MHYC Hosts Special Guests

This year MHYC hosted the U.S. Forest Service International Youth Conservation Corps (YCC) study tour. YCC representatives from Morocco, Egypt and Lebanon, along with Kristin Schmitt from the USFS National Partnerships Office in DC, were provided with a tour of MHYC headquarters, an overview of MHYC programs and operations, and a site visit with MHYC’s Trailblazer crew at Standley Lake, a reservoir in Westminster, CO.

“Everyone enjoyed learning about all of the programs, logistics, support and operations that your team puts into a successful corps program. We had a great time out on the project meeting Corpsmembers and seeing outstanding crew leadership in action.” – Kristin Schmitt

Corpsmember Story 

“In 2022, I started with MHYC as an LCL (Land Conservation Leader) and was very hesitant about the value I could bring to an already knowledgeable team. I had never done anything like this before but immediately found myself supported by the mentors and staff around me. I had never been at a job where I enjoyed showing up each day but I enjoyed it so much that I decided to come back as a Program Mentor. MHYC has allowed me to grow into a better leader and gain experience working on different projects. In my new role, I’m excited to improve the program and impact the Corpsmembers’ experience in a positive way. Working with MHYC has made me realize that I was capable of more than I thought and showed me the importance of always having a growth mindset.” – Joseph Otero, 2023 SFR Land Conservation Program Mentor 

Recruitment and Retention 

MHYC was able to exceed the organization’s 2023 recruitment goal utilizing data analysis and reflection from previous years, resulting in more local youth being served across all program pathways. All board and staff have been intentionally trained on updated language and new messaging platforms, resulting in an increase in MHYC’s social media presence. MHYC has also been able to deepen capacity of program staff by adding Program Managers for the YouthBuild and Energy & Water Conservation programs. This will facilitate intentional cross training and collaboration for all Corpsmembers, which will also benefit equity and completion goals across the organization. Finally, all MHYC staff were engaged in extensive DEI affinity groups from an external facilitator in 2023. These groups have allowed for more robust conversation and problem solving as staff continue to unpack how race impacts every single aspect of a Corpsmembers’ journey at MHYC, and the organization’s obligation to removing these barriers when possible.