YOUNG ADULT and ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP MINISTRY

ORTHODOX CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP | YOUNG ADULTS is a college and post-college ministry that enables our college, graduate and young adult population to engage with one another in an Orthodox setting through worship, fellowship, service and education. Along with spiritual edification, information is exchanged about college scholarships, retreats, camp-counselor opportunities, college conferences, social events and many more opportunities with the goal of fostering community and social interaction.   

Ascension's program builds on the efforts of the Orthodox Christian Fellowship (OCF), a national collegiate campus ministry program charged with keeping Orthodox college students connected to each other and to the Orthodox faith while they are away at school; and, the Young Adult League (YAL), a Metropolis of Chicago Ministry which aims to inspire and empower young adults’ holistic & authentic connection to Christ in His church.   

Ascension is committed to building a strong and engaging ministry for this age group and maintains an email list for this ministry in order to stay in contact and share upcoming events and initiatives.  Please email Alex Karkazis at alexanderckarkazis@gmail.com to be added to our email list and stay connected.

Upcoming Ascension events as well as Orthodox Young Adult programs, opportunities and events are posted below.  Scholarship programs are also linked below.

UPCOMING PROGRAMS & OPPORTUNITIES

METROPOLIS OF CHICAGO Y2AM

 

Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago Youth & Young Adults

The Youth & Young Adult Ministries (Y2AM) is the largest and most active ministry of the Greek Orthodox Metropolis of Chicago. Y2AM helps introduce youth and young adults to Christ and inspires them to live out their relationship with the Lord and His Church on a daily basis. Through a broad range of programs and initiatives, the ministry works to cultivate the next generation of faithful spiritually, culturally and socially.   Click HERE to visit their webpage.

 

YAL Chicago 2021-22 Schedule of Activities

Click HERE to be directed to the YAL Chicago Webpage

 

Ionian Village is the international camping ministry of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America with campgrounds located in Peloponnesus, Greece.  Each 20-day session is open to young people who will have completed grades 9 through 12.  Registration for the Summer Sessions typically opens each year in March.  Click HERE for all of the information!

IV NEXT
IV Next is the only travel-based program for young adults that has our Greek Orthodox faith as a core tenet of the program. Only IV Next combines professional development, international travel, and the Orthodox Faith into one all-inclusive program.  IV Next is for participants ages 19-24.


OCF National Webpage

College is an important time to ask big questions. It can also be a time of many challenges. OCF is here to help you make Christ the heart of your college experience.

SCHOLARSHIPS, OPPORTUNITIES and LINKS

Hellenic Link - Midwest

In addition to informing and culturally enriching, Hellenic Link - Midwest assists young Greek-Americans to achieve their career goals through its scholarship program. Each year a number of scholarships for $2,000 or more are awarded at the Annual Dinner Dance. These scholarships are given to students of Greek descent who are enrolled in accredited United States colleges or universities and have completed one year of study.  The 2022/23 Application was due October 15, 2022.  Awards were made in January 2023.    More information is available by clicking HERE.

Panhellenic Scholarship Foundation

The PanHellenic Scholarship Foundation releases its scholarship applications at the beginning of October each year and accepts applications from eligible Greek American college students through January.   The Foundation's mission is to promote education by providing scholarships and educational programs to Greek American students who, guided by the values of their Hellenic upbringing, have the potential to become life-long significant achievers and contribute meaningfully to society.  Scholarships are available to undergraduate students.  Applications for the 2022/23 cycle were submitted by January 31, 2023.  Each year the Foundation awards $250,000 in Scholarships at a Gala held in June. For more information and a link to the application, visit https://www.panhellenicsf.org/apply

Click HERE for more information and to learn more about the 2022 scholarships that were awarded last June.

AHEPA SCHOLARSHIPS

AHEPA LOCAL  SPORTS AWARD BANQUET & SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM: The 13th District of AHEPA sponsors an annual Sports Award Banquet which honors Greek American and AHEPA family high school and college athletes who have played any sport on their high school or college teams. HS Seniors may also apply for a scholarship. This year’s banquet takes place on June 2nd at Fountain Blue Banquets. Applications are due May 22nd. Please visit https://ahepadistrict13.org/athletics/Current-Sports-Award-Packet.pdf for more information.

AHEPA Athletics NATIONAL Scholarship Application Available:  AHEPA has a proud history of awarding scholarships to a number of deserving scholar-athletes competing at the high school and college levels. These scholarships are funded through the generosity of Ahepan(s) and or their families, often in honor of an active and committed Brother or in the memory of a deceased Brother. The grants recognize and reward the accomplishments, academic and athletic, of young Greek Americans who will be the community’s future leader(s)! An applicant must be nominated by a member of the AHEPA family.  Applications are typically due in March of each year.  

Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America Scholarship Programs

The Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America offers applications for the Scholarship and Fellowship programs administered by the Archdiocese. Applications can be accessed by clicking HERE.  For more information, please email scholarships@goarch.org or call 212-774-0283. The deadline for submitting applications in past years was in the beginning of May.  The following scholarships are administered by the Department of Philanthropy of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America:  GEORGE & NAOUMA (GIOULE) GIOLES SCHOLARSHIP; KATINA JOHN MALTA SCHOLARSHIP; PALEOLOGOS SCHOLARSHIP.  The George & Naouma (Gioule) Gioles Scholarship and the Katina John Malta Scholarship are for undergraduate studies, and the Paleologos Scholarship is awarded for graduate work of a non-theological nature. Each of these scholarships was established through generous gifts from dedicated Greek Orthodox Christians who wanted to provide financial assistance towards the education of young people from our Orthodox Christian community.

The John C. Kulis Charitable FoundationThe John C. Kulis Charitable Foundation, commonly known as the Kulis Foundation, is a 501(c)(3) non-profit foundation dedicated to supporting religious, humanitarian, and educational initiatives benefiting Orthodox Christian and Hellenic communities worldwide.  Numerous scholarships are available. Applications are made available November 1 and due the following April 1. Please click on the link above to see the list of scholarships and their requirements.

Windy City Greek-American Scholarship Guide
Windy City Greek published the Greek American Scholarship Guide in 2017, which lists scholarship opportunities specifically for Greek-American students.

OCF SCHOLARSHIP and SUMMER OPPORTUNITIES
This website lists current scholarships, internships, and other opportunities available to Orthodox Christian college students in North America.  Check back often for updates.