A Brighter Outlook for Cody Youth

One out of three kids in the U.S. grow up without a trusted adult or someone they can turn to for advice outside of their family home. Organizations like Bright Futures here in Cody, Wyoming aim to fill that gap with their free mentorship programs.

Established in 2003, Bright Futures set their focus upon supporting our local youth. They have successfully evolved over the years and are now able to match kids with vetted and trained mentors found in our local community. They enlist caring adults and high schoolers who enjoy spending time and supporting kids.

“We have two programs that are free. The after school program serves twenty 5th graders. We meet twice a month in the Grizzly room and we’re joined with high schoolers and adults who help facilitate crafts, games, icebreakers, and to just hang out and visit.” Diane explained. “High school mentors then lead conversations about the central theme of the month during pizza time. It is during these conversations that we challenge them to demonstrate kindness to others and work towards self improvement.” They also have guest speakers at each program that address topics like wildlife, body care, self defense, leadership, healthy eating, etc.

The second program is a one to one option where a mentor is matched with a designated K-12 student for the school year. Mentor’s meet the students for lunch at their school once a month and spend quality time together. Lunch is provided by Bright Futures.

“It’s been really great having the schools involved! And we are very grateful for the Bread Board giving us a great deal on providing lunch for the one to one meetings,” Diane shared.

Currently, the Bright Futures organization is operating at capacity. “We could expand our one to one program, but we are limited by our budget and staff”, Diane explained.

Diane listed off all the ways the community has been helping, such as in kind services and items from local businesses, guest speakers who volunteer their time, and generous donations from local individuals. “We are so grateful to our community for supporting us even while there are plenty of other organizations out there doing good work.” Diane shared.

“We are very diligent about vetting and training our mentors. Safety for our kids is our top priority.” Diane explained.

Not only do they provide connection and support to our local youth, but they also give scholarships to high schoolers and have internship opportunities.

Bright Futures is a great organization that has successfully and efficiently grown over the years thanks to the generosity and support of the Cody community. “It’s not easy to be a youth today,” Diane said, “it’s good that we’re talking about the struggles of mental health more. I encourage everyone to show an interest in our youth. Supporting them can make a huge difference.”

Bright Futures has been fortunate to have outstanding mentors join our program, but are in need of more adult mentors. Interested in supporting or signing up as a Mentor or Mentee? Go to www.brightfuturesmentoring.com to learn more!

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