On Friday, June 26, our third class of proud YOUTHWORKS! trainees and their even prouder parents, mentors, and friends gathered to celebrate their graduation from the year-long program.

Spring is just around the corner, and spring is a great time to visit Craters of the Moon National Monument and Preserve, between Arco and Carey in Idaho. You'll avoid the heat of summer and you just might catch the season's first wildflowers. Craters of the Moon is the home of many unique native plants, but you won’t have any trouble identifying what’s blooming in those lava fields—because there’s an app for that. The park’s free wildflower app was developed by an Idaho Youth Ranch alumnus.

To pull yourself up by your bootstraps, you’ve gotta have boots!  On April 15, 2014, the very first class of trainees graduated from our new YOUTHWORKS! program. Along with a diploma, each graduate received a new pair of boots, generously sponsored by D&B Supply. The celebration at Cole Valley Christian School included  family, friends, mentors and supporters; cake, refreshments, and a slideshow of the group’s accomplishments. The ceremony was kicked off by commencement addresses from IYR CEO Steve Woodworth, YOUTHWORKS! mentor and board director Tim Ried, and YOUTHWORKS! graduate Dominic Howard.