winter 07-08 / 20:4 - Grand Canyon River Guides

Grand Canyon Youth Program Update
“River trips make me feel more confident. I’m kind of shy
sometimes and I honestly feel like these trips get rid of that.
River trips are like getting a soul massage.”
—Emily, 2007 participant
The growth of Grand Canyon Youth over the
past year has been phenomenal. As we continue
to expand our reach
and develop our programs
further we are heartened by
the support we have
received from the community
and the enthusiastic
feedback we get from the
young people who participate
in our programs. Thank
you to all of you who help
make our organization a
success year after year. From
our small warehouse in
Flagstaff we supported the
majority of the equipment, transportation, food, guides
and educational support for our programs. This season we
feel that we have stayed true to our educational philosophy
of instilling curiosity in young people about the
natural world, themselves and their communities.
Our Biggest Season Yet!
• Number of River Education Programs: 31 (23 in 2006)
• Number of Participants Served: 579 (a 54 percent
increase from 2006)
• Number of Participant Days: 3,136
• Scholarships: 99 totaling more than $23,000
• Hours of pre-trip community service completed: over
6,900
• Served students: age 11–19
• Served: 271 boys and 308 girls
• Programs: 21 returning, 10 new
Striving for Diversity
At Grand Canyon Youth we are dedicated to ensuring
that our participants come from a variety of backgrounds
whether it is cultural, socioeconomic, geographic or
range of ability. We served students from across the
United States including New York and Boston, from the
Hopi and Diné Nations, as well as two exchange
students from India and Denmark. One of our main
focuses remains serving young people from Northern
Arizona, who live in close proximity to the areas in
which we have programs. In addition, we are proud of
our partnership with the City of Phoenix with whom we
serve young people with different needs and whose
Hooray for youth! Photo by Angela Keithº
program we used as a model for a Flagstaff special needs
program.
Strengthening Community
Being an active part in the community is one of the
keystones of our program. This is evidenced by the
incredible amount of community service accomplished
by our participants prior to
going on their river trip. It
is also evidenced by the
phenomenal partnerships
we are proud to be a part
of. In Grand Canyon,
students worked alongside
scientists on a wide variety
of projects with the u.s.
Geological Survey, the
National Park Service and
the Coconino County
Health Department.
Participants also assisted
with service projects on the San Juan River and trash
clean up on the way to Diamond Creek.
New in 2007
• Inspired by the City of Phoenix’s River Rampage
program, Grand Canyon Youth facilitated the first
Flagstaff River Buddies Program for students with
special needs and their peers.
• As a way to deepen the understanding of the
Colorado River Watershed, Grand Canyon Youth had
a 14-day pilot program for twelve gcy alumni. This
trip included a six-day Gates of Lodore river trip in
partnership with Dinosaur National Monument where
students helped to eradicate invasive species. Stops at
museums and spectacular hikes along the way helped
to facilitate the learning!
• Facilitated a two-week middle school program with
eight inner-city Boston youth and ten youth from
Flagstaff. This was a community supported event with
host families and a plethora of service projects.
Get Involved with Grand Canyon Youth
2008 marks the tenth anniversary of Grand Canyon
Youth! As the word spreads about the benefits of our
program so does the demand. Here are several ways you
can get involved with Grand Canyon Youth:
• Work as a guide! We are always looking to increase
our guide pool. In 2007, 64 guides worked for our
program! To sign-up for the guide list or to learn more
please call or email Reed Allen, Assistant Director,
928-773-7921, reed@gcyouth.org.
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grand canyon river guides