Denver Urban Semester is a cross-cultural experience in the heart of the city allowing students an opportunity to move into a mature understanding of God's unique vocational direction for their lives.
About DUS
Vision
Denver Urban Semester is a Christian ministry that focuses on connecting college students from non-urban environments to a cross-cultural training experience that provides holistic training, spiritual formation, and internships with the under-served urban population. At the same time, DUS interns living in the heart of downtown Denver engage with new urban churches and cross-cultural opportunities.
The DUS program invites students to pursue God's calling for their lives and develops learners who will lead and discover where their passions meet God's plan in their vocations. We intentionally desire to help college students serve God as they prepare for their career out of college in a manner that offers life to others and themselves as well as bring glory to God through their relationship with Jesus while they encounter the poor. Our hope is that each DUS intern will learn to have the eyes of Jesus and the heart of God for every person, including themselves, because we believe that through this grace Jesus will be glorified!
Mission
Denver Urban Semester is a cross-culture experience in the heart of the city allowing students an opportunity to move into a mature understanding of Gods unique vocational direction for their lives.
Values
1. Learning from our engagement with the underserved and disenfranchised
2. Christian spiritual formation that focuses on finding space for God and knowing oneself
3. Cultural competence with an emphasis of working and living cross-culturally
following the teaching of Jesus and offering servant leadership
4. Offering accredited academic courses that are applicable to the work of our students
5. Holistic world view that holds dignity within the context of the manner Jesus lived out
Live. Learn. Engage.
Live
"During my time in Denver, Joshua Station was my home. It was here that I was welcomed into an amazing community of families. Through conversations that I had and people that I met, I was reminded of my own brokenness. Yet, as I embraced my own limitations, I was reminded of the inexpressible grace and freedom that Christ has lavished upon me.
I was reminded at Joshua Station that when we bear all in community, we are supported. When we are real, people are encouraged. When we are honest with others and ourselves, we are truly set free. It is at this point that we are most ready to do the redeeming work of God."
— Abby Deinert, University of Sioux Falls
Learn
"I walked into the summer trying to hide the broken pieces of my life. I was exhausted, sick of being criticized, and tired of spiritual to-do lists. Greg taught a class called "Leading from Within". He enabled us to take care of our souls, so we could serve and not get burned out. I learned how to become a human-being again instead of a busy, impatient human-doer. I interned at Treasure House, a transitional housing facility for single moms. I rubbed shoulders with women who were heroine addicts, drug dealers, prostitutes, homeless, mentally ill, and suffering from nasty relationships. As I heard the stories of these broken women, my heart cried out for them. Yet as they heard my story, they hurt for me also. As I was serving, I was being served."
— Hannah Watters, Northwestern College in Iowa
Engage
"Working with the refugees at the African Community Center was awesome and very challenging, which became very rewarding. I hope to be as courageous, broken and joyful as the refuges I served. I am just a different kind of refugee..."
— Erin Michalowski, Hope College
Internships
Denver Urban Semester has relationships with the following organizations. However, not all organizations have internship opportunities available at all times. Please consider the following organizations representative of the types of inernships that are available through the program.
Social Work
Joshua Station & The Crossing - Social Work: transitional housing for homeless
JAMLAC - Social Work & Pre-Law: law firm for domestic violence, immigration and bankruptcy
Champa House & Chayah House - Social Work: woman’s shelter
Clayton Early Learning - Social Work & Student Teaching: at-risk preschool and early ed.
