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The Garfield County Board of County Commissioners.

Garfield County supports Youthentity’s mission

Commissioners approved $9,900 grant for local student enrichment programs

PRESS RELEASE
May 12, 2025

Garfield County has approved a grant for $9,900 to Youthentity toward its student enrichment programs, including its popular career expo, career academies, financial literacy classes, and more. The grant had been budgeted for in 2024 and comes from the county’s nonprofit discretionary fund.

Youthentity Executive Director Kris Freemen told the Board of County Commissioners that in 2023 and ’24, the nonprofit served more than 3,000 students across Garfield County. Youthentity’s Career Expo is held twice a year in spring and fall, with the latter taking place in Rifle this October.

“We have more than 85 local businesses that join us. For 85 local organizations to take a day out of their busy schedule, usually with two representatives from each, to speak to our students is incredible,” she told the board. “Our students span from Aspen out to De Beque, and the Collbran Job Corps comes in and people from all the way up to Meeker [take part]. It has a tremendous draw, even a little bit from outside of Garfield County.”

Youthentity offers five career academies, including in Construction Technology; Culinary Arts & Hospitality Management; Animal Care; Health Occupations; and Real Estate, Finance, & Entrepreneurship, which offer high school and college credits, industry certifications, and more, depending on the program.

“Whether they’re leaving high school and going off to college or moving into industry, they’ve got some very nice credentials under their belt that helps them get that first lift,” Freeman said. “In all of our academies, they have the opportunity to reach industry professionals. We offer field trips, we have professionals who come in, we provide coaching, and especially for those students heading straight into industry, it gives them relationships within the community to help them look for jobs.”

The hospitality and culinary academy team recently won a state competition against 24 other teams. It then participated in a national championship competition in Baltimore, taking fifth place.

“We are all incredibly proud of them,” Freeman said. “It’s like a sport; they come in during the evenings, they’re there from 4 to 8 p.m., three to four days a week, from December until May. It’s voluntary and is a really intense program where they fine-tune their skills It’s a great opportunity to add to their resumes.”

She added that by winning the state championship, the team has the opportunity to earn $22,000 in scholarship funds.

“There are additional scholarship opportunities from their national competition,” Freeman added. “It really is an incredible achievement.”

The board approved the grant unanimously, 3-0.

“I would like to have those state championship bakers bring us something in,” added Garfield County Commissioner Perry Will with a smile.