(Ripley County, IN) – Volunteers for Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County have been busy making plans for this year’s trip west with local high school students.
Dates for the 2026 trip are July 4-16.
Mt. Rushmore National Memorial, Crazy Horse Monument, Grand Tetons National Park, and of course Yellowstone National Park are on the agenda for the annual trip. The local students and chaperones will also experience seven nights of tent camping, campground cooking, develop photography skills, and learn about the wild animals they see along the way.
The organization takes up to 14 high school students from Ripley County schools, and sometimes homeschoolers, at no cost to their families. High school juniors are identified by high school staff, teachers, and sometimes family members who believe they could benefit from the program. Students are also welcome to apply on their own, through the organization’s website, www.youthtoyellowstone.org.
This year’s deadlines are: Student applications due April 24; Student/Parent meeting May 8; Student activity day May 30.
The group will then leave July 4, and return July 16.
Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County provides food, transportation by van, hotels and campsites, as well as other students’ needs for the 13-day trip. Students needing hiking shoes and socks, as well as other personal items are supplied those items, according to board member Nancy Laymon. Students are also given bright colored t-shirts to wear on the trip, which helps the adults to keep track of them in crowds.
“Students who have never traveled far from their homes will learn new things about themselves and the larger world around them. In the past we’ve had students who have never gone camping, have little experience ordering food in a sit-down restaurant, or have experienced other situations that we were able to help them develop into new life skills and confidence,” Laymon explained.
Some fundraising has begun, with grants written to local organizations, and more planned. The group rents three vans for the trip, two passenger and one cargo, and is seeking a sponsor or grant to cover the cost, which is the highest expense for the trip, at about $8,600. The anticipated cost per student is about $2,500, and donors can sponsor a student as well.
“We are so appreciative of every donation we receive,” Laymon emphasized, “the adult chaperones on the trip pay their own way, so all the funds raised support the students’ trip.” Local businesses have also stepped up, providing food, such as snacks, meat, and other items needed for meals being cooked at the campground. “Community support is essential to making the trips possible the past 12 years,” she added.
Anyone interested in helping out with Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County, or wanting more information or a presentation, may call (812) 621-1965, email at Y2Y@youthtoyellowstone.org, or visit www.youthtoyellowstone.org.
Board members for the nonprofit are: Bill Riley, president, Jim Waldo, vice president; Kristina Pope, secretary; Nancy Laymon, treasurer; Jack Wilker, Woody Pope, Katherine Taul, and Carol Jackson.
Donations may be made on the website, or sent to Youth to Yellowstone of Ripley County, P.O. Box 42, Milan, Indiana 47031.
(Ripley County Youth to Yellowstone press release)
