Dear friends,

Summer is an important time for kids across the country, and at Joshua Station work our hardest to make it meaningful and impactful for our youth. It is very important when building and creating programming that lasts, we work to accommodate factors such as environment, neurodivergence, stability, and the most important… FUN! This summer, the youth team at Joshua Station successfully launched a new program, remodeled our youth space, and navigated bringing stability to our youth during our ongoing construction project of the Joshua Station building.

I was very excited to launch a new summer program this year called Seeds of Change (Semillas de Cambio). Alongside our two youth workers, Madelyn Parker and Maxine Wetzel, we transported our Joshua Station youth ages 4-18 to various nature preserves, hiking trails, museums, mountains, and bodies of water. Seeds of Change is about reconnecting with nature, experiencing the healing aspects of the outdoors, getting active, safety, and learning about various habitats. We wanted to make nature accessible to these kids, as well as teach them how healing and impactful it can be. We have some of God’s best creations in our backyards here in Denver, so escaping the city to go enjoy nature created a meaningful summer and boosted connections among our youth community. We taught them how to leave no trace, respect trailhead rules, steer clear of certain plants, protect wildflowers, and how to use nature to inspire art.

Stability is very important for youth navigating trauma. With our walkway construction project, as well as the need to remodel our youth space, I could not be prouder of how well the youth at Joshua Station have adapted to the changes. It was hard for them, but they came alongside us willingly to embark on new adventures together during our Seeds of Change program. These kids are truly amazing and deserve all the credit because without them being so open to this experience, this new pilot program could’ve never worked. I am also grateful that they could unplug from their screens and trade in their video game time for time outside! The youth at Joshua Station embody resilience, curiosity, creativity, and open-mindedness.

I am very thankful to the parents of Joshua station for trusting their children in our care, while we embarked on our adventures and learned more about the nature opportunities that exist in the Denver area. I am also very thankful for all of our volunteers that worked alongside our youth team and joined us during Seeds of Change.

—Grace Dean, Youth Advocate