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] 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

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Appalachian Mountain Club</span> Hiking club

Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is the oldest outdoor group in the United States. Created in 1876 to explore and preserve the White Mountains in New Hampshire, it has expanded throughout the northeastern U.S., with 12 chapters stretching from Maine to Washington, D.C. The AMC's 275,000 members, advocates, and supporters mix outdoor recreation, particularly hiking and backpacking, with environmental activism. Additional activities include cross-country skiing, whitewater and flatwater canoeing and kayaking, sea kayaking, sailing, rock climbing and bicycle riding. The Club has about 2,700 volunteers, who lead roughly 7,000 trips and activities per year. The organization publishes a number of books, guides, and trail maps.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Giant slalom</span> Alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding discipline

Giant slalom (GS) is an alpine skiing and alpine snowboarding competitive discipline. It involves racing between sets of poles ("gates") spaced at a greater distance from each other than in slalom but less than in Super-G.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">United States at the 2006 Winter Olympics</span> Sporting event delegation

The United States sent 204 athletes to the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy. Chris Witty, a four-time Olympian, who competed in both Summer and Winter games, and won a gold medal in speed skating at the 2002 Games, served as the flag bearer at the opening ceremonies. Speed skater Joey Cheek, who won gold in the 500 m and silver in the 1000 m, was the flag bearer at the closing ceremonies. One athlete, Sarah Konrad, became the first American woman to compete in two different disciplines at the same Winter Olympics – biathlon and cross-country skiing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burton Snowboards</span> American manufacturing company

Burton Snowboards is a privately-owned snowboard manufacturing company that was founded by Jake Burton Carpenter in 1977. The company specializes in products aimed at snowboarders, such as snowboards, bindings, boots, outerwear, and accessories. The company, whose flagship store is in Burlington, Vermont, was privately owned by Jake Burton Carpenter, until his death in 2019, and by his wife, Donna Carpenter, who has been active in the business since 1983.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wilderness therapy</span> Type of therapy for teens in the United States

Wilderness therapy, also known as outdoor behavioral healthcare, is a treatment option for behavioral disorders, substance abuse, and mental health issues in adolescents. Patients spend time living outdoors with peers. Reports of abuse, deaths, and lack of research into efficacy have led to controversy, and there is no solid proof of its effectiveness in treating such behavioral disorders, substance abuse, and mental health issues in adolescents.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ted Ligety</span> American alpine skier

Theodore Sharp Ligety is a retired American alpine ski racer, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, and an entrepreneur, having cofounded Shred Optics. Ligety won the combined event at the 2006 Olympics in Turin and the giant slalom race at the 2014 Olympics in Sochi. He is also a five-time World Cup champion in giant slalom. Ligety won the gold medal in the giant slalom at the 2011 World Championships. He successfully defended his world title in giant slalom in 2013 in Schladming, Austria, where he also won an unexpected gold medal in the super-G and a third gold medal in the super combined.

The Skiing Cochrans are a family of American alpine ski racers from Richmond, Vermont, a dominant force on the U.S. Ski Team in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and again in 2000s, 2010s and 2020s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mount Snow</span> Ski resort in Vermont, United States

Mount Snow is a mountain and ski resort in southern Vermont located in the Green Mountains. It is Vermont's southernmost big mountain, and therefore, closest to many Northeast metropolitan areas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Outing club</span> Student society for outdoor recreation

An outing club or outdoors club is a student society centered on outdoor recreation. Outing clubs provide their members with the planning, training, access, and equipment necessary to enjoy these activities.

The Wisconsin Hoofers of the Wisconsin Union is a group of outdoor recreational clubs at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, operated by the Wisconsin Union Directorate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boston Ski and Sports Club</span>

The Boston Ski and Sports Club (BSSC) is a for-profit organization founded in 1967 in Boston, Massachusetts. It provides sports leagues, social events, ski/snowboard programs, and global travel for over 30,000 active professionals in the Greater Boston area.

Academy for Global Exploration (AGE) is a college preparatory school traveling high school for grades 9 through 12 based in Ashland, Oregon, United States. AGE spends half of each semester overseas in such countries as Greece, Japan, South Africa, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Peru and others.

Will Brandenburg is a World Cup alpine ski racer on the U.S. Ski Team and specializes in slalom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gauthier de Tessières</span> French alpine skier

Gauthier de Tessières is a World Cup alpine ski racer from France, and has competed in two Winter Olympics and five World Championships. He made his breakthrough on the Alpine Skiing World Cup in a giant slalom in Val-d'Isère in December 2008, where after finishing 30th in the first run to narrowly qualify for the second run, he worked his way up to finish third overall, bettering his previous World Cup personal best of 15th. He won the silver medal in the super-G at the 2013 World Championships, after being added to the French team as an injury replacement. De Tessières announced his retirement from competition in January 2014 after he was not selected for the 2014 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trespass (clothing)</span> International sportswear brand

Trespass is an international sportswear brand owned by Jacobs & Turner Ltd., specialising in skiwear, waterproof jackets, fleeces, festival accessories, walking boots and camping gear. The company sells outdoor clothing in the wholesale market, through retail shops in Ireland, the UK and mainland Europe, and through its website.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jim Boyd (newscaster)</span> American TV news anchor and actor (born 1942)

Jim Boyd was a weekend, early morning and midday news anchor and reporter for WCVB-TV. He is currently working as an actor in major motion pictures and television productions.

From August 19, 2013 to March 23, 2014, the following skiing events took place at various locations around the world.

Shred Optics is a manufacturer of sunglasses, helmets, and goggles designed for skiing, mountain biking, snowboarding, and other forms of outdoor recreation. The company is based in Park City, Utah, and Venice, Italy.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2024 Winter Youth Olympics</span> 2024 edition of the Winter Youth Olympics

The 2024 Winter Youth Olympics, officially known as the IV Winter Youth Olympic Games and commonly known as Gangwon 2024, were a winter multi-sport event, cultural festival, and fourth edition of the Winter Youth Olympics held between 19 January and 1 February 2024 in Gangwon Province, South Korea.

Lauren Macuga is an American alpine ski racer on the U.S. Alpine Ski Development Team.

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. Dunleavy, Ryan (June 12, 2014). "Rutgers' staffer Michelle Edwards to join Hall of Fame Ryan Dunleavy". Asbury Park Press. Retrieved August 18, 2015.