Youth Enrichment Services (YES) is a non-profit based in Boston, Massachusetts that offers outdoor and enrichment programming outside of school to at-risk youth.[1] Its primary program is to teach-city youth to ski or snowboard using volunteer instructors.
The organization was founded in 1968 by Richard Williams as Operation Ski Lift as a way to expose inner city youths to the sport of skiing, and was incorporated as a 501(c)(3) in 1972.[2] In early years it received grants from the City of Boston, but today is run on donations from corporations and individuals.[3] It is supported by Olympic skier Ted Ligety.[4]
Year round activities such as backpacking, canoeing, bicycling and environmental education trips to the Cape Cod National Seashore and to Swann Lodge in the Berkshires were added in the 1970s.[2] The current headquarters in a South End brownstone were built in 1987.[2] In 2007 the YES Academy was founded to include Career Exploration, College Preparation, Girls Outdoor Adventure Leaders and Junior Volunteers programs.[1][2] Today, additional programs offered by YES include ski and snowboard lessons, track and field programs, kayaking, mountain biking, and rock climbing.[5]
More than 100,000 youths have been served by the organization since it was founded,[2] with about 7,500 youths being served a year, mostly in winter.[3] In 2015, 200 youths participated in the YES academy, which is a 40% gain over the same period three years prior.[1]
Operation SnowSports:
Outdoor Adventure:
YES Academy: