TheLeader VOLUME XXVI ISSUE1 Winter2025 - Flipbook - Page 24
G R A N T S
AT
W O R K
Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America
Young Adult Summer Internship Program
Funded for $120,000
May-early June. In turn, interested directors generated a job
description. The Human Resources Department then
posted individual job opportunities to various internetbased job search engines. Internship candidate applications
were then forwarded to respective departments, who
interviewed and selected interns.
Archbishop Elpidophoros with Interns.
The Young Adult Internship Program aims to empower
college-aged individuals to develop their professional
acumen at the headquarters of The Greek Orthodox
Archdiocese of America, equipping them with experience
and skills that will strengthen both them, and the
Archdiocese and its parishes across the United States, by
developing stewards with a robust understanding of the
institutional Church.
This initiative seeks to place
interns in various Archdiocesan
departments and ministries to
build their professional skills.
Interns are matched with
departments that align with their
academic fields, ensuring a
meaningful experience. This
program not only prepares
participants for the workforce but
also offers a unique opportunity to
engage with the vital work of the
Archdiocese, cultivating the next
generation of lay leaders.
The implementation of the
program was overseen by the
Chancellor of the Archdiocese,
Bishop Nektarios of Diokleia. In
March 2023 and again in 2024, the Human Resources
Department extended the opportunity to each department
director to request an intern for a program to begin in late
22
For the 2024 cohort, apart from one intern who began
working in mid-May, all interns began work at the
Archdiocese in early June. Interns work independently
from one another in various departments of the
Archdiocese, including the Archdiocesan Archives,
Department of Religious Education, Department of
Finance, Information Technology, Ionian Village, the
Department of Ecumenical, and Interfaith Relations, Legal
and the Office of the Chancellor.
The Director of Archives, Menios Papadimitriou (who is
also a professor at Fordham University) has developed a
curriculum for a professionalization
seminar. Interns meet weekly for a
lunch-seminar under his direction
and were assisted by the Director of
Administration, Maria Andriotis.
Each meeting lasted one hour and
covered a variety of topics, including
the history of the Archdiocese and
Orthodox Christian diaspora in
America, overviews of various
Archdiocesan departments,
Institutions, and affiliates, and
courses on the administrative
structure of the Archdiocese.
The funds were used to provide
stipends and cover commuting
expenses. The interns were hired and
worked on tasks assigned by their
Department Director. They met on a
weekly basis and made a presentation to the Archbishop of
America and their department directors and supervisors at
the end of the program.
