IYR Blog

 One of the first things you’ll notice about Z * is her very shy demeanor, but she hasn’t let that define who she is or what she wants to be: a designer for clothing supergiant, Adidas.

As one of the youngest members of the Youthworks! this summer (she will be a junior in high school come fall), Z says she wanted to be a part of the program in order to gain experience in money management, entrepreneurship and the overall concept of what it takes to run a business, things that will help her build her own brand in the future.

Every year the Idaho Youth Ranch has the honor of awarding scholarships to graduates from our various programs to attend universities, colleges, or vocational/trade schools. Their application essays and interviews are always an inspiration to everyone on the review committee. One of the most rewarding parts of the process is the chance to learn what our IYR alums are up to and how their promising futures are taking shape.

One of the key ingredients to a promising future is a sense of belonging and feeling connected to others and valued for what you have to offer. That’s why volunteering, or what we call service learning, is such an important part of treatment at IYR.

Rayanne was barely 16 when her mom’s alcoholism finally got so out of control that she couldn’t take care of her kids or herself. It was a shock to Rayanne, who had no idea her mom was drinking.

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.

Here it is- the Spring 2015 issue of The Maverick newsletter, full of success stories about Idaho kids and families whose lives have changed for the better, thanks to your generous support. 

Our newest Idaho Youth Ranch program, YOUTHWORKS!, helps launch at-risk young adults into the working world with a big head start. The program includes on-the-job training in our thrift stores, mentoring from a business professional, classroom instruction, an internship, and job placement assistance. It even pays trainees a stipend while they’re learning.

We hope you enjoy this latest issue of The Maverick newsletter! It's full of success stories about lives changed for the better, thanks to you. Whenever you donate funds, volunteer your time, or donate household items to our thrift stores, you are making a real,immediate difference right here in Idaho.

Dominic’s life was on the wrong path and his future looked anything but promising. Losing his scholarship to college and getting in trouble with the law eventually led to unemployment and drug abuse.  He had given up hope of ever achieving his goals.