Mountain Access Spotlight: Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth
Through the Play Forever Mountain Access program, Mt. Bachelor welcomed a youth and mentor from Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth to the slopes for their first ever snowboard lesson. It was the perfect day to learn – the snow was soft, the sun was shining, and winds were light. Here’s what the youth participant had to say about their day:
Q: Before you got out on the snow, how were you feeling about snowboarding for the first time?
A: I was feeling very excited.
Q: What was the hardest part about learning how to snowboard?
A: The hardest part was trying to stand up.
Q: What was the best part of your time on the snow? Did you have a favorite moment?
A: My favorite moment was when I went down the hill super fast.
Q: How would you describe your progression throughout the day?
A: I could definitely see a difference at the end of the day. Completely different from the beginning.
Q: Do you plan to come back? If so, what are your goals for next time?
A: I very much do plan on coming back many times, my goal is to become better.
We look forward to hosting them on the slopes for another lesson soon! Until then, they will spend their sessions trying every churro Central Oregon has to offer.
About Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth
The Central Oregon Partnerships for Youth (COPY) program provides one-to-one community-based mentoring for kids that have an incarcerated parent. Volunteers receive initial classroom training, background checks, and individualized coaching to work with the youth they are matched up with. These youth are not involved in the criminal justice system-they are youth that have been impacted by the choices of their adult caregiver.
Volunteers commit to spending a couple of hours each week with their youth. Often they are engaged in community outings, art projects, or youth enrichment with business and civic partners. This could be exploring the High Desert Museum, participating in park and rec programs, jumping at trampoline parks, climbing in rock gyms, riding bikes, swimming, and much more.
COPY youth are between 5 and 15 years old and live in Deschutes County. Volunteers work with their youth for 1 year- building a relationship and connection. Often, mentors continue past that initial year. They can connect after school, after work, or during weekends. There is a high degree of flexibly in scheduling that time.
Additional information can be found at http://www.sheriff.deschutes.org/copy or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/deschutes.COPY.