Leaving Colorado and moving to Virginia for college brought a lot of changes. One of them was that I all the sudden had no relationships with non-profits in the area! I was pretty overwhelmed with all the newness of college and only had 1 or 2 opportunities to...
read moreThe Legacy of a Leader
“Embrace your own form of leadership while pushing your comfort zone in different aspects of your community.” These guiding words from CYL student Lauren G. underscore that leadership is not about who you are but how you engage within your community. Last May Lauren...
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My Decalibron Journey – Service & Leadership
The summer after my freshman year of high school, my best friend Casey and I decided to make a summer bucket list filled with things from bike around downtown to tube down Boulder Creek to climb a 14er. It was September and we had done just about every other thing on...
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CYL Base Camp Inspires Teens to Lead in their Community
It was early on a Saturday morning walking up to Sturm Hall at the University of Denver, and you could feel the excitement in the air as teens from across Metro Denver arrived for Colorado Young Leaders (CYL) Base Camp CommUnity, a youth leadership forum created by...
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The Humble Attitude of a Leader
I climbed out of my hammock and took in a big whiff of chill morning air, tainted by the smell of aspen trees and the distinct butterscotch smell of ponderosa pine. The delicate bubble of a low creek whispered through the air, and I found delight in the early morning...
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A Day of Peacebuilding and Community Impact
At the garden, we all converge, Paths cross and then Diverge Eyes misty, I soon learn I wasn’t the only one moved. Ana’s story is finished and many rush to embrace her. I follow. Sometimes it is just easier to express your emotions through a hug. In that moment, we...
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Reflections from Pine Ridge – A Life Changing Journey
The Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota, one of the poorest areas in the United States, is home to the native Oglala Lakota people. This land has been fought over for decades and there is still mistrust and hate on the land towards non-natives from...
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Maddy’s Story – 3 Years Out
Never does one think that three years later one organization will still have such a huge impact on their life. But here I am three years later continuously feeling grateful for the opportunity to be a part of CYL. I was a passionate ball of energy junior year when I...
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Global Youth Service Day and Colorado Young Leaders: Youth-led solutions to real world problems
Considering what we have all seen repeatedly in the national media and in our own Colorado backyard, young people in our nation, our state, and our local communities have picked up the mantle of commitment and are visibly impacting the world. Colorado Young Leaders...
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Where Service Meets Adventure: Our “Climb” to an Ideal CYL Trip
Imagine yourself, back in your high school years, some of your friends may be spending their spring break sleeping for 7-days-straight, the family vacationing to Mexico… and instead, you have been hoping to enter your adventurous, challenge zone. Well, you would have...
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