Park County Youth Summer Program

🌿 Trailblazer Summer Program

Bridging Connection, Wellness, and Support When School Is Out

The Trailblazer Summer Program is a signature initiative of Rural Resilience designed to ensure that rural youth remain connected, supported, and engaged throughout the summer months, when school-based services and daily structure are not available.

In many rural communities, summer can bring isolation, limited access to activities, and a lack of consistent social and emotional support. For some students, the end of the school year also means the end of their primary connection to trusted adults, peers, and behavioral health supports.

The Trailblazer Summer Program fills that gap.

🌞 Why It Matters

Summer is a critical time for youth mental health and well-being. Without school routines, many students experience:

• Increased isolation
• Reduced access to supportive adults
• Fewer safe, structured activities
• Limited opportunities for peer connection
• Heightened behavioral or emotional challenges

In rural areas, these challenges are often amplified by distance, transportation barriers, and lack of local programming options.

The Trailblazer Summer Program ensures that support does not disappear when school ends.

🤝 What the Program Provides

Led by our Family/Peer Liaison, the program creates consistent opportunities for connection and wellness, including:

• Weekly group gatherings and peer connection activities
• Safe, structured spaces for youth engagement
• Wellness-focused activities that support emotional regulation and resilience
• Opportunities for friendship building and positive social interaction
• Community-based outings and local experiences where access is otherwise limited
• Ongoing check-ins and support for youth and families

🌱 The Impact

The Trailblazer Summer Program helps youth:

• Stay connected to trusted adults and peers
• Maintain emotional and social stability over the summer
• Build confidence, coping skills, and resilience
• Experience belonging in their community
• Reduce isolation during a vulnerable time of year

It also supports families by providing consistent, accessible, and trusted summer programming in communities where options are often limited or non-existent.

💙 Why This Work Is Essential

For many rural youth, summer is not just a break—it can be a gap in support.

The Trailblazer Summer Program bridges that gap by ensuring that connection, wellness, and care continue year-round. It reflects the heart of Rural Resilience: meeting students where they are, building relationships, and making sure no child is left without support because of where they live.

🌄 Trailblazers Lead the Way

This program gives youth the opportunity to stay engaged, feel seen, and continue growing—together.

Because resilience doesn’t take the summer off. We are proud to offer this program at both Gardiner Public School and Shields Valley Elementary School for children ages 5-16 years old.