Ripley Youth Outreach program celebrates 10th anniversary

(BATESVILLE, Ind.) – The Ripley Youth Outreach (RYO) program is celebrating a decade of empowering young leaders. The program is administered through the Ripley County Community Foundation.

RYO has given local high schoolers the tools and opportunities to make meaningful change in their communities through creative projects, grants and hands-on philanthropy. 

Program leaders are sharing some of their initiatives since 2015:

2015: Launched the Birthday Box Program with the simple mission: to make sure every  child, regardless of their circumstances, would feel special on their birthday. The program  delivers boxes filled with cake mix, icing, balloons, and candles to eight local food pantries,  bringing the joy of a birthday celebration to families in need. Since then, this program has  celebrated over 2,000 birthdays. 

2016: Supported innovative learning by funding virtual reality tools, robotics kits, OSMO  curriculum, and livestream equipment for local schools. Helped launch Tribal Brew, a  student-run business at Milan High School. 

2018: Awarded the Change Ripley County Grant to New Horizons to build an ice cream  shop at Liberty Park, creating inclusive job opportunities for youth and individuals with  special needs. 

2019: Provided $3,651 in mini grants to Ripley County schools, funding projects like a Chinese classroom library, a biomedical freezer, a self-defense course, and bee houses. That same year, RYO partnered with Hillrom to distribute 47 preschool bikes to families  in need. The highlight was providing bikes to children in foster care—many of whom were  receiving their very first bike. Additionally, some of the bikes were sold to build a long term endowment fund, ensuring the sustainability of the program.

2020: Launched two creative initiatives to foster youth engagement and community spirit. RYO secured a $5,000 My Community My Vision Grant to commission an interactive  mural on the Versailles Courthouse Square, a project designed to promote youth pride and  community connection. That same year, RYO hosted the first-ever Chalktoberfest, a chalk  art competition where students created movie poster-themed art. This event gave young  people a safe and much-needed creative outlet during the pandemic. 

2021: Awarded the Change Ripley County Grant to St. Paul Lutheran Church to renovate  the Brown Township playground. The vision for a new playground began with a single,  inspiring moment, specifically when RYO received a note from a 9-year-old child expressing a simple wish for a place to play. This powerful message became the motivation for creating spaces for youth. The project, which was built from the ground up, now stands  as a symbol of our collective commitment to our children. 

2022: Partnered with Main Street Versailles to beautify the Ripley County Courthouse Square with festive wooden cutouts for the seasons. That same year, RYO launched the  Box of Christmas Cheer Program, which provided families served by local food pantries with festive treats like sugar cookie mix, sprinkles, and hot chocolate. Additionally, RYO secured funding through the My Community My Vision Grant to revitalize Daren Baker  Memorial Park in Milan, transforming the space with two vibrant murals and free  community Wi-Fi. 

2024: Awarded the Change Ripley County Grant to support Lanie Narwold’s vision of  turning a U.S. 421 traffic barrier in Osgood into a vibrant public art piece in partnership  with Iron Timbers. We also brought color and creativity to Bricktoberfest with Chalktoberfest, showcasing interactive murals by middle and high school students. 

2025: Hosted the Ripley County Film Fest, celebrating local creativity by showcasing short  films from local filmmakers and bringing the community together through storytelling.

To celebrate this milestone, RYO is launching its “10 for 10” campaign, honoring 10 years of  impact and inviting the community to give $10 to fuel the next decade of youth-led philanthropy.

This campaign ties directly into the Ripley County Community Foundation’s Day of Giving on  Friday, November 7. On this special day, every gift has the opportunity to be matched 50%,  meaning a $10 donation becomes $15, amplifying the impact of every supporter’s generosity.  

Community members are encouraged to join the celebration by sharing their RYO memories and  making a $10 gift on the Day of Giving to ensure the next 10 years are even more impactful.

Visit  https://rccfonline.org/impact/initiatives/ripley-youth-outreach/ to learn more about their impactful work.