Causes: Children & Youth, Youth Development

Mission: TO PARTNER WITH OUR COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE A SAFE CAMPUS TO DELIVER PROGRAMS AND SERVICES THAT INSPIRE AT RISK YOUTH TO LEARN NEW SKILLS, GAIN SELF-ESTEEM AND CONFIDENCE.

Programs: Rancho Cielo operates its programs on a 100 acre campus under a 99-year lease with Monterey County. Our vision is to transform the lives of at-risk youth and empower them to become accountable, competent, productive, and responsible citizens. Collaborating with numerous recreational and artistic activities, our programs are designed to reduce recidivism (repeat new offenses) and enhance our students’ opportunity for regular full-time employment. Rancho Cielo provides at-risk youth the opportunity to reevaluate their life options, empowering them to become accountable, competent, productive and responsible citizens, through education, job training, and individualized counseling. Current Programs 1. Silver Star Youth Program (SSYP) SSYP is a unique Public-Private Partnership that operates an alternative high school with wrap-around services for 54 students on probation who express a desire to make a positive change in their lives. The program emphasizes achieving a high school diploma. The SSYP collaborative includes the Monterey County Probation Department, which provides supervision, case management for students involved in the juvenile court, meals and transportation; the Monterey County Office of Education, which provides teachers and classroom aides for Rancho Cielo’s Community Day School; Monterey County Behavioral Health, which provides trained social workers who lead evidence-based practices in their groups and individual counseling; Turning Point Job Services, who teach job-readiness skills and place students in paid internships to gain work experience; the Visiting Nurses Association, who provides a registered nurse and health services; and other partners who provide substance abuse counseling, violence diversion classes and other services. Community volunteers are on campus daily, mentoring, tutoring, or working on any number of enrichment activities with the students. 2. Rancho Cielo Youth Corps (RCYC) The RCYC program is designed to offer year-round open enrollment and serves 25 youth at a time. RCYC's target population includes youth aged 18-24 years old, low-income, on probation/parole, and have a criminal record and a history of gang affiliation. Youth are admitted after a structured interview process and if selected, begin a 5 week probationary period. Youth are evaluated weekly during this time and receive developmental feedback from their leadership team. After the 5 week probation period, successful participants are enrolled in a 6 to 8 month employment training program. If they come to us without their diploma, they enroll in John Muir Charter School (JMCS) on site. Through RC’s partnership with WASC-accredited JMCS, participants can earn a HS diploma up to age 25. At the conclusion of the program, youth are prepared and referred to job opportunities in the community. 3. Drummond Culinary Academy (DCA) These students, between the ages of 16-24, spend half of their time in the classroom working towards their high school diploma and half of their time in the commercial kitchen receiving vocational training from our certified executive chef. Through our partnership with John Muir Charter School, a WASC accredited school, our students have the opportunity to receive academic instruction on the Rancho Cielo campus and work on credit recovery towards high school completion. Students receive culinary instruction by a Certified Executive Chef using the nationally recognized Pro-Start culinary curriculum. Furthermore, ServSafe training and certification is also provided, increasing students’ employability. As part of program requirements, students complete a 200-hour externship program where they work in local restaurants with the goal of obtaining full time employment upon graduation. Upon their program completion, DCA graduates receive ongoing mentoring as they navigate to positions with increased responsibilities. 4. YouthBuild Program (RCYB) Our newest program is a construction vocational training program. RCYB is building five transitional living houses on the ranch over the next two years. The program is supported in part by a U.S. Department of Labor grant which pays for many of the program costs, but not all; the grant does not cover ANY of the construction costs or the septic system that must be built to accommodate future residents. Like the DCA, a cohort of students spend half of their time in the classroom, and half of their time in vocational training- working on a construction site on the Ranch with a Licensed General Contractor Instructor. Students work hands­on with program staff in every aspect of the construction of two new wood-framed transitional houses per year.