Alternative Pregnancy Center - Social Work: teenage pregnancy
Women’s Bean Project - Social Work: employment development for low income women
Joy House - Social Work: safe house for woman in violent domestic situations
Goodwill - Social Work & PR: teen job development training & mentoring
Metro CareRing & Compa Food - Social Work: resource, case management, food assistance
Dry Bones, 5280 & Sox Place - Social Work: homeless teens outreach and day shelter
Savio House & Providence House - Social Work: mental health and counselling
Lutheran Family Services - Social Work: refugee, adoption
Judi’s House - Social Work: children grief
Bridgeway & Hope House - Social Work, PR & Business Management: maternity housing
Treasure House of Hope - Social Work: Young single moms, parental mentoring
Streets Hope & Esther House - Social Work: women leaving the sex-trade industry
African Community Center - Social Work: refugee resettlement
Samaritan House - Social Work: woman’s issues, homelessness housing and services
Christ Body, Network Cafe & St. Francis Center - Social Work: homeless case management, Cross-Cultural
Second Chances - Social Work: woman’s case management, job service, thrift store for pregnant moms
Denver Public Schools & Sheridan HS - School Social Work, School Counseling, and Student Teaching
Soar Academy - Social Work: school counselling, at-risk teens
Big Brothers Big Sisters - Social Work: mentoring, recreation education, cross-cultural
Upstream Impact - Social Work: advocacy, empowerment, mentoring and life skills; underserved community
Little Sisters of the Poor & Mullen Home - Social Work: elder care
Ecumenical Refugee Services - Social Work: refugee services
Father Ed Judy's House - Social Work: homelessness day shelter
Gathering Place - Social Work: homeless woman’s services
Law
JAMLAC - Social Work & Pre-Law: law firm for domestic violence, immigration and bankruptcy
CLLARO - Public Policy: Latino leadership, advocacy and research
Business & Communications
Mile High Ministries - Operational Management, PR and Marketing
Mile High Workshop - Business Management: Asset Based Community Development Job development
Mile High Workshop, Belay Enterprises, Buds Warehouse - Business Management: job placement & training
Revision International - Operation Management, Community Development, Hort./Agri.
Urban Peak - GED, PR, Marketing, & Operations Management: homeless teens housing, case management
Save our Youth & Whiz Kids - PR & Business Management: youth mentoring & at–risk support
Bridgeway & Hope House - PR, Business Management & Social Work: maternity housing
Goodwill - Social Work & PR: teen job development training and mentoring
Urban Garden 25 - Social enterprise
Education
Restoration Outreach - GED & ESL: Urban kids and teen after school outreach
Confluence - GED & ESL: Kids mentoring, Cross-Cultural
Denver Street School & Inner City Parish - Education: at-risk alternative high school
Inner City Christian School & Excel Institute - Education: k-5 urban student teaching
Art Reach & Platt Forum - Community Art
Denver Public Schools & Sheridan HS - School Social Work, School Counseling & Student Teaching
Clayton Early Learning - Social Work & Student Teaching: at-risk preschool and early ed.
Save Our Youth - Education
Health
Inner City Health Clinic Denver Health & Stand Up For Kids - Medical
Denver Health Medical Clinic - Medical
Media
Urban Entry - Media, Internet and Video Production
Children & Youth Ministry
Church of the City & Open Door Church - Uban Youth Ministries
His Love Fellowship - Urban Children’s Ministry
cityWILD & Boys and Girls Clubs - Recreation & Outdoor Education: children’s & youth
Save Our Youth - Teen ministry
Colleges
Accrediting Colleges
Participating Colleges
Courses
To overview our spring, summer, or fall semester courses, click on the links below.
For Sterling College students, follow the links below for your school specifc courses.
Application
Program Application
To apply for the Denver Urban Semester, download and complete the application, and return it to Greg Fuchs. The downloadable application is available as a Word document, so that you may complete and submit the application by emailing it to Greg Fuchs. If you prefer, you may print out the application, handwrite the answers, and return the application via the mail.
Submit via email to Greg Fuchs
Submit via mail to:
Denver Urban Semester
Greg Fuchs
913 N. Wyandot St.
Denver, CO 80204
College Credit Application
Mile High Ministries has partnered with Northwestern College to provide an academic DUS experience every spring. The highlights of the program are community living and internships with non-profits that focus on the needs of marginalized urban populations. Academic courses prepare students, in a faith-based context, to experience and reflect upon their engagement with the city and its diverse neighbors. All courses are accredited by Northwestern College of Iowa and taught from a Christian perspective by faculty in the Denver area who meet NWC’s standards for academic rigor and spiritual integrity. For more information and to apply, click here.
Sterling College
Dakota Wesleyan University
