Excitement was evident in the eyes of many parents and kids alike as they entered the room at the Park City Mountain Legacy Lodge for the Youth United Super Sunday event.

The celebration brought together participating families, partners and supporters to register kids for extracurriculars and provide information about helpful resources available to them.

Youth United, born from the merger of two former programs — the RISE Fund and the Solomon Fund — is an initiative of the Park City Community Foundation. It helps many kids discover new passions and develop skills by facilitating involvement in sports, recreation, clubs, camps and extracurricular activities, offsetting costs that might otherwise be a barrier.

“The goal of Youth United is to create community, to bring communities together so that all kids can participate,” said Sarah MacCarthy, senior director of equity and impact. “The goal is really around creating greater sense of belonging, making sure that our kids feel like they’ve got a spot.”

“Youth United is for Latina/o/x kids, BIPOC kids, and kids of any background who are navigating any financial constraints. It’s for kids who would like to try something new or develop expertise in a sport or activity. It’s for the hardworking families of our community so they can know their children have opportunities. No one is turned away,” according to their website.

Along with the youth registration opportunities, many organizations were also present to share information about the resources they offer to all members of the community, including health services, immigration services and vision testing, to name a few. Collectively, these organizations, clubs and nonprofits provided everyone with something to learn about and, if desired, an opportunity to join.

Many student volunteers arrived eager to find a place where they could help, whether that meant guiding families around the space, assisting with photos, translating English to Spanish or taking on other various roles.

MacCarthy said that Youth United works closely with student volunteers, who are “the glue that helps this all work.”

One speaker at the Sunday’s event was Stefany Juarrieta, a senior at Park City High School, who started ballet when she was young and was introduced to Youth United when she was in fifth grade. Now she teaches kids dance with Ballet West. 

“I really enjoy what I’ve gotten to do and the most amazing part now is I get to see the children do the exact same thing. Get to know each other and have a beautiful experience learning ballet, but also learn from each other and make new best friends,” said Juarrieta. “Thank you guys very much for being able to support me throughout this. It’s been one of the biggest parts of my life.” 

This year, Youth United were able to support nonprofit partners with a little over $200,000.

“Every year we get over 2,000 registrations to our partner organizations, the result is kids making lifelong connections and doing a ton of fun stuff,” said Joel Zarrow, president and CEO of the Park City Community Foundation. “​​Thank you very much for coming. We’re really glad you’re here. It’s an incredibly important initiative, and it takes all of you to make it happen.”

Anna Frachou, board member of the Park City Community Foundation, emphasized the importance of strengthening community connections. 

“In our vibrant and dynamic community, we often see the incredible potential in our young people. They are future leaders, athletes, innovators and change makers. Yet not all the youth have the same resources they need to fully realize their potential,” said Frachou. “Every donation helps sustain the vital services that young people depend on. … Your investment today is a direct investment in Park City’s future.”

Youth United works with outreach coordinators at each school to spread the word about events, including the Super Sunday registration event, which is held twice per year, the next likely to be held in March.

To learn more about Youth United and the programs it offers, visit the Park City Community Foundation’s website at parkcitycf.org/how-we-work/growing-community-initiatives/youthunited.

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Jenifer Heredia, bilingual community relations specialist at Peace House, hosted the second-ever meeting of new event series Puente Comunitario this month.

It’s the newest offering from Peace House, the nonprofit that has been serving survivors of family violence and abuse in Summit and Wasatch counties for the past 28 years with shelter, support services, education and outreach.

Puente Comunitario is a primarily Spanish-speaking community group that aims to provide information on “what’s happening in Summit and Wasatch county through a series of lively discussions with expert speakers,” according to an event flyer.

English translation is available for non-Spanish speakers and vice versa for presentations in English. The group partners with local nonprofits and community groups who focus on health, safety, financial services and education. All events are free to attend. 

Although Peace House is primarily a domestic violence shelter, Puente Comunitario events welcome all members of the community regardless of their background or situation. 

“I just want people to know that it’s open to everybody in the community,” said Heredia. “Whether you are Spanish speaking, not Spanish speaking, just come with an open mind and an open heart, and come to learn about what we offer here at Peace House, but also what the community offers for all of us.”

In an effort to reduce barriers to entry, they hold the meetings at the Peace House campus, which is easily accessible through public transit. Dinner is provided, too.

“I want people to have a comfortable place where they can come and learn of what resources are available to them,” said Heredia.

They also provide a space for kids to play, supervised by Peace House staff, during the meetings in order to help parents.

This month, Peace House partnered with Latino Behavioral Health Services, who spoke about mental health. Carmela Foote, a peer support specialist with Latino Behavioral, led the presentation.

Among the topics discussed surrounding mental health, Foote spoke about the benefits of meditation and led a five-minute meditation session. It was a relaxing moment for the group, who said they felt calm and happy, even leaving some on the verge of falling asleep. 

