GCY

The Grand Canyon Youth program season is off to a roaring start. By May 1st we had launched 5 Lower Grand Canyon Programs serving 74 youth participants and their teachers. We are pleased to announce 3 new partnerships happening at Grand Canyon Youth. We’ve teamed up with Youth Volunteer Corps, a non-profit agency that leads youth through the service learning process, helping them to plan monthly service projects in the Flagstaff area. gcy is also working with Willow Bend Environmental Education Center, also in Flagstaff. This partnership will help gcy to further improve the experiential element of our program before, during and after the trip.
Another exciting partnership is with the Grand Canyon Monitoring & Research Center (gcmrc) a division of the U.S. Geological Survey. This collaborative project involves youth working with gcmrc scientists verifying, documenting and inventorying geo-referenced control points along the Colorado River through Grand Canyon. This project provides the youth with the experience of collecting valuable field data in support of gcmrc research. Our hope is that this mutually beneficial project will both inspire some youth to pursue higher education in the sciences as well as to provide an opportunity for youth to complete a meaningful service project while on the river. Forty youth from across Northern Arizona and other parts of the west will have the opportunity to go on these trips. Both agencies are thrilled about the potential of these trips.

A Big Thank You

Grand Canyon Youth’s 4th Annual Art Auction & River Runner Film Festival on April 4, 2004 was a big success. Over 250 folks attended and bid on a plethora of beautiful artwork and ate the delicious food provided by Mosey’s Kitchen, enjoyed live music from Tom Sheeley’s guitar, and four great films. Overall, it was a truly wonderful evening! Thank you to all of the artists, donors, & super volunteers who helped make the evening a success. As a non-profit organization, Grand Canyon Youth relies in large part on the support of the community. Thanks again!
Help is Always Welcome
Our list of licensed guides interested in working with gcy is growing, so if you have an interest in being a guide on a Grand Canyon Youth trip, please call or email the office. The guides this year have been an asset to our program. We have “Guide Packets” available at the gcy office. These packets include gcy brochures, a sticker and key information about Grand Canyon Youth in them. So, if you have a passenger who might be interested in supporting youth programs on the river, you will be prepared to give them a brochure to take with them. We are always in need of enthusiastic volunteers and youth interested in going on the river. Thanks for spreading the word about our small but powerful organization. For information or questions, call Emma Wharton at (928)773-7921 or email info@gcyouth.org. Our website, www.gcyouth.org is updated frequently.

Emma Wharton