Rite of Passage

We are heading on tour! We are so excited to officially announce that our Tour de Youth-- a cross-country expedition and bike ride-- will be kicking off this summer. This cross-country cycling tour will be led by Greg Townsend (the inspiration behind the Hard Miles Movie) and will lead 10 Rite of Passage students across the country on a transformative bike ride. We are thrilled to be announcing this tour to celebrate the Hard Miles Film, our 40 years of improving the lives of youth, and another great ride that will impact the lives of the kiddos who get to be a part of it. The tour will begin in California and will ride across the country, stopping at multiple program locations along the way to celebrate with our program staff, the kids, local community members and bike enthusiasts. We are excited not only to celebrate the many accomplishments that have happened this year , but also to be up to many more top secret and extra-special things that we are so excited to share with you all shortly! There is so much more exciting news coming your way about this tour and we hope you will follow along to support our kids as they take this daunting yet exciting journey across the country on two wheels. Keep up with us on Instagram and Facebook through the link below! https://lnkd.in/g_Q3aHpg #Cycling #WeareROP #HardMiles #Healingthroughathletics #Youthempowerment #Crosscountrycycling

This week, we are highlighting F. "Jerry" Adamek, an individual who has been a loyal ROP supporter for over 20 years and helped us make a difference in the lives of thousands of youth. Now he is taking a spot on our Impactful Individuals list. Jerry Adamek began his career working with at-risk youth in the 1960's as a high school teacher, coach and counselor before he began working for the Colorado Division of Youth Services, a career in which he worked for 31 years. Beginning as a regional administrator and eventually taking his place as the Executive Director of the Colorado Department of Human Services in 1991. During his time as director, Adamek spearheaded the concept of gender-specific programs in Colorado, one of which was Ridge View Academy-- a program Rite of Passage proudly operated for 20 years. Not only was Mr. Adamek a reliable and engaging partner in our efforts to improve lives during his time as Director, he was also a strong advocate of the program after his retirement, serving as an RVA board member and even overseeing construction during the startup phases of RVA. The vision for Ridge View Academy was a dual effort but truly driven by Adamek in his ideology to "take the money for locks and fences and buy computers and whiteboards," to achieve a model that supports the education, normalized activities, and therapy for the students we served to promote rehabilitation. While there were many accomplishments over the years, during his 31-year career at Colorado DHS, Adamek reflected to say that working with ROP to fulfill this vision [Ridge View Academy] was the highlight of his career. In 2023, Mr. Adamek was recognized with Rite of Passage's Lifetime Achievement award and got the opportunity to view the film inspired by the program he dedicated so much time to. This year, he was highlighted in our Magazine for the amazing work he has done in his lifetime for the betterment of the youth services industry and all the kids he has helped during his time in the industry. Additionally, Adamek remains an active member of the community driven to help kids as a part of the National Council of Juvenile Correctional Administrators, the American Corrections Association, and a variety of state committees and boards. We are eternally grateful for Adamek's engagement and involvement with our kids, our programs, and our organization as a whole, as well as his lifetime's work to improve the overall welfare of the kids in Colorado in the youth services system. His work is something that will live on and continue to impact the lives of many for years to come. We are thankful that he has chosen to spend even a small amount of time working with us to improve the lives of youth. Read more about Jerry and his story in our 2024 magazine! https://lnkd.in/gjP_zGAr #40yearsofimpact #makeadifference #Community #Education #JuvenileJustice

We have made it to National Parks Conservation Association Magazine! Riding a bike to the Grand Canyon is no small feat, but the payoff is amazing when you reach the end. The filming of this movie has been a wild ride for all, and fits a similar description: not a small job but greatly rewarding at the end. This article describes all of the hard days, great times, and emotions that ran wild while filming and we are thrilled to share it with you all! Make sure to check out the article at the link below for some more Hard Miles tidbits and sneak peeks on what Greg has up his sleeve for the future of our cycling adventures! https://lnkd.in/g9Xf2_Wu #GrandCanyon #cycling #HardMiles #Youthempowerment #Youthservices

Next up on our impactful Individual list is Ike Shipman, a strong mission-driven individual and long-time staff member and director at ROP. Ike has been in the youth services industry since the 90's and working with ROP for nearly two decades. The reason he stayed: the mission of himself and the organization overlap in its entirety. Ike began as a Program Director for our Sycamore Canyon Academy, and he ran the program successfully for nearly 16 years until he recently became the Regional Director of our programs in the Midwest where he continues to drive our mission forward on a wider level. When looking back on his time at ROP, Ike has reflected on the many images he has in his head of kids and staff learning together and laughing together. One of the moments he cherishes the most is getting his hall of kids fresh haircuts. Some of the kids were against it until Ike said that he would be the first up in the makeshift barber chair, allowing the kids a chance to cut his hair. By the end of the day not only did everyone, including Ike, have fresh haircuts but they were also working together as a group. In his 17 years at ROP, Ike described his time as 'defined by the moments of the kids'. Ike isn't in a lot of pictures but instead takes the pictures for the kids to look back on. He has taken one of your youth to meet his own kid for the first time, he has taken groups of kids out on various adventures, and so much more. He holds those moments more dearly than anytime that he has been in a picture himself. You can find some of those treasured moments below. The dedication ROP has to helping kids is the same passion Ike moves through every day with and we are honored that this is the place he has chosen to dedicate his time to. Each and every day that our kids have Ike around is a day we are thankful for because we know that Ike's dedication to the kids we serve is the same kind of care he brings to his own family.