Latino Behavioral offers specific services for children, adolescents and adults and hopes to expand their services available in Park City, including youth support groups, which they currently offer in their Salt Lake City location for free. 

Puente Comunitario said it will hold monthly meetings every fourth Thursday of the month. The next meeting is set for Sept. 26, from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Peace House with guest partners Woman, Infants and Children Services — who provide nutrition education and support to women, infants and children up to age 5 — and The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, a group dedicated to saving lives and bringing hope to those affected by suicide. All are welcome. 

Peace House offers a wide range of resources to the community in Park City. To learn more, visit their website peacehouse.org or contact them directly at (435) 658-4739.

For more information from Latino Behavioral, visit their website, latinobehavioral.org, or contact their crisis and emotional support line at (385) 495-2188.

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Providing students with a real-world science experience, Jamie Madore and Andrea Hoppe channel the energy of The Magic School Bus with their company, The Traveling Classroom. The pair took a group of 10 Park City Middle School students to Churchill Manitoba, Canada, this summer to study Beluga whales and experience their learnings from the classroom in real life.

Madore and Hoppe are teachers at the Park City Day School, which is a major part of what led to them creating this program. The idea for the camp came up while the two thought about ways to expand the curriculum for their students, eighth graders in particular. 

“We were looking at ways to create an amazing adventure for them in eighth grade that they would look forward to, and also trying to connect it to their science curriculum,” said Hoppe.

Knowing that the eighth-grade science curriculum has a large focus on climate change, the idea of going to the subarctic to see polar bears came up as an opportunity to show students a clear example of global climate change and the impact it is having on these animals. 

The teachers got to work and planned what this program might look like, the logistics and the experience it would provide to the students. They formed a connection with Frontiers North, a company that runs polar bear excursions in Churchill, Canada. Frontiers North had also been looking to expand beyond tourism to school groups and education, so they were open to figuring something out, and the partnership fell right into place. 

Ultimately, due to several factors, it became clear that this new program would not fit into the school’s current Outdoor Education program or school year. 

“It’s a huge amount of travel. It’s a big expense,” Hoppe said. “The polar bears migrate during a certain time, and you can’t change that. You show up when they’re there — that’s what dictates it. So the timing was hard as far as the school year goes, and there were just a lot of barriers to make it a really good program.”

Although the program didn’t end up working with the school’s schedule, Madore and Hoppe still felt strongly about finding a way to make it work. 

Hoppe had an opportunity to go to Churchill to decide whether the idea was worth continuing to pursue. It was her first time in this remote part of the world that has no direct road access. Aside from being known as the Polar Bear capital of the world, Churchill Manitoba is also known for the large amounts of Belugas that visit the area. 

“It’s a guarantee that this is where they go,” said Hoppe. “They go there to calve because it’s safe from Orca whales. They are there with their babies, and for me, it was a very life changing experience. … I knew it was definitely something worth pursuing.”

While on this trip, Hoppe was connected to the Beluga Bits program, a citizen science collaborative research project that provides the opportunity to participate in the classification and identification of beluga whales, which solidified the idea for the summer camp. 

Not knowing if the idea would fully pan out or if the community would show any interest in sending their kids on an adventure like this one, they moved forward hoping for the best. Madore and Hoppe created an LLC to be able to collect the proper insurance and have everything they needed to create a safe experience for the future campers. This was an adventure on its own.

“It was a really amazing learning experience for us because neither of us had ever owned a business,” said Madore.

Although the camp is separate from the school, the teachers received enthusiastic support from the Park City Day School community. 10 students, many of whom attend the day school, took part of the Traveling Classroom’s first trip, which took place July 29-Aug. 5. 

The eight-day summer camp, named Camp Churchill, consisted of three days at the Park City Day School where the group went over topics in preparation for their trip. They were introduced to the Beluga Bits program and went over what international travel entails, packing lists and more. 

“We created some projects for them to do as classroom projects,” said Hoppe. “And then we also did a hiking day where we talked about how you do scientific observations and field journals and make it fun.”

After those first three days, the students departed for Churchill, the arctic port town in Northern Manitoba Canada where they would spend the next five days studying Beluga whales, sighting Polar bears, dog carting and working with local Churchill nonprofit groups.

Being in a remote environment, the kids were able to experience something outside of what they know in the Park City community, which the teachers said added value for the students.

”We both feel passionately about exposing students to new situations that bring awareness of ways other people live their lives. That was a big thing for us.” said Madore.

One of the days while the group was out on Zodiac boats, conditions got a little gnarly. There was pelting rain, it was cold and all of the kids were shivering. But they were surrounded by thousands of Beluga whales swimming around them in the water. 

“Everybody saw that this was our chance, and we were gonna take it rain and all. We could take a hot shower later,” said Madore. “And we were rewarded by seeing two polar bears swimming about. And the whales were messing with the polar bears. They like to tease them because they know that they’re faster than a polar bear, so they tease them and swim away.”

