Boulder County, Colo. - The Boulder County Youth Corps has been canceled for the 2020 season due to concerns associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. As the county considers the health and safety of staff and the public, it has been determined that the correct path forward for the Youth Corps is to cancel the 2020 season.

The logistics posed by transporting teens throughout the county to work on many different projects proved insurmountable under the current state and county public health guidelines.

Program manager Judy Wolfe stated, “While this has been a heartbreaking turn of events for everyone who was looking forward to joining the program this summer, it’s important that the youth corps program does what is most beneficial for our community by helping limit the spread of the coronavirus and allow the county to concentrate resources on restoring essential services to our residents.”

Scott Segerstrom, executive director of the Colorado Youth Corps Association which annually accredits the Boulder County Youth Corps, wrote in an email, “Boulder County and its youth corps have been through floods, wildfires, a pandemic—and nothing’s stopped the program from opening its doors the next season. There will be more lives to change a year from now, and the corps community will help ensure BCYC will be ready to roll.”

Former employees are trying to remain positive despite the bad news. Hunter Mayhew, a long-time youth corps employee who was about to embark on his eight season but his first in the team leader position, said, “We’ll just have to come back stronger than ever next season!” Corps member Liam Jenner, who was going to return as a second-year corps member on the team for the Town of Superior, wrote in an email, “While it is a huge disappointment that it had to close, we all hope to be back next summer, painting fences, maintaining trails, and smelling like linseed oil.”

Those interested in being alerted when recruitment starts for the 2021 season can sign up on the Boulder County Youth Corps webpage.

Corps members scraping a picnic table at the Ag Heritage Center (June 2019)