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History

¡YouthWorks! was formed in 2001 to address the lack of meaningful alternative education, lack of employment opportunities for disconnected youth in Santa Fe and to provide prevention education and counseling services to the large numbers of youth in need. The organization began by launching education and employment training through the creation of the Santa Fe Youth Corps program, with funding by the NM Youth Conservation Corps, and Lifeskills Training and Counseling for youth in the Santa Fe Public Schools through partnership with the District and the City of Santa Fe. ¡YouthWorks! has grown since its inception to have many partners and have created many collaborations in the community and across the state. Since 2001, ¡YouthWorks! has served thousands of youth while expanding youth development opportunities that includes high impact interventions, youth advocacy, alternative education, leadership training and employment connections for youth and young adults critically improving the health of the community and the positive youth outcomes.

Key Milestones:

2001

  • Nonprofit was formed under the fiscal sponsorship umbrella of the New Mexico Community Foundation.
  • Seed funding was received to start the first positive youth development programs in Santa Fe by the McCune Charitable Foundation.
  • Facilitated Botvins' Lifeskills Training to all SFPS 6th grade students reaching over 1000 youth.
  • Created in-school counseling support program to help children and families in need of emotional support, reached over 185 youth in the first year of services.

2002

  • Launched YouthWorks first job training program, the "Santa Fe Youth Corps."
  • Successfully employed 24 disconnected youth in projects that benefitted the community.
  • Engaged critical community partners for youth work site projects
    • Santa Fe County Open Space and Trails, The State Land Office and the Santa Fe Public Schools.
  • Initiated school-based youth peer mediation training program, to increase school-wide campus peace-keeping solutions.

 

2003

  • Awarded 3 year State of New Mexico contract to deliver "Second Step" violence prevention curriculum to all Kindergarteners in the District.
  • ¡YouthWorks! Santa Fe Youth Corps to develop Dale Ball 26 mile trail system, Santa Fe's major hiking trail system.
  • Santa Fe Youth Corps worked with City of Santa Fe Public Works Department to begin many years of Santa Fe River Rehabilitation.
  • District-wide middle school gang intervention program created and delivered to dissolve rampant campus violence and positively engage vulnerable and disruptive youth.

2004

  • Santa Fe Youth Corps works to improve the Agua Fria Community Farm, traditional farming and agriculture to benefit the hungry and indigent.
  • Santa Fe Youth Corps began to learn construction trades to work on Historic Hubble house- traditional adobe construction and repair. YouthWorks adobe work featured on the History Channel.
  • YouthWorks partnered with Ronald M. Simon Family Foundation to create innovative scholarship program for low income high school students.

2005

  • Negotiated facility/operations move to abandoned, neglected SFPS District property to eliminate neighborhood blight and to create a new YW center on La Madera Street.
  • Assisted to re-create and re-energize the Mayor's Youth Advisory Board to address youth issues in Santa Fe.

2006

  • Formalized in-house GED Program established with dedicated, experienced staff and the development of individualized curriculum and instructional methods.
  • First funding awarded by LANL Foundation to establish "Street Science Program" to engage disconnected and drop-out youth in hands-on studies of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.
  • Massive property rehabilitation of YW property begun- greenhouse installed, irrigation installed, fruit tree orchard installed.
  • Environmental Service Learning Program was formed to engage school aged youth in afterschool programs and alternative settings in the principles of ecology and environmentalism.

 2007 -

  • Launched the First Annual City of Santa Fe River Restoration Crew under the leadership and initiative of Mayor David Coss. Since then the program has trained hundreds of young people in ecological restoration along the Santa Fe River and its watershed. The first year projects included Frenchy's Field Restoration and the First Annual Fishing Derby.
  • STEM Project expanded through the partnership with the Santa Fe Community College Engineering Program
  • Awarded notable Hispanics in Philanthropy 3 year funding for organizational capacity building.

2008 -

  • Piloted innovative "Youth Leadership and Lifeskills" project at DeVargas Middle School and at district-wide summer school. This program created a positive youth development curriculum aimed at middle school students most at-risk of long-term suspension, expulsion and dropping-out. 85 % of participants completed the Eighth Grade.
  • Staff and Youth Leaders selected to present a workshop entitled "Gang Members or Community Leaders?" on engaging at-risk youth in youth leadership through service learning at the 19th Annual National Service Learning Conference in Minneapolis, MN.
  • City River Crew assisted in the establishment the Annual Fishing Derby with the City of Santa Fe. Every year, hundreds of local families participate in the event in conjunction with the SF River Festival.
  • YW launched a private landscaping business arm, Green Industries, to serve residential, commercial and public facilities utilizing youth entrepreneurial concepts for operation.
  • Pilot year of the Green Collar Jobs Apprenticeship Program. Program has grown to serve over 45 youth per year with more than 20 local business partners.

2009 -

  • Developed and facilitated staff training for the entire staff of the City of Santa Fe. Focus on youth development, positive engagement, team building, problem solving and program design
  • Launched Culinary Arts Program that served affordable, subsidized breakfast & lunches to over one hundred program participants daily for six months.
  • The Icenhouer moved into house built by 12 youth in the "Training Today's Youth for Tomorrow's Jobs" project with Santa Fe Community College, SF Area Homebuilder's Association, and Habitat for Humanity.
  • Honorary guest and presenters at Closing Plenary of Congressional Hispanic Caucus' Annual Conference on "Green Jobs and Workforce Development."
  • Began partnership with the Santa Fe Community College to implement "Non-Trad Program" aimed at recruiting and retaining non-traditional learners and under-represented students in college career pathways.
  • Pilot year of the EnergyWorks program with the Housing Trust. Over 240 local homes received free energy efficiency audits and installations by a trained crew of young people.

2010

  • Culinary Arts program expanded to include "The Breakfast Club" social venture food truck.
  • Partnership with New Mexico Abilities began, expanded scope of services and partnerships for work opportunities.
  • 12 YouthWorks youth testify in front of the Environmental Improvement Board on Climate Change and Global Warming.
  • YouthWorks programs featured by the Institute for Sustainable Communities as a case study for local governments on Green Jobs development
  • Small prize awarded by MIX Santa Fe to begin the YW T-Shirt Company. This project was featured on CNN's Building Up America series on innovative responses to the recession.