Rocky Mountain Youth Corps
Founded in 1995, Rocky Mountain Youth Corps (RMYC) provides paid community service opportunities to youth in central and northern New Mexico ages 17 to 25. Corpsmembers receive life-skills training, professional certifications, and academic scholarship while working on a variety of conservation and prevention programs. RMYC provides the resources they need to find a pathway to a healthy and productive life.
Since inception, we have engaged over 3,000 Members with 1,577,350 hours of service, $4 million in education scholarships, and $13 million in take home pay.
Historically, young women have faced barriers in conservation. Women hold a mere 38% of positions in environmental sciences. The inception of the "Fems & Thems'' Crew within the LGBTQ+ framework at RMYC empowers cisgender women and LGBTQ+ individuals to actively embrace conservation careers. This experience can be both life-changing and life SAVING. This forward-thinking endeavor constructs a nurturing environment for growth, while also enriching the diversity within the RMYC Conservation model.
With Envision Fund support through the Santa Fe Community Foundation, the program has:
- Updated orientation materials to include expanded gender & pronoun options
- Expanded training related to LGBTQIA+ topics
- Partnered with the Transgender Resource Center of New Mexico to deliver Trans 101 & 202 educational classes for corpsmembers & staff
- Provided Gender Variance training breaking down gender, identity, expression & pronouns that fall outside of culturally defined norms
- Partnered with Communities Against Violence providing Violence Prevention & JEDI training
- Updated RMYC Harassment Prevention training to include language related to various forms of harassment related to LGBTQIA+ workers
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The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited local nonprofits to submit stories related to our June topic of LGBTQ+ Pride
The Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
By making high-quality music education accessible to more than 2,000 young people each year, the Santa Fe Symphony Orchestra & Chorus is helping students build confidence, creativity, and community. Through lessons, ensembles, and school partnerships, the organization is inspiring the next generation of musicians across northern New Mexico.
El Rancho de Las Golondrinas
Through hands-on learning at New Mexico Heritage Days, El Rancho de Las Golondrinas helps thousands of students experience the state's history firsthand, creating meaningful connections across generations.
Chimayo Cultural Preservation Association
Each year, the Chimayo Cultural Preservation Association's San Isidro Day celebration brings neighbors of all ages together to honor Chimayó's acequia traditions through blessing the water, planting the community garden, and passing cultural knowledge from one generation to the next.
