- June 2018 -
It Takes a Community
When addressing community centered issues, it takes just that to mend them; a community . Without the consistent support from our local volunteers, donors and neighbors like you, everything that YouthZone currently has to offer wouldn't be available. That's why we couldn't be more grateful for forty one years of consistent local support, which continues to allow YouthZone to Connect and Grow with the youth of Garfield and Pitkin counties.

As we all know, with time; comes change. If you weren't aware, over the past 6 months our incredible board of directors and county commissioners were able to come together, as a community, to solidify YouthZone's future in the heart of Glenwood Springs. Even good change, such as YouthZone's transition from renting to owning, can be a painful process. Luckily for our community's youth, Garfield and Pitkin counties always have their back.

What's even more impressive, however, is the ability of our case managers to adapt their skills to our nation's changing social environment, which set their roots in community needs . In an effort to remain ahead of the curve, YouthZone has been adopting programming strategies that address new technologies, such as SnapChat , Instagram , and Vaping . We've even been leading Colorado in a new, non-punitive practice called Restorative Justice .

The short of it, is that the Roaring Fork Valley continues taking ownership of community lead , family focused, positive youth development programming in the place we all love to call home.

And YouthZone couldn't be more proud of our home towns
The Ascent
The Ascent , an evolved version of Kiss N' Squeal , is currently in the planning stages at our YouthZone offices. This year, as in previous years, we are aiming to have four participating teams throughout the Roaring Fork Valley. There will be a team from Rifle, Glenwood Springs, Carbondale and Aspen respectively.

We're asking for any community members with a passion for community service, above all youth mentorship, to inquire with Robin Tolan. Each team will have two adult community members along side our eager clients.

If making a difference in a youth's life, and the community, means something to you please reach out!

Summer Art Murals
If you haven't had the chance to make it out to Rifle these past two years, be sure to make a stop at the Kum and Go, as well as the pedestrian underpass.

YouthZone has partnered with The Embery Family Foundation to bring community minded arts in an aim to foster cross generational connection.

If your teen is interested in participating in this years mural project, for ten dollars an hour, please fill out the application below. It can be turned in to either Rifle, or our Glenwood Spring's offices.
Thank You RCG Fund!
The RCG Fund generously donated 20,000 dollars in order for YouthZone to maintain general operations throughout the year. As an organization we send them our deepest gratitude for allowing us to continue Connecting and Growing with The Roaring Fork Valley's youth!

Your continued support makes all the difference in the world!
Staff Spotlight:
Nick Croissant
Nick, one of the newest editions to the YouthZone family, has been working for the organization since August of 2017. We feel very lucky to have him as our new Assistant Director, a position of leadership which went unfilled from March of that same year until his hire. Although Nick holds a spot in YouthZone with some weight, he approaches his work from a place of compassion and understanding. To get to the point, he is a very humble man despite his title and credentials. I think most of us, at YouthZone, would agree that the lapse in time between Assistant Directors was well worth the wait.

Nick relocated back to the Roaring Fork Valley about three years ago after some time spent in Texas completing a master's degree in Social Work. After the Croissant family made the decision to move back to his home community here in the valley, Nick found work with the Roaring Fork School District as a middle school counselor. He even drove a school bus route for some time, which he still does on occasion. His time with the school allowed him the unique opportunity to make connections with some of the very kids YouthZone helps today and some of which he still works with on a personal level as an assistant wrestling coach.

While Nick found his time with the school district valuable, his desire was to work at the macro level as opposed to the micro level. In other words, a position which would allow him to directly influence how entities in our community, such as YouthZone, are organized and execute their tasks. He believes that we must focus on these types of issues, as organizations, so we can provide quality services to our clients. We can only do as much as our resources allow us and creating a network of collaboration, as Nick put it, is the way in which we can optimize services from an organizational approach.
Recent Staff Trainings
Our team of experienced staff recently completed a training on the impact sexting has had on our local teen's sense of self worth. We've also completed trainings, lead by the Garfield County's DA office, regarding ways in which to address cyberbullying within our communities.

Recently, our staff has also finished a 2 day Motivational Training thanks to the support from our 9 th  Judicial District Probation Office. Lastly, YouthZone has also participated in a human trafficking focus group that the state is currently leading. It's our hope that this will enable YouthZone to further identify the signs of human trafficking.
"High in Plain Sight"
On July 23rd, YouthZone will be hosting the "Tall Cop Says Stop" for his drug use, and or abuse, seminar called "High in Plain Sight." The event will focus on issues related to drug use, as well as provide adults the proper knowledge to identify drugs, drug paraphernalia, and the overall youth drug culture.

Please take a moment to watch our video invite from Lori Mueller and Leslia Serrano


June Event Fliers
"High In Plain Sight"
Substance Abuse Prevention Training
2018 Youth Substance Abuse Prevention & Intervention Symposium
www.youthzone.com | (970) 945 - 9300 | Email: info@youthzone.com