ANNUAL REPORT
2011
Mission Statement
Rocky Mountain Youth Corps engages youth in the outdoors, inspiring them to use their strengths and potential to lead healthy, productive lives. We teach responsibility for self, community and environment through teamwork, service and experiential education.
Board of Directors
LYNDA STAHL president KENT FOSTER vice-president GREGORY HENION treasurer PAUL SACHS secretary SALLY CLAASSEN past president
Dear Friends of RMYC, We thank you for your continued and steady support of Rocky Mountain Youth Corps. Your commitment to providing greater opportunities for the futures of our youth participants is especially important and necessary during this time of difficult economies. Todays youth and young adults are experiencing a greater disconnect from employment and education opportunities than most of us have seen in our lifetimes.
Conservation corps across the nation have been gathering to collectively address avenues for positive MARY ANN DUFFEY and productive lifeskills development for the younger RON FAMIGLIETTI generation. Over 175 corps participants were given employment, job skills, education opportunities and MELROSE KUUSINEN experiential lifeskills training through involvement MATT TREDWAY with RMYCs conservation corps programs in 2011. CATHY WIEDEMER Sixty-four of these participants received an AmeriCorps Education Award for higher education on top of their work stipends. These youth and young Advisory Board adults filled their own tool box with numerous useful SARA CRAIG-SCHECKMAN skills while also giving back to their community and JOHN SAUNDERS environment through high priority, meaningful conservation projects.
Friends of RMYC
PETER VAN DE CARR JERRY JOHNSON
Staff
GRETCHEN VAN DE CARR executive director MARK WERTHEIMER associate director BRANDON WARREN director of projects JENNY HOLCOMB director of personnel LAURA KARCH executive assistant RYAN OLSON director of finance SCOTT SEGERSTROM director of conservation corps ANNA SCHEFFERS VISTA, public relations and communications manager MARTY SCHAD VISTA, strategic alliance coordinator
RMYC is also proud of our programs for the younger population Service Learning Institute for middle school students, and the Yampa Valley Science School for all the sixth grade students in Routt County. These programs engage youth in an experiential and real-life way to more deeply connect them to their environment, their schools, and their value as productive community members. RMYC is also proud to be a leader amongst youth serving organizations in northwest Colorado by spearheading the Routt County Youth Services Coalition, taking a leading role in the Public Lands Service Coalition and serving on the steering committee of President Obamas Americas Great Outdoors Initiative. We could not do all that we do without our many supporters, from project and program partners, to donors and volunteers. Your investment in todays youth is a great investment in the future. We are honored to have you on our crew!
Lynda Stahl
President, Board of Directors
Gretchen Van De Carr
Executive Director
2011 marked the eleventh year of YVSS, and the first year that ALL public and private Routt County schools participated! A record 252 sixth graders got their hands dirty and their minds filled through hands-on environmental science activities. Highlights of this years program include the all-time favorite microscope activity, courtesy of Jerry Johnson. Jerry came to RMYC in 2008 to offer his service and experience, having served as the Chair of the Biology Department at the University of Wyoming. Jerry has built a set of fun and educational lessons using research-grade microscopes that he and his wife Becky donated to the program. Those microscopes are also used by local schools during the school year. Thank you Jerry!
YAMPA VALLEY SCIENCE SCHOOL
Funder Highlight
Did you know? The Steamboat Springs Education Fund Board awarded $20,000 from their half-cent sales tax revenue fund to YVSS in 2011, keeping the tuition low and the service quality exceptional!
SPECIAL VISIT:
Science School students were excited to welcome Senator Udalls staff State Director, Jennifer Rokala who was accompanied by a favorite local, NW Regional Representative Jay Fetcher.
SERVICE LEARNING INSTITUTE
Thirty-five middle school students from Routt County contributed sweat equity of 1,646 hours serving 18 nonprofit and local government agencies!! Two of the 28 projects were especially appreciated. First, the crews completed the hiking trail from the Yampa Theater to the Campground at Stagecoach Reservoir. The trail work was difficult, cutting through sagebrush and rocks, but the crews were able to open up this access in just 38 crew-hours! The crews were also responsible for cleaning up the Steamboat Springs Animal Shelter and assisting with the care and nurturing of the animals. Crew participants cleaned cages, swept floors, and walked dogs over an eight-week time period. Many would claim that the kids were rewarded more than the animals!
Funder Highlight
Did you know? The Collaborative Management Program awarded $8,000 from their SB 1451 funds to support the Summer of Service SLI program?
As a 2011 Crew Member, Conner quickly demonstrated he was capable of more responsibility than expected. At the State Capitol, Senator Jean White recognized Conner for his contribution to RMYC including his great leadership abilities, responsibility, and positive attitude boosting the morale on his crew. Connor reflected on what he took away from his experience at RMYC saying, I made lasting friendships, great memories, and gained much as a person from the experience. The skills I learned from youth corps clearly have bearing on my life today. Connor is currently in his senior year at Steamboat Springs High School.
Conor Bernard
CONSERVATION CORPS
2011 Corps Member of the Year!
RMYCs Historic Preservation Crew repaired a wooden bridge, removed old barbed wire fencing, and worked on new and existing trails at the Rehder Ranch Nature Preserve, a historic 250 acre ranch in South Routt County. Future ranch plans include inviting scientists, researchers, interns and the public for special programs such as animal tracking, bird watching, fish and wildlife studies, historical research and archaeological studies. The crew was able to learn about the culture and natural history of the ranch while preparing it for these future plans.
