Page 0: Page 1: As Stampede Arrives in Greeley, WCYCC Excited for New Challenges AmeriCorps sets up for Greeley institution, Learn and Serve members seen in media AmeriCorps crews saddle up for the 88th annual Greeley stampede As summer officially begins and the thermostat starts to climb higher and higher, the Greeley Stampede always follows closely behind. This Greeley tradition is among the fun and rewarding, and I’m excited to see what they have us do once the event really gets going.” The Stampede begins on Friday June 25th and AmeriCorps hopes that it will be an exciting and fun experience. TIGHT continues community service and learns valuable skills most looked forward to events in the state, and AmeriCorps is doing what it can to make sure the Stampede looks pristine for opening day. From pulling weeds to clearing out the boxseats, crews are helping to make the Stampede run smoothly and make sure that anything unsightly is removed before the first bull is out of the gate. Crew Leader Brent Barslund is excited about working for the Stampede, saying that, “It is fun being part of such a great Greeley tradition. Just doing work to help set up or clearing rocks so the animals don’t get hurt is The TIGHT crews working throughout Weld County are making an impact with their great work. From Ft. Lupton stripping bark to be used in historic buildings to constructing trail for the new Greeley mountain bike park, TIGHT has their hand in almost every project WCYCC is a part of. The crews have also been sanding and repainting decks and office buildings of needy residents and organizations across the community. TIGHT was also trained this week in CPR and first aid, skills that could prove to be life-saving if a dangerous situation were to Page 2: arise. Chris Williams, a crew leader for TIGHT, had this to say about his summer crew, “The new summer TIGHT crew has been one of the hardest working crews I have ever been a part of and I am looking forward to the rest of the summer.” Williams, who is a full-time staff member of the WCYCC, will be entering the Army Reserves in September to become an aviation operations specialist. painting fixtures that were in need of sprucing up, as well as gardening and planting flowers so that the town can be as charming and green as possible. Severance corps members have been seen all over the town taking care of parks and painting the town red (or yellow or blue) while serving their community and enjoying their volunteer work. Learn and Serve wraps up first session, fired up for round two in July This Friday will mark the end of the first session of the brand new Learn and Serve program, and directors of the program are delighted with the hard work and effort that the youth have put in. The hard work of students entering grades 6 through 9 is very visible at all four sites. The Poudre Learning Center in Greeley has been weeded relentlessly in an effort to form a native grassland free from invasive species. Despite flooding that sent members to Ft. Lupton and work that looked endless, the corps members have done a great job making the PLC look fantastic and the Greeley Tribune even took notice, running a feature article on the program, it can be found at GreeleyTribune.com, search conservation. In Severance the Corps Members have been The Learn and Serve program in southern Weld County is going equally well, with both Ft. Lupton and the St. Vrain State Park in much better shape now than at the beginning of summer. Paint has been spread and weeds removed by both crews. The corps members have also been involved in educational work, learning about wildlife and conservation in order to better preserve the beautiful environment that they are helping to create or restore. Media attention also reached the two crews working together at St. Vrain State park this week, with the Longmont TimesCall featuring the Corps members in an article about the program; it can be found at TimesCall.com, search Learn and Serve. As the June session ends we are all sad to see these great workers graduate from the program, but we are equally excited to begin a new adventure with corps members during the July session. Page 3: Getting to Know the Summer Staff Kristen Yates: Kristen is a new member of the WCYCC and is the Crew Leader of Learn and Serve at the Severance site. She recently moved to Greeley from Harrisburg PA having just graduated Elizabethtown College with a degree in biology. She decided to come to Colorado in part because the natural beauty of the state appealed to her but also because it offered her a chance to work with AmeriCorps helping kids. She has always been devoted to service, having been an officer in her college service club, and is overjoyed at being able to work with kids. In her free time she enjoys traveling and reading, with her favorite vacation having been her trip to Australia and her favorite author is Dan Brown of Da Vinci Code fame. Brent Barslund: Brent is an AmeriCorps Crew Leader and can always be seen with a smile on his face. Brent is a student at UNC, hoping to graduate with a Criminal Justice degree and enter either local law enforcement or possibly the FBI. He enjoys working for the WCYCC because he likes the idea of helping both kids and the environment. He especially enjoys the different jobs that he is given, having enough variety of work not to get bored. His leisure time is dominated by watching sports with his buddies and spending time with friends and family in general. He also likes to enjoy the outdoors in his spare time, engaging in physical activity on weekends. Ryan Kornegay: Ryan moved from Summerfield, NC to take a summer position with WCYCC’s Learn & Serve program. Ryan is passionate about fostering an interest in community service in the next generation of service vlunteers. After graduating from Guilford College with a BA in psycology and a minor in criminal justice, Ryan felt a desire to beging working in the service and outdoor education field. Ryan’s interests include martial arts, photography, camping, climbing, & reading. Ryan is really enjoying the incredible parks and peaks of Colorado! Page 4: