RiverReach offers a unique approach to adventure and environmental learning. While many organizations take urban youth away from the city for their activities, our programs are centered right in the city where our participating youth live, attend school and spend most of their time.

Since 1992, RiverReach Youth Initiative has touched the lives of Denver's at-risk youth, by connecting them to their communities through exciting opportunities to volunteer, learn about their unique urban environment, and experience the thrill and teamwork of outdoor adventures - right here in the city!

RiverReach offers a unique approach to adventure and environmental learning. While many organizations take urban youth away from the city for their activities, our programs are centered right in the city where our participating youth live, attend school and spend most of their time.

Right in our "backyard" are opportunities to view wildlife, learn environmental stewardship and experience exciting outdoor adventures. Whether our kids are planting trees, cleaning up the riverbanks or rafting as a team through rapids on the South Platte River, RiverReach's programs provide positive and facilitated activities that foster ownership and connectedness to their community and natural places that are truly their own.

RiverReach's Youth in Service program offers adventures such as rafting or skiing as an incentive for youth to get involved in volunteering. Many of these children might not otherwise have the opportunity or inclination to explore and enjoy their natural environment. So, in addition to the volunteer activities themselves, the outdoor adventures provide an additional opportunity for kids to experience first-hand how volunteering enriches themselves, their community and their environment. Young people become aware of their responsibility to respect their neighborhoods and protect their rivers and natural resources, providing them with a positive alternative to destructive choices, such as drugs and vandalism.

History:
RiverReach Youth Initiative was founded in 1992 by Jim Pearson, a Denver attorney and impassioned river rafter. Since then, RiverReach has introduced community responsibility and outdoor adventures to more than 25,000 who have logged more than 50,000 volunteer hours. The impact of their work has proven to positively impact both the community and the kids who participate. As a 501 (c) 3 Colorado nonprofit, RiverReach offers youth programs year-round to youth from the entire Denver-metro region.

After siginficant organizational growth under the leadership of Executive Director Greg Pratt, RiverReach chose to pursue a merger with cityWILD, a like-minded youth agency in Denver. By combining forces, these two nonprofits can now serve more youth, more effectively, and with greater synergy. RiverReach's operations will be retained, bolstered by cityWILD's year-round programming, and its youth staff. In addition, cityWILD's mountain based Arkansas River operations will compliment RiverReach's urban based program.

Mission Statement:
RiverReach Youth Initiative uses Denver's natural urban areas, such as the South Platte River, to connect Denver youth to their communities by providing opportunities to volunteer, learn about their unique urban environment, and experience the excitement and teamwork of outdoor city adventures.

Where our Youth Come From:
Counselors and teachers recommend youth from Denver-area recreation centers, housing projects, day camps and public schools. RiverReach also collaborates with a number of other Colorado nonprofit organizations to enhance or supplement their existing youth programs.