BOISE, ID (February 26, 2013) – The Idaho Youth Ranch will debut a new look starting on March 3 with the launch of a four week, statewide billboard campaign. It’s the initial public reveal of a year-long rebranding effort, and marks a fresh image makeover for the 60-year-old nonprofit.
Bringing a new energy and youthful exuberance to the surface, the new logo is more modern, colorful and playful than the western style mark that the organization had been using over the past 60 years. The rebranding campaign will continue throughout 2013, with a new website, store signage, and more.
“What we’re all about is helping kids, and we wanted our branding to better reflect that mission,” said Tracy Rowe, Vice President of Development. “Our communication needs to represent our energy and passion as well as the spirit and potential of those we serve.”
Best known for the 26 thrift stores the organization operates across the state, the Idaho Youth Ranch exists to offer promising futures to at-risk and disadvantaged kids. The organization offers emergency shelter, job-readiness training, alternative education, adoption services, counseling, and other services for youth and their families. The Idaho Youth Ranch employs over 300 people statewide.
A new thrift store location will open on March 1 at 5 Mile and Overland in the Overland Park Plaza in Boise, and will be the first store to unveil the new look both inside and out. And in April, the organization will celebrate its 60th anniversary.
“As we celebrate this incredible 60-year milestone as an organization,” Rowe said. “We’re giving our community a better understanding of who we are and what we do, and the hope and opportunity we bring to our kids every day.”
According to Rowe, store updates and new brand reveals will continue over the next year and beyond.
The Idaho Youth Ranch is a nonprofit, multiservice charity in Idaho that works with the community to help good kids on a dangerous path find promising futures. Their approach is to provide help when it can do the most good, to serve the whole child—not just the symptoms, and stick with each child for as long as they need help. Idaho Youth Ranch programs and services serve as safe haven offering shelter, healing, counseling, treatment, education, support and skills for life.
BOISE, IDAHO (February 4, 2013) - The Idaho Youth Ranch (IYR) has received a $200,000 grant from the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Foundation to help launch IYR’s new YOUTHWORKS! job training and placement program for at-risk young people. The grant will partially fund the first year of the pilot project, which will begin March 1, 2013 in Boise.
YOUTHWORKS! is a 16-month comprehensive job training and job placement program designed to assist people ages 16 through 22 to develop the skills for a successful work experience. The program includes classroom instruction, on-the-job training in IYR thrift stores and local businesses, job placement, mentoring and oversight.
“We are very grateful for this generous funding through the J.A. & Kathryn Albertson Foundation, and look forward to getting YOUTHWORKS! underway,” said Steve Woodworth, IYR President & CEO. “Our new program dovetails nicely with the Albertson Foundation’s very successful GO ON campaign, as it provides an opportunity for youth to participate and complete post-secondary training and prepares them for career success.”
Each participant in the YOUTHWORKS! program will be supported by a job specialist and volunteer mentor. Job specialists are IYR employees who guide participants through each phase of the program, offer assistance in handling new experiences, provide feedback, and help participants connect with community resources. Mentors are volunteers from the local business community who serve as role models and provide support and guidance.
The IYR is currently accepting inquiries from individuals who are interested in becoming mentors, and businesses interested in becoming YOUTHWORKS! job placement sites or financial partners. They are also seeking young people who would like to go through the YOUTHWORKS! training.
For more information contact: Bob Ball, 377-2613 or bball@youthranch.org, or visit the website at www.youthranch.org/youthworks
For almost 60 years the Idaho Youth Ranch has provided at-risk children of Idaho a bridge to a valued, responsible and promising future. Youth Ranch programs and services serve as safe havens offering shelter, healing, counseling, treatment, education, support and skills for life. Their approach is to provide help when it can do the most good, serve the whole child – not just the symptoms, and stick with each child for as long as they need help.
The J.A. and Kathryn Albertson Foundation is a private, family foundation, committed to the vision of limitless learning for all Idahoans. The Foundation invests in large-scale initiatives and has three focus areas: career readiness, learning choices and leadership investments. Go On Idaho is the foundation’s strategy to help prepare more Idahoans for 21st century skills by building a culture in Idaho schools that supports students to get education and training after high school. Go On Idaho has helped to build awareness in Idaho that high school is not enough and that there are proven ways to set Idaho students up for success beyond graduation.