CBR Youth Connect continues to the tradition of the Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation. Our organization and programs are a legacy of resilience -- over the last 65 years, 17,000 youth and their families have now been served across the state of Colorado.
Last year, we launched our newest initiative - the HERO-WITHIN program, designed to honor and inspire resilient youth. Since its inception, we have witnessed incredible stories of triumph over adversity among children across Colorado. Despite these many challenges, each youth demonstrates remarkable inner-strength and resilience that we feel needs to be acknowledged.
Your generosity plays a crucial role in providing these children with the support they need to thrive.
As a result, we have been able to offer special opportunity grants to fund educational programs and joyful moments of connection and fun to kids who are too often overlooked. This year alone, the HERO-WITHIN recipients have found themselves in the pilot’s seat of planes, on trail rides at horse camp, in school bands, educational training and athletic events around the country.
These experiences not only equip them with the skills they need to overcome their past struggles, but also empower them to build brighter futures filled with hope and possibility. Together, we can create a world where every child feels loved, valued, and capable of achieving their dreams.
Your gift can transform lives and with your continued support, we can create a world where every child feels loved, valued, and capable of achieving their dreams. Whether you donate $50, $100, $250 or at one of our Hero, Champion or Superhero sponsor levels, your gift makes a lasting impact on the lives of our Colorado youth!
HERO-WITHIN RECIPIENT SPOTLIGHT:
Abril has been participating in Whiz Kids, an after-school tutoring program, since she was eight years old. An avid learner, Abril has always been outgoing, curious and willing to try new things. Whether it’s leading a dance class, helping her younger friends, or teaching them how to do long division, she has always stepped up to take the lead. That’s why her long-time mentor nominated her for a Hero Within award.
Today, Abril still shows up for after school tutoring, but now she is the tutor! She wants to serve as a role model and hopes to someday be the first HWI recipient to nominate another hero. Abril plans to graduate from high school in 2025 and become an esthetician. One day, she hopes to run her own salon and plans to use her special opportunity grant to realize her dreams and further her studies.
Our mission is to provide resilient youth with the means to become hopeful and productive citizens. To achieve this mission we serve, help, assist, and inspire.
Incorporated as Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation, our organization and programs are a legacy of resilience. Over 17,000 at-risk youth plus their families have now been served in 65 years. We continue to adapt our programs to fit society’s evolving needs and periodic shifts in federal/state funding streams. Read more about our 65 year history.
Originally, we operated as Colorado Boys Ranch in rural southeast Colorado providing residential, foster and group home care in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. In the 1990’s, we achieved national Joint Commission Accreditation and provided youth from 33 states with award-winning psychiatric residential treatment plus a state accredited specialized school. In the 2010’s, federal funding reductions plus impact from the national recession, led to our closing campus operations. Resiliently, we rebranded as CBR YouthConnect; relocated to the Denver Metro area; and applied our expertise to in-home and community-based services for at-risk boys, girls and families statewide.
In 2020’s, COVID restricted our in-home and community-based services. At the same time, major shifts occurred in federal and state funding for in-home services. Providers (like CBR) were coerced to join large Medicaid, mental health systems-of-care with extensive credentialing and referral processes. Providers were subjected to the Medicaid philosophy of hourly and brief services with emphasis on remote mental health and substance abuse therapies. We decided not to follow this trend because it is not our passion and would require we abandon our core beliefs and the proven success of our relationship-driven approach.
Since COVID, we have worked to re-establish previous community-based and legacy programs with animals, nature, character development and civic responsibility. Our first new program is called HERO-WITHIN.
HERO-WITHIN is an “award and opportunity grant program” honoring youth that are remarkable examples of being resilient when facing adversity. These youth are establishing the resilience skills and personal character needed to withstand adversity, bounce back and thrive. Against the odds, they are developing their own “hero-within” – resilience.
Organization name
CBR YouthConnect
other names
CBR YouthConnect, CBR YouthConnect, Colorado Boys Ranch Foundation
1960
Tax id (EIN)
84-0500375
Category
Human Services
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
CBR YouthConnect 601 16th Street, Ste C-450CO, US