Summary
Organization name
cityWILD
other names
Columbine Project
1997
Tax id (EIN)
84-1461964
Category
Youth Development
Address
1620 E. 36th Ave.Denver, CO 80205
Other
PO Box 883Denver, CO 80201
Denver County, CO, US
The mission of cityWILD is to provide low income, culturally diverse youth with outdoor and environmental service learning opportunities that promote developmental themes of personal empowerment, leadership and community participation as well as to motivate participants to reach their potential at home, in school and within their community.
Testimonials
cityWILD serves youth in greatest need of its programs. Our students rise above the challenges of alcoholdrug abuse, youth violence, and school failure amidst them. Consider Raul, who grew up in northeast Denver with his hard-working, Spanish speaking, immigrant parents. In 6th grade, one of Raul's teachers noticed he was falling behind in school and might be falling prey to the pressures of drugs, gangs, and violence around him. Hoping to increase Raul's support system, this teacher referred him to cityWILD. For the next three years Raul actively participated in its programs, honing his leadership skills, while learning the technical aspects of wilderness exploration. Raul earned a coveted cityWILD Junior Leader position, improved his academics, and was accepted into a top local high school.
Prior to high school Raul had no college aspirations, explaining that he would "try to finish school" but would mostly likely work with his dad. Fortunately, Raul continued actively with cityWILD during his freshmen year. When high school became more demanding Raul was unable to consistently participate with cityWILD, yet he maintained regular contact with cityWILD staff, providing them with ongoing success updates, while also seeking their support during his challenges. Keeping his connection with cityWILD paid off; this past spring Raul invited cityWILD staff to his high school commencement ceremony, celebrating his completion of high school in just three years. Raul is now enrolled in college.
Recently, Raul's best friend confided in cityWILD staff that Raul had told him "Do you remember when they told me I was stupid in 6th grade? I always thought I was the kid who wasn't going to make it." Instead, Raul has created an entirely different outcome that includes a full, bright, and open future ahead, which his peers can admire and hopefully emulate. With cityWILD support and your help, these other young people also can create hundreds more stories of success like that of Raul.
Mission
The mission of cityWILD is to provide low income and culturally diverse youth with outdoor and environmental service learning opportunities that promote developmental themes of personal empowerment, leadership and community participation as well as to motivate participants to reach their potential at home, in school and within their community.
Background Statement
cityWILD was founded in 1997 and the agency's first outdoor adventure pilot trip was launched in the summer of 1998. Over the next nine months of all volunteered time, cityWILD founders wrote curriculum, developed community connections, and secured funding to more formally launch cityWILD, which since then has slowly expanded its programs and services to meet increased demand in the community.
Using the outdoors as a classroom and laboratory for hands-on learning, cityWILD offers year-round, youth development programs that provide at risk students with challenging activities, opportunities for growth, healthy lifestyles, peer bonding, and supportive adults. cityWILD's ongoing and intensive programming allows students to be involved for up to six consecutive years, resulting in high student retention rates and increased potential for longer lasting impact on its participants.
cityWILD utilizes best-practice model curriculums and throughout all its programs emphasizes: 1) Leadership Development - - students participate in weekly activities to develop leadership skills, teaching the importance of role modeling and good decision making skills while also enhancing their paid and volunteer service to the organization; 2) Service Learning - - students identify and address local environmental issues (e.g., water quality testing, confronting industrial odors, cleaning up city parks, and trail restoration), and educate their peers and general public about them, role modeling good citizenship and "giving back to the environment"; 3) Workforce Readiness - - emphasizing the importance of hiring diverse staff, cityWILD actively utilizes youth's talents and expertise through volunteer and paid positions with the organization, where they can receive monthly stipends, hourly wages, academic bonuses, and Personal Development Plans; 4) Academic Assistance - - students are provided with quiet, uninterrupted time with adult staff and volunteers, which helps a majority of them who attend low performing schools and often do not receive sufficient attention in their classroom or at home; and 5) Financial Literacy - - providing financial literacy education and Individual Development Accounts (IDA's), which provide dollar for dollar matched savings that students deposit into a special account, towards a stated financial goal, along with opportunities to build their entrepreneurial skills.
Media gallery
Organization Data
Denver, CO 80205
Denver, CO 80201