High School Trips

The diocese provides an annual trip for students entering grades 10-12. We fundraise in community for these trips, and offer scholarships as needed. Our hope is that every young person in our diocese has the opportunity to connect to these opportunities to become global citizens.

Entering grade 10-exiting grade 12: Operating in a three year cycle, youth have the opportunity to participate in The Episcopal Youth Event, a local trip (Mexico most often), and a trip that is further abroad. The abroad trip has included Guatemala and the diocese of Western Mexico in recent years. Both the abroad trip and EYE are application based trips, with a set delegation size.

Read about the 2018 youth trip to Guatemala

Diocesan Convention

As our youth gather at Convention, they will explore how proclamation is relational — seeing, naming, and serving the many neighbors in their lives. Through fellowship, worship and games youth will discern their own calls to ministry all while experiencing the voting body of the church. This event will also serve as a shared experience for our fifteen Collaborative Confirmation youth as they reflect on their upcoming Confirmations.

Contact your youth leader or email Leighton Jones (ljones@edsd.org) to be involved in the next convention.

Fun and Games

Is there anything better than laughing with friends? The youth of our diocese get together several times a year for exactly that purpose. If you like trampolines, quidditch, or broomball, these opportunities for connection are for you!

Email Leighton Jones (ljones@edsd.org) for more information.

Camp Stevens Epiphany Retreat

For our middle and high school youth, the Epiphany Youth Retreat will offer space to go deeper. Using the beloved EDSD Knowing Yourself program, youth will reflect on recognizing the ways their own backgrounds shape their perspectives and life experiences. Through worship, campfires, and fellowship, they’ll explore how to proclaim good news on both the ascents and the summits of life, discovering that all circumstances offer a way to proclaim joy and good news.

Click here to learn more about Camp Stevens.

Nightwatch: Proclaiming in the Desert (March 21-22, 2026)

During Lent, Nightwatch will turn to the story of Peter’s denial — and what it means to proclaim even when we lose track of who we are or we experience difficult times. Middle and high school youth will wrestle with what it means to proclaim even when faith feels uncertain or courage falters. In these desert places, they will be reminded that proclamation is supported in community—those who walk beside us and remind us of the promise of Easter.

Youth Collaborative

Are you a youth ministry leader? Contact Leighton Jones (ljones@edsd.org) for information on how to be part of the EDSD Youth Collaborative. Youth Collaborative members have access to youth ministry tools including programming, forms, customized trainings, and other resources.

The collaboration has hosted events as far north as Temecula and as far east a Palm Desert. Constantly striving to include more parishes and youth in our programing is one of our main goals. Using common resources, we provide youth ministry opportunities to parishes with limited funds and small numbers of youth.

The EDSD Youth Collaborative meets regularly to brainstorm ministry challenges and growing edges, as well as to support each other in our shared ministry field. If you know a youth ministry leader in our diocese who would like to know more, please have them contact Leighton Jones (ljones@edsd.org).