Sharlene (Sharla) Salinas recently joined YouthZone’s team of youth advocates with a mission to bring lived experience and understanding to the organization’s work. Sharla has a passion for mentoring youth and has always been intrigued by the criminal justice system. She believes that her diverse work history in education, legal work and health services will be an asset to her as […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone Offers Tools to Handle Stress Through Mindfulness
YouthZone Offers Tools to Handle Stress Through Mindfulness By Katie Westcott How you handle stress is important. At YouthZone, we’ve seen kids facing both real and perceived pressures that they are often not equipped to handle. During a YouthZone assessment, kids talk to us about how they deal with stress. Some have positive coping skills […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone welcomes new Executive Director Jami Hayes
GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLO. (April 4, 2021) – YouthZone’s evolution from an activity-based youth program in the 1970s to a full support network for teens and families who are in crisis or need legal help has required strong leadership through the last 45 years. Jami Hayes, recent Vice Principal of Riverview School, is next in line […]
Continue ReadingCommunity Listening Circles Can Restore Local Connection
Rami El Gharib Restorative Justice Coordinator Covid has both isolated and disconnected us from our friends and families, and many of us have been craving that sense of connection again. To bring some peace to our community, YouthZone is holding a “Listen to your Community” project. This project aims to hold restorative community building […]
Continue ReadingEmbracing Change Opens Door To A Positive Future
Lori Mueller Executive Director “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” H.P. Lovecraft At times we look forward to different opportunities on our horizon and to a fresh way of doing things. There is a sense of adventure that can […]
Continue ReadingIs Policy or COVID-19 to Blame for Rising Truancy Cases?
Claire Hemme Communications Coordinator In the last year schools have seen a dizzying number of obstacles that have destroyed any sense of normalcy for students and teachers alike. Last spring’s pandemic wave left schools scrambling to find solutions to make online learning possible. Because of this, many teachers stopped seeing students for reasons ranging from poor accessibility to a general lack of motivation. Now, it is unclear whether existing attendance policies or the pandemic are to blame. Any […]
Continue ReadingChannel 9 News Word of Thanks Huge Success for Local Nonprofits
YouthZone is humbled with gratitude for the 1,870 donations that came from the Channel 9 News Word of Thanks feature with Kyle Clark. Lori Mueller said, “This kind of support is what empowers us to continue working with kids and families. Each donation helps us make our community even stronger.” Channel 9 featured YouthZone and two other nonprofits on the Western Slope, Friends of Youth and Gear […]
Continue ReadingYouthZone’s Commitment to Equity Reshapes Conversations
Claire Hemme Communications Coordinator Eq·ui·ty: the quality of being fair and impartial. The age of good enough has come to an end meaning equity, diversity and inclusion are quickly becoming the focus of most conversations at YouthZone. In recognition of Black History Month, we want to share some of our conscious efforts to build equity in our work. Our toolbox includes informative literature to guide discussions, client and staff input, and the professional guidance of anti-racist practitioner Jordan Curry Carter. YouthZone knows […]
Continue ReadingBlanca Lara Partners With YouthZone to Enrich Her Studies
Blanca Lara has joined us from Metropolitan State University to intern with YouthZone while she finishes up her last year of studying on her way to becoming a Licensed Social Worker. She chose this nonprofit to enrich her education because she believes in our mission to help youth and families. Blanca is only a few weeks into this role and has already begun helping […]
Continue ReadingCMC Student Bianca Comes to YZ to Gain Experience
YouthZone recently gained a new member of the team. Bianca Godina will be temporarily fulfilling the Administrative Assistant position. Bianca’s decision to work with YouthZone is largely influenced by her goal to obtain a master’s degree in psychology. Bianca is at Colorado Mountain College pursuing a dual major Associates of Arts and an Associates of Arts with a concentration in communication. She believes that her work with our […]
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