We wanted to give you all a little insider look to our history photo albums at Rite of Passage for this weeks #ThrowbackThursday! Let us know, can you guess the years some of these photos were taken? #RiteofPassage #WeareROP #Youthservices #40yearsofimpact #makeadifference

Next up on our Impactful Individuals list, and rounding out our first 15 spots, is Suzanne Smith, a long-time Rite of Passage staff member and Passageway Scholarship Foundation Board Member. When Suzanne applied for a position with a small mission-based organization 30 years ago, she had no idea she was in for the role of a lifetime. Although Suzanne started as a project coordinator, she was always involved with working with kids and taking part in exciting site events, which helped her feel connected to the mission. Suzanne was quickly promoted to Business Manager and later to Director of Research and Development where she continues to play a pivotal role in the development and success of our organization as a whole. Throughout her time at Rite of Passage, Suzanne has been a part of nearly every major ROP milestone and has helped drive the evolution of our programming over the years. When asked about her favorite moments from the past 30 years, Suzanne reflected on working on the proposal and start-up for Ridge View Academy—a state-of-the-art treatment program—and the enormous impact that came from that program that helped shape ROP’s approach to working with kids to this day. Suzanne also mentioned one of her proudest moments with students was when she had the chance to be a coach at one of ROP’s annual RRSS athletic competitions in her earlier years. When the kids on her team began referring to her as "coach," she saw that even small acts of engagement and role-modeling could truly make a difference. We thank Suzanne for her 30 years of outstanding dedication to helping improve the lives of youth and for her continued leadership that helps drive our mission and the development of our organization. #WeareROP #40yearsofimpact #Youthadvocate #Youthempowerment #youthservices

We want to take a moment to talk about the impact of the work that our 3,000 or so employees do each day. Pictured below is just a snippet of some of the graduates we have celebrated this year. We couldn't be more proud of their accomplishments, and it's so important that we recognize how we got here. Many of these students came to our programs behind on their education, and not knowing what to expect when they walked through our doors. Through the amazing mentorship of our staff on all of our sites, these students are able to feel confident in pursuing their education. It takes a lot of hard work, perseverance, and a want for a better future from the kids, and our students who get through it get the honor of walking across the stage, accepting a diploma, handing out their roses, and being celebrated by family, staff, and their fellow students. These students beaming faces and the pride they have in their accomplishment bring us so much happiness as we see the progress they have made from beginning to end. Congratulations to the 2024 Rite of Passage graduates pictured here, and many more beyond! Rams forever! 🐏🎓 #Graduates #YouthServices #Youthaccomplishments #Youthempowerment #Positivefutures

Therapy isn't one size fits all, it is prescriptive to every individual in a different way and we take care to ensure every kid gets the right care for their specific needs. Since therapy and treatment aren't a one size fits all, we often find that having different therapy modality options at our programs creates opportunities for kids to be able to thrive in something that resonates with them. So what are some of the practices we believe work? Check it out in our most recent blog post linked below! https://lnkd.in/giuUfVnw #Therapypractices #Therapy #Kidstherapy #Trauma #Clinicalwork #WeareROP

Growing up, Marlon's mother always told him how important it was to help others, especially the ones who lose their way. Now, Mr. Marlon Morrow, a 35-year youth advocate and next up on our impactful individuals list has done exactly that. Starting out as a coach counselor in 1989, Marlon was excited to combine his love for athletics and passion for helping kids into one position at ROP. It was obvious that Marlon had a profound connection with our mission from the beginning . He cared deeply and demonstrated the qualities and values that we teach to the kids we serve in every interaction. Eventually, Marlon was promoted to case manager, then Director of Group Living, and finally all the way up to program director-- with some various positions in between-- where he has had opportunities to witness great things: multiple championship wins, hundreds of graduates receive their diplomas and GED's, and so many more memorable moments. 35 years later, Marlon has reflected on his many years at Rite of Passage and has been grateful for the time he has spent that has improved the lives of the kids we serve. Marlon has not only held many key positions, he has also been involved with several startups, managed programs in different states, and collectively moved ROP's initiatives forward in a positive manner, always focusing on the greatest good for the kids we serve. Now as an Executive Director, Marlon continues to drive the success of our programs in his region and the organization as a whole as a key member of the executive leadership team. Marlon’s quick thinking, passion for the work we do, and his care that he offers every person he works with is truly impactful for students and staff. It has been proven many times over that improving the lives of youth is a driving force in Marlon’s life, and we are honored to know such a wonderful man, youth advocate, and friend. Thank you to Marlon for your constant work to improve the lives of youth for nearly 4 decades. Your impact is monumental and felt by everyone in our organization. #WeareROP #40yearsofimpact #Youthadvocate #Youthempowerment #youthservices

Didn't get the chance to see Hard Miles in theaters?! Now's your chance! Hard Miles is now digital and on-demand for you to rent or buy! To learn more about the filming of the movie, the story behind it all, and Greg Townsend himself, check out our 40 year issue of the Rite of Passage Magazine below. https://lnkd.in/gjP_zGAr