HistoryAYE founder John Reid grew up an African American child confronted with the struggles and trappings of his tough urban neighborhood. John was fortunate to have adults in his life that helped him experience opportunities and challenges away from home and encouraged him to grow beyond the obstacles of his inner city environment.
While living in Aspen, Colorado in the early 1990s, John found himself reflecting on his own life’s journey. Inspired by the triumphs of Martin Luther King Jr. and driven by his own desire to empower young people, John created Aspen Youth Experience (AYE). His goal was to take at-risk youth out of their restrictive surroundings and introduce them to a whole new set of possibilities. He combined challenging outdoor experiences with nightly facilitated discussions that helped the youth translate the outdoor lessons to life back home.
Since 1991, well over 2000 youth have participated in Aspen Youth Experience programs. Over the years, youth have come to Aspen from communities in Denver, New York City, Chicago, Phoenix, Los Angeles, Washington DC, Kansas City, San Francisco, New Orleans, various Native American reservations, and the Roaring Fork Valley of Colorado. Aspen Youth Experience partners with one or more local non-profit organizations or schools in each city it serves. Working with these partner agencies, AYE identifies, encourages, and prepares youth in need of a unique opportunity, and then helps to create a network of support and follow through that participants can depend on into their adult lives. |