of the elderly people, especially of escaping Laos and their time in refugee camps, and recorded the stories in books. Also, they were able to share their own stories of salvation in Christ to the elderly people.

Urban Missions Projects
A student from Prince of Peace church in Burnsville was greatly impacted by the service done in the city during ULA. She decided to gather groups of students from her high school and organize monthly trips for them to come to the city and participate in service-learning. She brought over 40 teenagers from Burnsville to Minneapolis to serve at Sharing and Caring Hands, Salvation Army, Catholic Charities, and other service sites. She also reflected and processed with the students the issues of poverty and homelessness.

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