Higher Ground Youth Challenge

Background Statement

Established in 1997, Higher Ground hosts week-long summer experiential education programs for boys and girls at Cal-wood Environmental Education Center west of Jamestown, Colorado. The founders of Higher Ground create opportunities for outdoor experiences for at-risk youth from the Denver metro area. For young people who exist in environments where high school dropout rates, teen pregnancy, gang violence, and poverty are the norm, Higher Ground summer programs offer desirable alternative surroundings.

Following the summer program, young participants are invited to participate in our Touchstone Events and youth development activities with their mentors from Denver Kids. Scheduled monthly activities with offer opportunities for one-on-one guidance and group activities planned with other youth, who have become trusted friends, and their Denver Kids mentors. These Touchstone activities include life-building skills, financial planning, life post high school, community service activities, how to write a resume, how to look for a job, and so forth. Improved grades in school, more honesty in their relationships, and increased involvement in school activities are some examples of the improvements in the lives of our young clients. One of our youth explained that, "I needed someone to talk to…I knew that using (drugs) wasn't the right thing to do to get away from my problems. Thank goodness my mentor was there."

Higher Ground is excited about the positive impact that we have on our teenage population. The participation rate for teens entering the mentor program, which follows the week-long summer program, is 95%. The retention rate after one year is 75%. We also have a large number of teens, beyond the age of 15, who remain involved with the program. And our proudest moments come when former attendees return to the summer program as counselors, giving back to the programs that they found to be valuable in their lives.

Following is a story about one of Higher Ground's alumni. Kenny is an example of the great work that Higher Ground is doing with the youth in Denver. In May 2009, Kenny Stable graduated from Creighton University. This is the story that Kenny shared with the boys during the 2009 summer program. Kenny went to his first Higher Ground camp when he was 13; he created a "dream board" at camp as one of the activities and that dream board kept him focused over the past 10 years. Kenny told the boys that he would look at it daily and be reminded of camp and what his goals were. Over the past 10 years he would up-date it when he had goals that he reached or new goals that he would like to make happen. He said that without Higher Ground and his mentor Jim, he would not have been able to accomplish what he has. He went back and looked at his dream board after graduation and realized that he had achieved each one of the goals he had put on his board. Kenny attended and has now graduated from dental school.