There is a stigma towards gifted children. Often exceptional students are seen in a way that makes them appear as if they have no substance, just a mind ready to be molded. Which is false, “Gifted isn’t better; it’s different” – Anonymous. “Annie Cooper, a Senior at VMS, is an exceptional student. When Annie was in the 6th grade, she began to go horseback riding. Specifically, Annie was a hunter jumper, a specific type of English riding that focuses on making the horse look good when jumping over fences. Rehys is her horse, whose named after “A Court of Thorn of Roses,” which is Annie’s favorite book. Annie also enjoys baking, which is a passion that was ignited by her grandmother, who had gone to culinary school and taught Annie the basics. Currently, Annie’s senior project is on baking, and she is interning at CornerStone Bakery-Confectionary School. Aside from her love of horseback riding and baking. Annie also has an immense love for cats. Her family enjoys fostering cats, and some who are too amazing to let go of and have stayed with her family throughout the years. Her cats are Kittens, Binx, and Bean; one of them is polydactyl, which means they have six toes. Annie sometimes finds herself relating most to this cat because of their uniqueness. Annie has had many significant people in her life that have impacted, pushed, and encouraged her to be who she is no matter what the world may think. One of her mentors has been Dr. Drescher, who is a psychologist and school counselor at VMS. Dr. Drescher has single-handedly gotten Annie through her 13 years of education. She taught Annie how to advocate for herself and has been there for her through her hardships. She also taught Annie how to be herself in a society that didn’t accept her giftedness. Annie describes Dr. Drescher as one of those who give themselves entirely to a cause and helps others. Annie still has a very strong relationship with Dr. Drescher. Another mentor that was significant in Annie’s life was Susan Somerville. This was Annie’s riding teacher who inspired Annie to immerse herself into horseback riding. Susan always advocated for Annie and was always there in times of need. She also taught Annie self-control, patience and was a friend to her when she really needed one. Unfortunately, Susan passed away two years ago, but Susan’s friendship with Annie helped Annie to become the person she is today. Her life wouldn’t be the same had Susan not stepped into her life when she did. Annie’s work with the community has been an incredible experience for her, because it’s given her a holistic perspective, especially before heading off into the real world outside of the valley. The Youth Executive Board (YEB) is comprised of people that have allowed themselves to be vulnerable and share their stories; this has been a tremendous learning experience for Annie. The ability to work with other youth in the community has allowed her to open up the scope of how little she has witnessed throughout her 17 years in Eagle County. Understanding the discrepancies between the Latino population and the white population within the vail valley and hearing stories of systemic racism and struggles they have faced within their schools has been eye-opening to Annie. Though Annie has come to empathize, she knows that hearing the story isn’t the same as experiencing it firsthand. Annie has also worked with Cross-age mentorship, a mentoring program at Vail Mountain School, in which an older advocate could mentor a twice-exceptional child. For Annie, it was like having the perception of her childhood because she was watching another child grow up. For a kid, it was beneficial to have an older mentor that was more social emotionally mature than other peers of the same age group. Annie is currently working with VMS to expand the Cross-Age Mentorship program to implement it more into the community, so it may be available for other youth that can benefit from its impact. Being able to share her passions have allowed her to outgrow the valley, the smallness, and shape of the valley, and become someone that can leave the valley more whole. Overall, Annie has become her own person as of recently and has gained the ability to have confidence in who she is and is someone that can advocate for herself and others. After leaving the valley, Annie will attend North Eastern University in Boston. She didn’t realize it was her dream school at first, but once she did, she was thrilled. Finding a school with the application of knowledge that she loves and enjoys is what ignited this passion for her. She will be moving on to study biochemistry and data sciences. Annie comes from a science-oriented family. Her dad being a data science master and having shown Annie a work ethic that she aspires to have, inspired her to pursue the same education. Data sciences have always been fascinating to Annie, especially, biochemistry is a dual mix of bio and chemistry. Over the years, Annie has kept with her some quotes of wisdom given to her by her family and mentors. - “Part of success is balance, doing one thing 150% is not necessarily as successful as doing everything 95%. Find time for breaks and find time for relationships and find time to eat hamburgers as well as workout and go to school.” - “If it feels comfortable, you’re doing it wrong,” which applies more than just horseback riding – Susan Somerville Through students like Annie, they can have the capability to make the world a better place and leave it better than they found it. By: Joslyn Sanchez, Youth Advisor

