
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



_____
The Santa Fe Community Foundation invited local nonprofits to submit stories related to our June topic of LGBTQ+ Pride
McCurdy Ministries
Local nonprofit McCurdy Ministries shares their story, including the early childhood programs that support young children and families in the Española Valley, offering care, education, and essential resources during critical early years.
Pegasus Legal Services for Children
Hear from Pegasus — a recent Santa Fe Baby Fund grant recipient and New Mexico’s only nonprofit law firm dedicated exclusively to children’s civil legal needs — about the importance of kinship guardianship in keeping local children safe and families together.
Santa Fe Indigenous Center
The Santa Fe Indigenous Center is a Native-led nonprofit serving Indigenous families across Santa Fe County. Through biweekly food drives, cultural events, community programs, emergency financial assistance, and a robust network of referral resources, SFIC supports the diverse needs of the local Indigenous community. Each year, the organization hosts its signature event — the Honoring Native Nations Powwow on Indigenous Peoples’ Day — bringing dancers, drummers, Tribal Dignitaries, artists, and community members together to celebrate Indigenous culture, joy, and resilience. This year’s powwow was a vibrant success, and SFIC looks forward to continuing this tradition in 2026.