Discussion Guide 4: Supporting Stake YSA Programs (40 minutes)

Recent changes by the Priesthood and Family Department have given stake YSA committees greater power, vision, and responsibility in designing stake YSA programs that are adapted to local circumstances and needs. As authorized and guided by their stake president or group of cooperating stake presidents, YSA committees will lead out in creating the local YSA experience. To support the leadership and direction of YSA committees, S&I will continue to offer training, curriculum, reporting capabilities, and other expertise. In addition, S&I personnel are now authorized to provide greater flexibility to adjust the details of stake institute programs to better fit the needs and vision of the local YSA committee.

Specifically, S&I personnel are authorized to provide greater flexibility in several aspects of institute, including:

• Course offerings: Respond to the guidance of the local stake or multistake YSA committee and stake leadership in selecting which institute courses to offer. Course selection should respond to the vision and direction of the overall YSA program.

• Day and time of classes: Respond to the guidance of the YSA committee and stake leadership in selecting the day and time of institute classes. Seek to schedule courses in a way that supports the overall YSA program and fits within the overall calendar of YSA events in the area.

• Duration of courses and class sessions: S&I curriculum is designed to fulfill academic credit requirements on a semester-by-semester cadence. However, that cadence may not fit the needs of local YSAs. Let the local YSA committee give guidance and direction on the duration of courses and class sessions. This may require an S&I coordinator to adapt the pacing of approved curriculum.

• Other requests: Stake institute programs may need to be flexible in other ways to support the vision and direction of the local YSA committee. In principle, a stake institute program should not be run as a stand-alone Church program but should be viewed as one tool in a toolbox of resources available to support YSAs. If a request is made to use institute resources in new and creative ways, counsel with your area director about how that request can be accommodated within the constraints of S&I policy.

S&I coordinators should work closely with stake and multistake YSA committees and participate in committee meetings.

A few examples of ways to implement this change are suggested below. Review these examples and discuss as a group how they might apply to your program or be adapted for your local circumstances.

Implementation Examples

• Course offerings: The local S&I coordinator had planned on teaching the course Religion 225: Jesus Christ and His Everlasting Gospel at the beginning of the year because it fits in his rotation that helps students fulfill institute graduation requirements. However, the local YSA committee believes that a class designed around the New Testament Come, Follow Me curriculum would be more useful to local young adults. The S&I coordinator responds by offering a re-paced version of Religion 211/212: New Testament to align with the Come, Follow Me schedule instead of Religion 225.

• Day and time of classes: The local S&I coordinator typically teaches a class on Wednesdays at 1:00 p.m. However, the local YSA committee believes that combining an institute class with an evening activity will better meet the needs of YSAs. The S&I coordinator responds to the vision of the local YSA committee by moving his class to Thursday nights at 8:00 p.m.

• Duration of courses and class sessions: S&I policy states that a once-per-week class must meet for 90 minutes across a 14-week semester to qualify for credit. However, based on input from the stake YSA committee, the local YSA stake president asks the local S&I coordinator to shorten each class session to accommodate combining institute with a weekly stake activity. The stake president and S&I coordinator decide that a 45-minute class once per week is the best fit. Because this course meets for fewer minutes than are required for a two-credit course, the coordinator uses the one-credit version of the class in WISE to track participation.

• Other requests: The local S&I coordinator is known to be a very capable teacher. Because of this skill, the stake president asks the S&I coordinator to personally teach a four-week Religion 099R workshop called Teaching the Gospel. The stake president invites all young adults who hold a calling to teach the gospel to attend this four-week workshop. The S&I coordinator counsels with his area director and decides to respond positively to this request by the stake president.

FAQs

What happens if a stake YSA committee does not choose to include institute as a part of its local YSA program?While we hope that all YSA programs will include institute, we cannot require any stake or multistake program to do so. We can increase the likelihood of institute being included in a particular stake program by (1) sharing the positive impacts of institute and the associated research; (2) improving gospel teaching; (3) creating institute experiences that are highly uplifting, relevant, and engaging; (4) partnering and collaborating well with local priesthood leaders and the stake or multistake YSA committee; and (5) demonstrating our ability and willingness to develop institute experiences that are tailored to local interests and needs.

Are there any limitations on the level of adaptation that is allowed?We hope to be able to accommodate as many adaptations as are requested and needed to meet the needs of local YSAs. However, in doing so, there are a few items that are not up for adjustment. These items include continuing to teach from the scriptures and words of living prophets and not holding institute classes on Sundays. We expect that other situations that cannot be accommodated may arise over time. Speak often with your region and area director about requested adaptation.

What are other examples of requests that institute personnel might be asked to fill?Consistent with the principle of local adaptation, requests made of institute personnel may vary widely from place to place. Some of these may include providing one-off classes, firesides, or devotionals; counseling with local priesthood leaders on how to answer difficult gospel questions from their ward or stake members; supporting local YSA or youth conferences; opening the institute building to non-institute activities; and more. Consult with your area or region director if you have questions about requests made outside your normal purview.

How can we provide the opportunity to obtain credit for students who desire it if adaptations to the local stake institute program mean it no longer meets credit requirements?Credit-seeking students can be directed to the local online institute program. All online institute classes lead to CES transferrable credit. Teachers can also work directly with individual students who are seeking credit in any class to help them complete additional items to meet credit requirements. Teachers then track these students’ progress toward the completion of these requirements in WISE.

Discussion Questions

The following reflection questions may be helpful in considering how to implement these changes:

• How do the principles of YSA empowerment, local adaptation, and collaboration apply to this strategic change?

• Do I operate institute as a part of a larger YSA program or as a stand-alone Church program? Do local Church leaders view me as a resource within the local YSA program or as a separate individual who runs a stand-alone Church program?

• How can I more fully integrate with the local YSA program?

• How will I respond if the local YSA committee asks me to take a smaller role than I am used to in the local YSA program? What can I learn from the attitude of John the Baptist that is described in John 3:25–30?

Action Plan

In the space below, write a few things you or your faculty plan to do to better support the vision and direction of your local stake YSA committee and program.