World Full of YES Brittany Kinney believes in the potential of "Yes," "Yes, it may be hard," "Yes, you can do it!" and, "Yes, I am here to help." It is that dedication and "YES" belief that exemplifies her as a person, community advocate, and this month's difference-maker. Brittany is currently the Senior Program Manager of PwrOn. PwrOn offers year-round career and college readiness for high school students in Eagle County. Youth in our valley lack the resources or support systems necessary to pursue their dreams. YouthPower365 bridges these gaps of resources and support Brittany works with students daily, providing one-on-one advice to students on scholarships, community resources, financial support, academic support, SAT prep, college applications assistance, and much more. Her work doesn't just fit in the confines of an average school day. She supports after-school clubs and helps host pro-social events. She even answers texts and emails late into the night from students asking her for support on coursework. Brittany creates innovative and practical strategies that enable students to reach their highest potential. The word “no” is not in her vocabulary. Finding every possible way to be there for her students, supporting and guiding them, Brittany aims to inspire the YES attitude towards all of her students. "Every door is open for them," says Brittany as she highlights that the world is filled with yes. Brittany believes in all of her students and sets them up to receive 'yes' through knowledge, opportunities, and relationships. She emphasizes the importance of relationships, her awe for the community we live in, community connections, and how these collaborations, apprenticeships, and internships set PwrOn students up for success. Brittany has made such an impact on her students that one asked her to stay in her role until after they graduate. Brittany is true to the word, “yes” because that student is graduating this year and is successfully prepared for college thanks to the dedication and attitude that Brittany encompasses. Students aren't the only ones Brittany makes a lasting impression on. "I was excited to learn that Brittney was moving with students to the High Schools with PwrOn," said Ellen Sirico-Filmore with CareerX, "I see how Brittany still has close connections with students and has the inherent ability to translate student passions about college or career into actuality." To learn more about YouthPower365 and the work Brittany is doing, head over to https://youthpower365.org/pwron/. Brittany's yes-woman mindset should inspire us to take every opportunity to say yes!

The Biennial Healthy Kids Colorado Survey (HKCS) asks local youth about health topics, including exercise, diet, alcohol, tobacco, drug use, mental health, suicide, bullying, health care, and sexual behaviors (high school only). The survey also asks young people about school life, school safety, trusted adult relationships, and other factors connected with healthy choices. Mountain Youth coordinated the administration of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey for the seventh time over a twelve-year span in November of 2019. Partnering with 14 public and private schools, 3,786 students were surveyed, providing valuable insight about 6th -12th graders in the Eagle River Valley. This insight allows educators, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and community program providers to keep a pulse on the behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of young people in the community. This data is used to steer programming and secure much-needed resources, helping local and statewide policy efforts by utilizing the identified strengths and barriers facing youth. HKCS data helps bring in millions of dollars annually for community partners to support identified needs. “Mountain Youth has worked hard to ensure the community can access aggregate-level Healthy Kids Colorado Survey data in years past via a report. Shifting towards a dynamic dashboard where users can pull information based on their unique interests or work will lead to more transparent and timely data analysis for our partners and the public,” said Mountain Youth Executive Director Michelle Stecher. Mountain Youth has partnered with Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, an outreach of Vail Health, to introduce the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Dashboard to the community. This user-friendly platform allows for a better understanding and breakdown of middle and high school youth behavioral data. The dashboard incorporates data from past years to recognize trends. Users will be able to filter by various demographics for 2015-2019 data. The dashboard is accessible in English and Spanish. It breaks down the information from different behavior areas by years and allows users to filter by grade, age, gender and ethnicity. "The HKCS serves as a primary data set in understanding youth behaviors and is incredibly valuable in helping the district adjust programming to be responsive to changing youth behaviors and attitudes," said Phil Qualman, Superintendent of Eagle County School District. Viewers can access the dashboard by visiting mountainyouth.org/healthykidscoloradosurvey or selecting the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey under the “Our Work” tab from mountainyouth.org. Watch a video on how to navigate the Dashboard here -https://youtu.be/ZdCuDnOErwE The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey and Dashboard are possible in part thanks to supporting from all local schools, the United Way of the Eagle River Valley, Eagle County Government, the towns of Avon and Gypsum, SAMHSA, Colorado Office of Behavioral Health, University of Colorado Denver, and Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, an outreach of Vail Health.

