The Aspen E ect provides programs for local youth

BY HALEY LENA HLENA@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Just like the interconnected root system of an aspen tree, the nonpro t organization, e Aspen E ect, aims to connect with youth and give them support and mentoring so they know they don’t have to stand alone.

“ e mission at e Aspen E ect is to help kids become more resilient by reimagining themselves in a positive way,” said Jerry Van Leuven, founder and executive director of the nonpro t organization.

About six years ago, Leuven started a summer program for teenagers called Ranch Hand Leadership Academy. rough the program, the teens found ways to problem solve, resolve con icts and learn how to support and motivate each other.

Within a couple of years, Leuven noticed kids needed an alternative in their lives that they could draw strength from. He saw the apparent e ect COVID-19 had on the mental health of youth.

When it comes to the prevalence of children’s mental illness and access to care, the 2021 State of Mental Health in America Report for children and youth ranked Colorado 42nd in the country.

According to Partners for Children’s Mental Health, suicide is a leading cause of death among youth ages 10 to 24 in Colorado. In addition, nearly 22% of youth who have mental illness with severe impairment are receiving care. Youth mental health became a great concern during the pandemic. e Children’s Hospital Colorado website states they are seeing rates of anxiety and depression among youth during the pandemic have doubled and 44% of American teens report feeling persistently sad or hopeless. ere, youth are accompanied by goats, pigs, horses, chickens and more.

During a pediatric mental health media roundtable event, CEO of Children’s Hospital Colorado Jena Hausmann declared a youth mental health “state of emergency” in 2021, leading to the appointment of Dr. Ron-Li Liaw, as the hospital’s inaugural Mental Health-in-Chief in addition to her serving as chair of the Pediatric Mental Health Institute.

In 2021, e Aspen E ect moved to Sky View Farms in Castle Rock and is run by Wendy Ingraham, who started Robin’s Nest Foundation.

Along with a board of directors made up of eight members - one of which is a quali ed therapist - the nonpro t has six fully developed programs in addition to the Ranch Hand Leadership Academy.

Other programs include Heal- ing Horse Connections, Riding with Resilience Lessons and Animal Lovers Volunteer Club, a one on one mentoring program.

One of the most popular programs is the Mini Horse Leadership School where kids learn the power of empathy, leadership skills, how to manage expectations, develop a con dent mindset and lead from the side.

From shy to assertive, the mini horses have di erent personalities which the kids learn how to work with.

“ ey’ve got to kind of meet them where they’re at and we use that in the skill of developing empathy and leading with empathy,” said Leuven. e organization also has a teen advisory board with members who have been at the Douglas County Youth Congress and to the General Attorney’s o ce to speak about the Safe To Tell program.

During the school year, a group of high school students come together and provide feedback on the programs at the organization and get involved with helping the younger kids.

In light of the new parent policy change made by the Douglas County School Board, Leuven said the organization will continue to be an inclusive place for youth.

Last month, the Douglas County School District made changes to the parent policy that could a ect stu- dents wishing to use speci c pronouns like her/she, him/he or they/ them. Counselors are now required to notify parents when students ask to be identi ed by a di erent gender. e organization has been intentional about involving di erent races, sects and backgrounds.

Among the four core values of e Aspen E ect, is to accept others, oppose demeaning behaviors and promote respectful behavior.

“We seek common humanity that draws us together, ‘we’ is our most important pronoun and we believe in human resilience,” said Leuven.