Youth to Yellowstone accepting students for annual trip

(VERSAILLES, Ind.) – Local nonprofit Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County will take their annual trip out west from July 4 to July 16.

The program welcomes up to 14 Ripley County high schoolers, including homeschool students, to visit national parks at no cost to their families. 

Students are identified by high school staff, teachers and sometimes family members. Students can also apply on their own by clicking here. 

The group will visit Mt. Rushmore, Crazy Horse Monument, Grand Tetons National Park and Yellowstone National Park.

“The local students and chaperones will experience seven nights of tent camping, campground cooking, develop photography skills, and learn about the wild animals they see along the way,” the organization stated. 

Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County provides food, transportation, hotels and campsites, as well as other students’ needs for the 13-day trip. Students needing hiking shoes and socks, as well as other personal items are supplied those items. 

“In the past we’ve had students who have never gone camping, have little experience ordering food in a sit-down restaurant, or have experienced other situations that we were able to help them develop into new life skills and confidence,” organizer Nancy Laymon explained.

Some fundraising has begun, with grants written to local organizations, and more planned.

The group rents three vans for the trip, two passenger and one cargo, and is seeking a sponsor or grant to cover the cost, which is the highest expense for the trip, at about $8,600.

The anticipated cost per student is about $2,500, and donors can sponsor a student as well.

Anyone interested in helping out with Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County, or wanting more information or a presentation, may call 812-621-1965 or email at Y2Y@youthtoyellowstone.org, or visit www.youthtoyellowstone.org. 

Board members for the nonprofit are: Bill Riley, Jim Waldo, Kristina Pope, Nancy Laymon, Jack Wilker, Woody Pope, Katherine Taul and Carol Jackson.

Donations may be made on the website, or sent to Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County, P.O. Box 42, Milan, Indiana 47031.