The teachers expressed how they couldn’t have asked for a better group of students. 

“They really represented us well there. I mean, they got a lot of compliments,” said Hoppe. “Their behavior was exceptional, and they were just so curious and interested in what they were learning about, which I think is a product of our outdoor education program that Jamie runs.”

Overall, Manitoba, its landscape and its ecosystem provided an experience for the students beyond what Hoppe and Madore had hoped for. They saw Beluga whales and Polar Bears and even got to see the Northern lights. It was a unique learning experience for their students, something for them to look forward to, and likely an experience they will always remember as they continue their learning journeys. 

“We know that we’ll run this camp again next summer as it stands now,” said Hoppe. “But I think down the line, there are so many amazing places in the world that we could connect students to that are not vacation destinations and places they may not otherwise get to see.”

Madore and Hoppe encourage anyone interested in having their rising sixth grader to rising eighth grader participate in Camp Churchill to reach out and learn more about the next summer camp. 

“If you are a student who is looking to move your learning and education outside of the classroom into a hands-on, real-world experience, this is the program for you.” said Hoppe.

To learn more about The Traveling Classroom and Camp Churchill, reach out directly to campchurchillpc@gmail.com. You can also stay up to date with the latest news from the Traveling Classroom by following them on Instagram @camp_churchill.

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Friday morning, students at Park City’s Winter Sports School cheerfully waited for ski race legend and Olympic champion Lindsey Vonn to visit.

As her arrival approached, the number of students and level of excitement grew larger. Vonn showed up with a contagious smile matching the ear-to-ear grins of the kids. 

Head of School Tess Miner-Farra thanked Vonn for her partnership and presented her with an honorary diploma from the school. The partnership is the first of its kind, integrating the Lindsey Vonn Foundation’s #STRONGgirls accredited curriculum — which focuses on mind, body, relationships, confidence, grit and leadership — to the school’s annual advisory curriculum. 

Aiming to foster connections between upper- and lower-classmen, the foundation’s curriculum will include the entire student body. In conjunction with training from the Lindsey Vonn Foundation,  juniors and seniors will serve as the curriculum leaders, the school said.

That morning, the conversation revolved around empowerment through sports and mentorship.

Meeting Olympic skier Picabo Street, another Park City resident, when she was 9 inspired Vonn to try to become an Olympian herself.

“I want to give back what she gave to me,” Vonn said, explaining that many athletes are in a position to inspire and help but choose not to.

Speaking about the program’s six core values, Vonn highlighted grit as the most important. 

“Grit is the passion and perseverance that helps us overcome obstacles and strive to be our best self,” she said. “Grit is not about succeeding. It’s not about winning the Olympics. It’s about trying your best no matter what is thrown at you.” 

She said her foundation aims to help every girl unlock her inner grit, hard as that is.

“We provide resources to build self confidence, inner strength and community. We empower girls to help them tackle challenges and pursue their passions,” Vonn said.

Foundation ambassadors — including twin snowboarders Barrett and Devin Hendrix, ski racers Sofia Leveratto and Emily Grace and Olympic snowboarder Tessa Maud — spoke about their personal experience with the foundation’s core values and how they themselves have found growth through them. 

“Just having the opportunity to get this message out to young girls and be able to inspire the next generation has been absolutely amazing,” Barrett said.

She spoke about the core value of “Strong Body.” Having suffered an extensive ACL injury that removed her from the sport for 11 months, Barrett emphasized the need for young athletes to stand up for themselves when they feel something is not right. Barrett said with her injury it all came down to not listening to her body.

“I knew I shouldn’t have been doing what I was doing, but I had outside influences … and people putting pressure on me. But I knew it was wrong. I knew the conditions were wrong, and honestly, now looking back, I would just listen to what I knew and not even hit the course that run,” Barrett said. “In Lindsey’s curriculum, she says strong is beautiful. Strong body means standing up for yourself and doing what is best for your body. No two bodies are the same, and that’s what makes everybody so special.” 

Maud spoke about “Strong Mind.”

“As a competitive athlete and student, you have a lot going on and life can get hectic,” Maud said. “It’s so important to learn to trust your gut. … When you have coaches and people in your life that are giving their input, it’s really important that you listen to yourself, listen to your body and put your needs first.”

“We’re creating a world where girls know they can achieve greatness, not just in sport, but in life,” Barrett said. “Let’s do this together.”

The announcement of the partnership between the Lindsey Vonn Foundation and the Winter Sports School comes as the school raises funds to expand its campus to create more opportunities and resources available to students. The 8,732 square-foot. expansion plans feature an amphitheater, additional classrooms, bathrooms and a communal space. 

To learn more about the Winter Sports School and the Lindsey Vonn Foundation partnership, visit wintersportsschool.org and lindseyvonnfoundation.org.

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