At 10 sites around Boulder County, the evidence of Global Youth Service Day will be lasting.
On Saturday, Lafayette non-profit Project YES organized its 8th Annual SeLebration as a way of participating in Global Youth Service Day, according to the Project YES website. The day is meant to send community members of all ages to local organizations in need of volunteers.
Project YES is the lead partner in Colorado for Youth Service America, meaning that they are the “go-to” place for service orchestration, said Interim Director Allie VanBuskirk, who studied communication at CU.
More than 100 countries participate on the designated day of youth service. As an organization dedicated to youth empowerment and community involvement, Project YES plans SeLebration to bring that day to Colorado.
This year, Boulder County organized more than 100 volunteers who put in more than 300 hours at 10 local locations. Volunteers were deployed to a location for a few hours of service, where they did projects like gardening outside of the Patchwork Elementary School, fixing the ice rink at the YMCA or packing bags of donated food at Sister Carmen.
Although organizers said that while the weather lowered the expected turnout, the day was still a success for those involved.
Because of weather restrictions, Project YES had to reschedule some events until May 8, VanBuskirk said. However, the tools and funds sponsors such as Lowe’s and FirstBank donated will still be applicable, she said.
SeLebration was planned by Jenn Ambrose, a 22-year-old senior geography major at CU, who was hired by Project YES specifically for the event.
Ambrose began working at Project YES because of her courses in INVST, a community studies program at CU that highlights service learning. She said that SeLebration offers a unique space for volunteers of all ages to interact, and creates a connection that may have been lacking before.
“I think there’s really this disconnect between organizations’ needs and community’s wants or offerings,” Ambrose said. “I think of SeLebration as a bridge between those.”
Contact CU Independent Copy Editor Molly Maher at Maherm@colorado.edu.
