Program Overview

The Shalom Project is a post-college gap year in Lancaster city, Pennsylvania.

Join us to surround yourself with supportive peers and mentors, use your skills to benefit others, and grow in love of God, neighbor, and self.

During a year with us you would live in a house with other participants, serve the community through a full-time, professional internship, and participate in weekly seminars focused on growth and formation. Our goal is to help you experience God's shalom (wholeness, peace, well-being) and extend shalom in the community.

We offer internships in a variety of fields. We believe that anyone, in any field of work, can use their skills to benefit others. We are always expanding our internship options and we will seek out additional opportunities, if needed, to find the best possible fit for your skills and interests.

We cover all living costs for our participants, including housing, food, and transportation, in addition to a small monthly stipend and a variety of other perks. We also help defer student loans and there is no cost to join the program.

Mission and Vision

Mission: The Shalom Project empowers young people to pursue God’s wholeness and peace for themselves and the Lancaster community. 

Vision: An intentional community of young adults who affect social change through lives of service.

Our Values

• Service - discovering ways our skills can meet the needs around us

• Social justice and peace - seeking wholeness and well-being for all people, inspired by the way of Jesus

• Community - finding spaces of welcome and support

• Active, lived faith - developing habits that grow us in love of God, neighbor, and self

• Sustainability and simplicity - sharing resources and consuming wisely

• Diversity and inclusion - welcoming, celebrating, and being strengthened by our differences

Our values are rooted in Anabaptist Christianity, and we welcome any recent college graduate who desires to learn, grow, and pursue shalom.

Why join us?

Join us to serve people.
Join us to gain professional experience, putting your skills to use and exploring vocation.
Join us to grow in awareness of God, self, and others, as you live alongside fellow participants and become rooted in the Lancaster community.
Join us to embark on a post-college life that is intentional and fulfilling.

Why Lancaster?

The Shalom Project is located in Lancaster city, Pennsylvania.

We love Lancaster for lots of reasons! Here are some highlights:

• a small urban setting of about 60,000 people offers the resources of much larger cities with the accessibility of a 7.5 square mile footprint

• a thriving downtown core: Gallery Row, The Fulton Opera House, First Fridays and Music Fridays, and plenty of coffee shops and restaurants

• Central Market and other venues where you can find locally-grown produce

• a culture of welcome and support for refugees and immigrants

• a thriving non-profit sector, meeting tangible community needs

• nearby countryside, rails to trails paths, lots of green space

• Check out VisitLancasterCity.com to learn more about the community