YOUTH (14-18)
CONSERVATION CORPS
Parent Information
At RMYC, we are committed to supporting your child's growth and success. This page will give you an inside look at our organization's impact, from our proven outcomes and statistics to the leadership guiding our mission. You’ll also find important information about our policies, protocols, and how to apply to our programs. We believe in transparency and partnership, and we’re excited to share how we’re working together to create a positive, lasting impact for your child.
Who We Serve
RMYC is the largest employer of youth in North West Colorado. Each year, we engage approximately 175 youth ages 14-18 in conservation projects in our region through the Youth Conservation Corps. This area includes Moffat, Routt, Grand, Jackson, Summit, Eagle, Pitkin, Lake, Garfield, and Rio Blanco Counties.
Outcomes at RMYC
The following information is collected through hiring paperwork, pre and post-surveys administered at the start and end of the RMYC experience, and parent surveys taken after each session.
The data collected helps us take an objective look at our programs and see the program's impact on the young people we serve as a collective.
This information is also used to make decisions on program adaptations.
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It is already apparent that our daughter has grown in confidence and self identity. The two weeks focused on conservation have given her more interest and desire to continue a path in conservation related field.
My son suffers from social anxiety. I was able to contact the team leads and give them a heads up and they made a great, successful effort to make him feel included and eased his anxiety. He really took pride in the work he was doing and felt really good about it. He wears his RMYC t-shirt often with pride and loves to talk about what a great experience it was for him.
My daughter gained valuable work skills, team building and communication. She really felt proud of the work her team accomplished. Hard work, something teens today don’t always get exposed to.
The work was physical and harder than anything she had done in her life, but she worked through it and learned much about her mental and physical abilities. She came away from the experience with a lot of confidence in herself that confidence showed up in her sophomore grades, straight A's.
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Leadership and Support
At RMYC, we recognize that the success of our youth programs starts with strong, dedicated leadership. That's why we place a high value on supporting our crews in the field through comprehensive training, guidance, and resources. Below, you'll learn more about how we carefully choose and vet our crew leaders. We believe that by selecting individuals who are not only skilled and experienced but also passionate about empowering youth, we ensure a positive, impactful experience for both our crews and the young people we serve. The button below will lead you to bios on our staff and their contact information!
Emergency Protocols
RMYC takes the safety of our members and staff seriously. Our protocols have been developed over the organization's history through peer reviews with other corps and leaders in the outdoor industry. Each is reviewed as part of RMYC's national (The Corps Network) and statewide (Colorado Youth Corps Association) accreditations.
RMYC has earned and maintained our The Corps Netork's Corps Center of Excellence distinction. In 2024, RMYC also participated in an additional review process with many other outdoor leadership organizations facilitated by the National Outdoor Leadership School's Risk Management for Administrators course and RMYC's protocols were recognized as a model in that course. RMYC's medical advisor and Desert Mountain Medicine have also developed and reviewed our medical protocols.
Lightning
Lightning in our region is prevalent. RMYC teaches staff to seek shelter or use lightning position based on our distance guidelines (25 seconds between boom and flash at high elevation and 10 seconds below tree line), the unique characteristics of a storm, the terrain, and available options for mitigating exposure.
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Fire
RMYC takes immediate action to evacuate in cases of fire close by. More often, it is air quality that crews contend with. All staff are oriented to air quality guidelines and monitor these daily and hourly when relevant. RMYC Staff and project partners communicate about what activities are appropriate for crew activities and locations in the field.
Driving
Driving can be classified as one of the more dangerous activities we do! Crew leaders are always in the driver's and passengers' seats for safety and navigation. All passengers are required to wear seat belts. All crew leaders must have a clean Motor Vehicle report. RMYC teaches and practices defensive driving methods during training and all vehicles have speed monitoring.
Medication
Crew leaders will review all medication with caregivers at your first meet-up and will confirm any special requests or needs at this time. Medication is stored in a dry bag and lock box that leaders keep. Medication is labeled and given according to individual needs. All medication is documented when given in our paperwork and includes dose, date, and time.
Injury
Upon injury, crew leaders stop activities immediately and assess the injury, provide basic first aid, and monitor for worsening conditions or life-threatening emergencies. Communication with caregivers, program staff, emergency medical support, and transport will then occur as needed.
Asthma and Allergy
Staff are epi-trained and carry 2 epi-pens and Benadryl. We require youth with asthma and allergies to self-carry their inhalers and epi-pens during the sessions. We give Benadryl as needed. We do our best to accommodate various allergies and food sensitivities, and we cannot guarantee a 100% allergy/contaminant-free environment.
Prevention and early intervention always come first. Leaders work to check in with our office and with youth regularly through a series of check-ins, detailed project descriptions, safety checks, and individual meetings to identify early on and mitigate potential hazards and issues.
In the case of injury, RMYC will provide prompt and transparent updates about their child’s condition and the next steps, a thorough explanation of the actions taken to care for their child, assistance navigating the healthcare process, and workers' compensation.
RMYC expects caregivers to provide updated insurance and medical history information before the program begins. Cooperation in making decisions about their child's care and timely follow-up with their healthcare provider if further treatment or recovery protocols are necessary are important to the process. ​
Application
+ Hiring
Policy at RMYC
Transportation
RMYC does not provide transportation assistance. If your youth cannot make it to Steamboat, please reach out individually.
We will consider on a case-by-case basis what options may be available, including but not limited to connecting your family to another for carpooling or direct transportation from RMYC.
Phones
RMYC does not allow youth to use phones during the work week. We want everyone to fully immerse themselves in this experience! Phones will be kept in a lockbox during the work week. During the weekend, we will allow youth to have access to their phones. All youth are trained on how to use SPOT or Garmin devices for emergency communications.
Camp
Camp is set up with safety in mind. Tents are positioned 200ft away from the kitchen, bathroom, and bear hangs. The kitchen and bathroom are also set up to be far from each other. Hand washing stations and hand sanitizer are made available at all times, and use is required after restrooms are used and before meals are prepared and eaten.
Tents
Member tents are positioned 200 feet from kitchens and bathrooms with crew leaders in the middle in case of emergency during the night. When sharing larger tents, other spaces will be provided for privacy needs such as changing. Members can request a private tent if we have enough gear in stock, and are welcome to bring their own tent.
Driving
While driving in RMYC vehicles, all youth are required to be seated and buckled. Youth with licences are allowed to drive themselves in their own vehicle to and from the star and end of session and are not allowed to have their car on session. We will provide safe parking for the 2 or 4 weeks sessions youth attend. Youth are not allowed to drive RMYC vehicles.
Visitation
For the well-being of all participants, RMYC does not permit visitors at crew sites for any reason. Our programs are designed to foster independence, teamwork, and personal growth in an immersive outdoor setting. We understand that two or four weeks away from home can feel like a long time, we encourage youth to stay connected with family and friends during their free time on weekends.
Bathrooms
Members may use cat holes, latrines, or outhouses at campgrounds while on crew. If they use a latrine, they will have a “key” to it, such as a flagged stick to indicate when it is in use and to ensure privacy for the user. We follow Leave No Trace principals and provide safe, sanitary, and discreet means of disposal as is needed. Sanitary products will be made available!
Gear
RMYC has a stock of sleeping bags, sleeping mats, tents, and backpacking backpacks available for youth who do not have access to their own. We provide youth shirts, gloves, helmets, and eye protection as part of their uniform. For a complete list of what to bring and what not to bring, see the YCC Gear List page or click the link below!