We apologize for the inconvenience The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Dashboard is currently down Please email Mpartridge@mountainyouth.org for the downloadable version. | Tel: 123-456-7890 | Fax: 123-456-7890 info@mysite.com

Eat Chat Parent Eat Chat Parent (ECP) is integral in creating a better community for all through open dialog and tackling tough topics. Through community conversations, the Parent Advisory Council and information from the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey , we create a robust offering of two-generation learning seminars. Because of your support, Eat Chat Parent received the Vail Valley Partnership Community Impact Award in 2019. Mountain Youth partners with to sponsor community talks throughout the year.ECP encourages open conversation between parents, older siblings and experts on relevant topics. Parents and children fifth grade and up are invited to attend these panel discussions with professional speakers to share and learn new skills for more effective parenting and discover available resources. join us for these important discussions. Please ​ Contact Amy Baker, Community Education Manager with questions. Watch Helping Kids with Anxiety: Develop Family Strategies All Videos Play Video Share Whole Channel This Video Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr Copy Link Link Copied Search video... Now Playing Eat Chat Parent - What is Your Child Watching Online? 01:15:00 Play Video Now Playing The Power of Showing Up | Eat Chat Parent 01:29:34 Play Video Now Playing Valley's Voice Testimonials 00:21 Play Video Now Playing Eat Chat Parent - Parenting in a Pandemic with Dr. Laura Markham 01:25:47 Play Video

Healthy Kids Colorado Survey is an important tool for educators, nonprofit leaders, policymakers and community program providers to truly know what issues young people are facing and how we can work together to help them learn and thrive. The Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Mountain Youth coordinated the administration of the Healthy Kids Colorado Survey for the seventh time over a twelve-year span in November of 2019. Partnering with 14 public and private schools, 3,786 students were surveyed, providing valuable insight about 6th -12th graders in the Eagle River Valley. This insight allows educators, nonprofit leaders, policymakers, and community program providers to keep a pulse on the behaviors, attitudes, and perceptions of young people in the community.. This data is used to steer programming and secure much-needed resources, helping local and statewide policy efforts by utilizing the identified strengths and barriers facing youth. HKCS data helps bring in millions of dollars annually for community partners to support identified needs. Mountain Youth has partnered with Eagle Valley Behavioral Health, an outreach of Vail Health, to introduce the to the community. This user-friendly platform allows for a better understanding and breakdown of middle and high school youth behavioral data. The dashboard incorporates data from past years to recognize trends. Users will be able to filter by various demographics for 2015-2019 data. The dashboard is accessible in English and Spanish. It breaks down the information from different behavior areas by years and allows users to filter by grade, age, gender, and ethnicity Healthy Kids Colorado Survey Dashboard ​ Start Navigating Dashboard Comience a navegar por el panel Watch a short 2 min video on how to Navigate the HKCS Survey Dashboard 2019 Middle School Survey Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2019 Eagle County 2019 High School Survey 2019 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey results data Eagle County 2019 Eagle County Highlights 2017 Eagle County Highlights 2017 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey results data Eagle County Highlights 2015 Eagle County Survey 2015 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey results data Eagle County 2017 Middle School Survey Healthy Kids Colorado Survey 2017 Eagle County 2017 Eagle County HS Data 2017 Healthy Kids Colorado Survey data Eagle County High School results 2017 Colorado State Results Healthy Kids Colorado state information data results 2017 Statewide Data/Reports Healthy Kids Colorado overall data results Social Norms Campaign