I was thrilled with the mini-horse leadership program my child participated in. The skills learned were taught by caring facilitators and made to be very relatable. My child loved going each weekend and we were able to use the same language with them at home to continue practicing the skills. The facilitators were incredible, it made such a difference to have engaged and present facilitators, who you could tell wanted to be there.
My grandson was lucky enough to get into two programs with The Aspen Effect and it has been a godsend. He had always had issues relating to other kids and now that he was in high school, he wanted to fit in and would do anything to gain acceptance – that included trying drugs and vaping.
The first program was Animal Lovers Volunteer Club. He met with his mentor weekly. This allowed him to discuss the issues he was having without fear of punishment/discipline from me. Being around the animals, especially the horses put him at ease and the mentor he was partnered with was/is a great role model! He made great progress!
In May of this year, my grandson was part of a new program where he met with a therapist weekly - again at the horse ranch. This came at the most opportune time as he needed a little more guidance finding himself and shaping who he would be as an adult. The therapist was amazing with the results being a school year where he is thriving – good grades, better decision making and a happy disposition. He found himself! I am so thankful for The Aspen Effect.
My daughter was dealing with an exponential amount of depression, Dishonesty, social media toxicity and much more.
We found this program through friends. We had no idea how much change this program would actually help her.
The 12-week program had my child back. While she still struggles as all teens do, this program has helped her open up and speak to us. She's also given up her phone and toxicicity the social media world has brought to all our lives
I was invited to the Aspen Effect teen meeting on Nov 2nd, 2023. I got to observe how the teens and volunteer community members interact. The first 45 minutes was an open discussion and brainstorm session for how the visiting volunteer could help the teens learn about finance, budgeting, building credit, and investing. I loved how the volunteer really let the teens' voices be heard about what they wanted to learn and how he answered the questions they asked. After that, we toured the farm and visited every animal. To end the meeting, we sat in a circle and read my book, "Poop Theory...Find Your Pony!" and four of the group wore hats and scarves and wigs as they played our their role in the story. I loved how much they laughed together and how freely they discussed the book at the end. These kids are really amazing! I have a lot of respect for their sponsors and how they run this nonprofit. I taught public school for 24 years and this group really knows what they are doing to help kids.
Our son volunteered with the Ranch Hand Leadership Program in 2022 and had an incredible experience. He gained so much confidence in his ability to work lead, to work as a team and to build up endurance doing hard work all while having a positive impact in our community. I can't recommend the program enough for teens.