Historic Preservation Crew
Funder Highlight
Did you know? RMYC is one of three beneficiary agencies of the CraigScheckman Family Foundation which contributes $25,000 annually.
Supporting Agencies & Individuals
($10,000 or more) Corporation for National & Community Service Craig-Scheckman Family Foundation Daniels Fund Education Fund Board Lyman Orton State of CO - Division of Behavioral Health Tony Grampsas Youth Services Program Yampa Valley Community Foundation ($1,000 - $9,999) 14th Judicial District Attorney Office Anschutz Family Foundation Russ & Shine Atha City of Steamboat Springs Michael & Sara Craig-Scheckman The Duffey Found. - Mary Ann & John Duffey Gloria Gossard Memorial The Lawrence Foundation Stu Roberts & Lulu Gould Routt County Collaborative Mngmt Routt County United Way Tony & Emily Seaver Steamboat Resorts HOA Steamboat Ski & Resort Corporation: Employee Environmental Fund Denny & Joy Swanson Matt & Dana Tredway Wayne Swanson Charitable Fund ($500 - $999) Ron & Lisa Famiglietti Beth Findell Fox-Welch Oil & Gas LLC Glas Deffryn Ranch Fund Hawkridge Endowment Greg Henion Brad & Kathy Hoefer Michael & Marie Holcomb Kiwanis Club of Steamboat Springs Jim & Susan Larson Luck Family Foundation Mountain Hardwear Chuck & Maria Porter State of the Art Recruiting Steamboat Engineering & Architectural Design Mona Warren Hans & Heidi Berend John Brockman David & Kami Brockway Dan & Patty Chovan Daryl & Ruth Dombrowski Tonja & Andrea Elkins Mark Fischer Scott & Sherrie Ford Lanna Giauque Jim Hansen Charles & Phyllis Harrelson
Chainsaw Level
Pulaski Level
($250 - $499) Bryan & Karen Bomberg Sally Claassen & Mark Darlington Richard & Peggy Filer Kent Foster Luisa Harkins Jerry Johnson & Becky Lewis Robert & Melrose Kuusinen John & Kathleen Magill Karen Vail Robert & Carol Wertheimer Brad Williams - Imagine Judy Zuccone ($100 - $249) Wayne & Lisa Adamo John & Sharon Beaupre Kevin & Jane Bennett Susse Budde Jerry & Kathy Craig Win & Elaine Dermody Michele & Steve Dunklin Ross & Sally Dyer Robert & Audrey Enever Avrom Feinberg & Erica Gallagher Paul & Bridget Ferguson Nadine Foster and Jacob Rotmensch Grace Holt Home ReSource Bart & Nancy Kounovsky Ronald & Alice Lewis Darcy Owen-Trask Robert & Erin Perlman Ken & Judith Riskind Carl & Linda Rydberg William & Barbara Sanders Andreas & Lisa Sauerbrey Robert & Margaret Schafer Polly Schell Scott & Lola Schlapkohl Sherman & Howard L.L.C. - Alan Keefe Arianthe & Paul Stettner Twin Landfill Pete & Barb Wither YVEA Caring Consumers Foundation
Trailblazer Level
Groundbreaker Level
Hard Hat Level
($1 - $99) Christine Hermann Edwin & Jayne Hill John & Deb Holloway Kevin Hopkins Tina Kyprios Michael & Pamela Landy Bill & Ann Mengel Gary & Holly Nelson Lisa Parker Sky & Mike Roach Paul & Annie Sachs
Friend Level
Steven & Karen Speer Jonathan Spence Bob & Lynda Stahl Mark Thomsen Daniel & Joy Warnick Brian White Glenn & Cathy Wiedemer Dave & Sue Winters Cindy & Chris Ypsilanti
Revenues & Expenditures
$1,212,597
$1,148,923
PROJECT SPONSORS PROGRAM PARTNERS
Advocates Building Peaceful Communities Bridger Teton National Forest Christian Heritage School City of Steamboat Springs CMC Outdoor Leadership Program Colorado Fourteeners Initiative Colorado State Forest State Park Colorado Youth Corps Association The Corps Network CSU Cooperative Extension Friends of the Dillon Ranger District Friends of the Yampa Grand Futures Prevention Coalition Hayden School District Historic Routt County Home ReSource Hot Sulfur Springs DOW Jackson County Kemmerer BLM Kremmling BLM Little Snake BLM Lowell Whiteman Primary School Medicine Bow - Routt National Forest Meeker DOW National Forest Foundation North Routt Community Charter School Partners in Routt County Pearl Lake State Park Pike - San Isabel National Forest Private Land Owners Rock Springs BLM Rotary Club of Steamboat Springs Routt County Youth Services Coalition South Routt School District Southwest Conservation Corps Stagecoach State Park Steamboat Lake State Park Steamboat Springs Animal Shelter Steamboat Springs Booster Club Steamboat Springs Chamber Resort Association, Inc. Steamboat Springs Community Garden Steamboat Springs DOW Steamboat Springs School District Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Summit County Sylvan Lake State Park Town of Breckenridge Town of Oak Creek Town of Winter Park White River BLM White River National Forest Wildlands Restoration Volunteers Yampa River State Park Yampa Valley Autism Program Yampa Valley Land Trust Yampa Valley Sustainability Council Yampatika
