MAYC's application to the Department for Education and Skills under the 2005-2008 National Voluntary Youth Organisations Grant Scheme focuses on three programmes of work.
1. Development/ implementation of training strategy for those working with young people.
2. Continued development/ implementation of strategy for supporting those working with young people.
3. Continuation/ development of youth participation strategy.
One of the elements of programme 1 is that MAYC will become a local partner with the Centre for Youth Ministry's Oxford Centre and will develop a module focusing on the history and development of Methodist Youth work. This will initially be offered as an optional element on the BA honours degree in Youth and Community and/ or BA Honours degree in Youth studies and Applied Theology. A longer term aim is that this might then be offered as part of the Formation in Ministry studies - although that is some way off yet.
A memorandum of academic co-operation between Oxford Youth works, Youth for Christ and MAYC has been drafted and signed, and an outline of the module content has been prepared and submitted to the Oxford Brookes University. The next stage is to identify 3 - 4 people to work with Mike Seaton and Steve Cheal. The work will include drafting a course reader, preparing teaching sessions and ultimately teaching some of the sessions. The module is to be offered during the summer term with teaching sessions either 1 day a fortnight or as a concentrated teaching block in Oxford (this will be determined in the next few weeks). (There is also a possibility that this could be offered as a distance learning option).
More details coming soon....
Download a flyer for the course here.