Youth Enrichment Services

Last updated

Youth Enrichment Services (YES) is a non-profit based in Boston, Massachusetts that offers outdoor and enrichment programming outside of school to at-risk youth. [1] Its primary program is to teach city youth to ski or snowboard using volunteer instructors. [2]

Contents

The organization was founded in 1968 by Richard Williams as Operation Ski Lift as a way to expose inner city youths to the sport of skiing, and was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1972. [3] [4] In early years it received grants from the City of Boston, but today is run on donations from corporations and individuals. [5] It is supported by Olympic skier Ted Ligety. [6]

Year round activities such as backpacking, canoeing, bicycling and environmental education trips to the Cape Cod National Seashore and to Swann Lodge in the Berkshires were added in the 1970s. [3] [4] The current headquarters in a South End brownstone were built in 1987. [3] In 2007 the YES Academy was founded to include Career Exploration, College Preparation, Girls Outdoor Adventure Leaders and Junior Volunteers programs. [1] [3] Today, additional programs offered by YES include ski and snowboard lessons, track and field programs, kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing. [7] [4]

More than 100,000 youths have been served by the organization since it was founded, [3] [8] with about 7,500 youths being served a year, mostly in winter. [5] In 2015, 200 youths participated in the YES Academy, which is a 40% gain over the same period three years prior. [1]

YES Programs

Operation SnowSports:

Outdoor Adventure:

YES Academy:

Notable alumni

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Lexington, Winchester residents accept Cummings Foundation grant for Boston nonprofit". Lexington Minuteman. July 15, 2015. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  2. ↑ Underwood, Katherine (February 9, 2024). "Boston-based program brings inner-city youth to ski, snowboard at New Hampshire mountains". WMUR-TV . Retrieved February 12, 2024.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 "History". Youth Enrichment Services. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 Tarantal, Erika (February 15, 2024). "5 for Good: YES provides free ski and snowboard instruction to Massachusetts kids". WCVB. Retrieved February 21, 2024.
  5. 1 2 Fearer, Myrna (August 16, 2012). "Happiness is a day of fun at the Danversport Yacht Club". Wicked Local Danvers. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  6. ↑ Whiteside, kelly (February 5, 2014). "Ski star Ted ligety hopes feeling golden is his forte". USA Today. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Programs". Youth Enrichment Services. Retrieved August 18, 2015.
  8. ↑ "NH Chronicle: Inner City Kids Learn to Ski at Whaleback". WMUR. February 12, 2025. Retrieved February 14, 2025.
  9. ↑ Dunleavy, Ryan (June 12, 2014). "Rutgers' staffer Michelle Edwards to join Hall of Fame Ryan Dunleavy". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved August 18, 2015.


Io donna uomo architetto 01.svg

This article about a youth organization is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it.

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.