Programs
The mission of Y.E.S. is to provide activities, outings and programs that provide for the physical, social and academic enrichment of Navajo youth, families and communities. We strive to empower youth through adventure activities that integrate enrichment and service as part of the fun.
The Tour de Rez is a summerlong jounrey that for 17 years has combined outdoor adventure, unique learning experiences and meaningful community service for students across the reservation. The journey incorporates mountain biking, backpacking treks at Grand Canyon and Rainbow Bridge, a raft leg on the San Juan River, a desert trek in Monument Valley and a trail run in the Chuska Mountains. Hundreds of rez kids and families will take part in the 2008 Tour, which commences on Memorial Day and concludes in Window Rock in late July.
Since 1995 Y.E.S. has sponsored the Chuska Challenge, the largest mountain bike event on the Navajo Nation. The Chuska brings together students and families from around the rez for a weekend of awesome riding, positive activities and stunning scenery on the Tsaile campus of Dine' College.
Our backcountry treks includes amazing wilderness adventures at Grand Canyon, Navajo Mountain, Rainbow Bridge, Supai, the San Juan Mountains and around the rez. We offer epic backpacking trips in the Grand Canyon throughout the year on established routes and remotes regions alike. This school year we are leading a "Four Seasons atop the Rez" series on Navajo Mountain, which includes a fall hiking, winter snowshowing, spring trail running and summer backpacking trip.
Our school programs include classroom presentation of fitness & nutrition, substance abuse & rez geography. We also sponsor star parties at schools and dorms across the rez, and work with schools on service projects, such as trail-building, tree-planting and park restoration. Our ongoing project at Buffalo Pass Picnic Area in the northern Chuskas is one example of empowering youth to make a difference in their own communities. For those schools doing outings and participating in the Tour de Rez, we're happy to do both pre- and post-event visits to your school as a means of enhancing the experience for your students.
We partner with local schools, churches and organizations in implementing and supporting a litany of activities and projects for youth and families across the Navajo Nation. These community activities include Red Ribbon Week, literacy events, community runs, book drives, elder projects, cross country races, tournaments, sports contests, food drives, service projects and more. We love to be involved in positive, community-based projects, so please contact us if we can play a role in your community.
College students have been engaging in educational, mentoring and service projects on the reservation through Y.E.S.' Alternative Spring Break project since 2000. Washington University in St. Louis, University of Maryland, Grinell College and University of Pennsylvania have all been involved in the project. We're eager to expand the project to encompasss more Navajo Nation schools and communities in 2008.
Some past accomplishments: The organization has been involved with a lively mix of other commnunity projects across the reservation. Y.E.S.' involvement in a Writer's Project has led to reservation visits by such renown authors as Sherman Alexie and student presentations at the Nothern Arizona Book Festival. Y.E.S. has also sponsored a martial arts program in Black Mesa and a boxing club in Kayenta. Our Tour de Rez Treks' project initiated the Cove Classic in 1996, which is now a locally-run event that benefits a community project. Y.E.S. also operated the Rainbow Sky Ropes Challenge for seven years before handing the day-to-day operations over to the local Kayenta school district in 2003. Y.E.S. teamed with the IHS to operate the Tall Mountain Wilderness Camp, while a new partnership with the IHS was formed in 2003 in running the summertime Adventures in Medicine program for high school students interested in medical professions. Music Programs as diverse as varied as flutist R. Carlos Nakai, world beat group Burning Sky, reggae artist Walt Richardson, Dine' guitarist Clarence Clearwater and Navajo folk singer Vincent Craig have all performed under the YES banner over the past 15 years. Lynn Lynton and Y.E.S. speahheadeded the production of the 1999 'Voices of the People' C.D. and in 2000-01, Y.E.S. sponsored a reservation-wide Blackfire tour.
