Reaching Goals
What a great year we had! As I look back on 2015 I am simply amazed at what we have accomplished. We set the bar high for ourselves and knew that we would be stretching, stepping out of our own comfort zones. “However, practice what you preach”; if our youth can do it so can we. And we did, with late nights, long weekends, and a noteworthy team-drive we had our best year in our 19 year history! But don’t take it from me, here are a few testimonials from our year-end survey:
Survey: What do you like best about Youth Odyssey?
Participant: When we play the games because I love the way we come together as a team.
Meal Prep and Lots of Laughter
Participant: The best part about Youth Odyssey is when we play games and have fun because we get to talk about cool stuff and have fun with our friends.
Participant: I liked preparing and cooking the food for the group.
Participant: I loved the hiking and exploring nature.
Participant: Camping is AWESOME! It was so much FUN!
Survey: Do you think Youth Odyssey has helped you in any way?
Participant: Yes, I have learned manners, how to work together, and the importance of paying attention.
Participant: It helped me a lot because I used to talk while other people were talking. Now I know why it’s important to listen to others. I raise my hand now when I want to say something.
Learning to Trust Each Other
Participant: How to become a good leader.
Participant: To trust other’s choices.
Participant: Yes, now I know how to speak with my parent and teachers respectfully.
Participant: I love meeting kids from other schools.
And if that is still not enough to show you how much of an IMPACT we made in 2015, here are hard facts:
| 32 Programs | 634 Youth (83% unduplicated) |
| 3320 Youth Visits | 280 Teambuilding sessions |
| 38 Ropes Courses | 13 Weekend Camps |
| 6 Weeklong Camps | 8 Service Projects Days |
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- Kayaking as a Team
| % of Youth Improvement in (our goal is 75%): | |
| 90% Leadership skills | 80% Communication skills |
| 92 % Self confidence | 90% Problem-solving skills |
| 91% Trust skills | 92% Teamwork skills |
| % of Youth Satisfaction with: | |
| 91% Staff gave clear instructions | 80% Program organization |
| 89% Food selection and preparation | 100% Felt Staff treated them with respect |
| 100% Felt safe in the program | 100% Felt staff listened to concerns and answered questions |
Thank you so much for your belief in our youth and state-of-the-art programs. Youth Odyssey still remains the only organization of our kind South of San Antonio. Meaning the demand for our programs is high. There is a waiting list of organizations and school districts who are requesting our programs because they have heard of our IMPACT and SUCCESS. Therefore with your help, 2016 is going to be another record breaking year. We hope you will continue to partner with us and share the great work we’re doing with your friends, family, and colleagues. The more community involvement we have the more youth we can serve and the greater IMPACT we will have.
Thank you again, from the bottom of our hearts.
Spreading Our Wings
