News
Rise Up For Youth Selected to Join the Stand Together Catalyst Network - 6/14/2018
Stand Together Press Release
Koch Industries Showcases Rise Up For Youth for #SecondChanceMonth - 4/19/2018
KOCH Newsroom Article
Rise Up For Youth Awarded $500 Grant Through Wins For Kansas - 12/10/17
WICHITA, Kan. -Rise Up For Youth started in 2005 as a mentoring and gang prevention program for young men in Wichita, but the program soon spread. In 2014, the organization was formed. Rise Up For Youth founders Lynn and David Gilkey say they personally know the challenges facing young adults.
"Sometimes they just need adult role models in their lives to push them and help them make those good choices for their education and to become productive citizens," Lynn Gilkey said.
The organization is now working in four Wichita high schools where their volunteers mentor at-risk youth.
Part of that job means helping the students pick their careers and visit colleges. The group boasts a 100% graduation rate for its students and 70% of those students went on to secondary education or military service. In the 2016-2017 school year, the program served 248 students.
DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers honored Rise Up For Youth with a $500 Wins for Kansas Grant.
KAKE News Video
Rise Up For Youth Awarded $25,000 Grant From Kansas Health Foundation - 10/3/17
WICHITA, Kan. - Rise Up For Youth has received a $25,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation (KHF). KHF awarded these funds to support a capacity building initiative which will allow Rise Up For Youth to further expand their organizational capacity.
The grant will allow Rise Up For Youth to work with the Wichita State Community Engagement Institute (CEI) to develop a strategic plan for the organization with the goal of impacting more youth efficiently in our community. The grant will also allow the staff to receive more development at a crucial time when Rise Up For Youth is experiencing growth and high demand of their programming.
“This grant will allow us to set a sound, strategic plan of how to serve the youth in our community,” Executive Director Ariel Rodriguez-Williams said. “We know there is a real need in our community for our services and our organization is working to serve more youth and address the disparities our youth face.”
Over the next year Rise Up For Youth will work with CEI, board members, and others to continue setting a vision for the future. The capacity building grant will allow the organization to better address the youth increasing their health and civic impact through their programming. Rise Up For Youth will be able to use this capacity building grant to find ways internally to be more efficient with donor resources and funding.
The Kansas Health Foundation is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans. For more information about the Kansas Health Foundation, visit www.kansashealth.org.
Rise Up For Youth Announces New Executive Director - 8/14/17
WICHITA, Kan. - Rise Up For Youth has announced Ariel Rodriguez-Williams as their new executive director who started on August 14th, 2017.
Ariel joins Rise Up For Youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence where he was Director of Special Initiatives. His work centered around youth programming, funding, and developing relationships that fostered growth in their programs.
This is an exciting time in the history for Rise Up For Youth. The hiring of the executive director marks a pivotal moment in the strategic plan. This will allow the program founders, David and Lynn Gilkey, and others to focus on the organization’s mission of empowering youth to reach their full potential.
About the hiring, Lynn, said “David and I will continue to set the vision for Rise Up For youth, but now we will have the support of strong leadership in the operations and management side of the organization, which will allow us to deliver ever improving programming to our students.”
Julie Dombo to Speak at Developing "Every Man's Opportunity" Event - 4/28/17
Wichita Eagle Article
Founder Lynn Gilkey Honored at the White House - 9/30/16
Wichita Eagle Article
Valerie Jarrett to Speak at "Sisterhood of Queens" Event- 9/30/16
Wichita Eagle Article
Founder David Gilkey Appears on "Morning Joe"- 11/3/15
Wichita Eagle Article
Stand Together Press Release
Koch Industries Showcases Rise Up For Youth for #SecondChanceMonth - 4/19/2018
KOCH Newsroom Article
Rise Up For Youth Awarded $500 Grant Through Wins For Kansas - 12/10/17
WICHITA, Kan. -Rise Up For Youth started in 2005 as a mentoring and gang prevention program for young men in Wichita, but the program soon spread. In 2014, the organization was formed. Rise Up For Youth founders Lynn and David Gilkey say they personally know the challenges facing young adults.
"Sometimes they just need adult role models in their lives to push them and help them make those good choices for their education and to become productive citizens," Lynn Gilkey said.
The organization is now working in four Wichita high schools where their volunteers mentor at-risk youth.
Part of that job means helping the students pick their careers and visit colleges. The group boasts a 100% graduation rate for its students and 70% of those students went on to secondary education or military service. In the 2016-2017 school year, the program served 248 students.
DeVaughn James Injury Lawyers honored Rise Up For Youth with a $500 Wins for Kansas Grant.
KAKE News Video
Rise Up For Youth Awarded $25,000 Grant From Kansas Health Foundation - 10/3/17
WICHITA, Kan. - Rise Up For Youth has received a $25,000 grant from the Kansas Health Foundation (KHF). KHF awarded these funds to support a capacity building initiative which will allow Rise Up For Youth to further expand their organizational capacity.
The grant will allow Rise Up For Youth to work with the Wichita State Community Engagement Institute (CEI) to develop a strategic plan for the organization with the goal of impacting more youth efficiently in our community. The grant will also allow the staff to receive more development at a crucial time when Rise Up For Youth is experiencing growth and high demand of their programming.
“This grant will allow us to set a sound, strategic plan of how to serve the youth in our community,” Executive Director Ariel Rodriguez-Williams said. “We know there is a real need in our community for our services and our organization is working to serve more youth and address the disparities our youth face.”
Over the next year Rise Up For Youth will work with CEI, board members, and others to continue setting a vision for the future. The capacity building grant will allow the organization to better address the youth increasing their health and civic impact through their programming. Rise Up For Youth will be able to use this capacity building grant to find ways internally to be more efficient with donor resources and funding.
The Kansas Health Foundation is a philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans. For more information about the Kansas Health Foundation, visit www.kansashealth.org.
Rise Up For Youth Announces New Executive Director - 8/14/17
WICHITA, Kan. - Rise Up For Youth has announced Ariel Rodriguez-Williams as their new executive director who started on August 14th, 2017.
Ariel joins Rise Up For Youth from the Boys & Girls Club of Lawrence where he was Director of Special Initiatives. His work centered around youth programming, funding, and developing relationships that fostered growth in their programs.
This is an exciting time in the history for Rise Up For Youth. The hiring of the executive director marks a pivotal moment in the strategic plan. This will allow the program founders, David and Lynn Gilkey, and others to focus on the organization’s mission of empowering youth to reach their full potential.
About the hiring, Lynn, said “David and I will continue to set the vision for Rise Up For youth, but now we will have the support of strong leadership in the operations and management side of the organization, which will allow us to deliver ever improving programming to our students.”
Julie Dombo to Speak at Developing "Every Man's Opportunity" Event - 4/28/17
Wichita Eagle Article
Founder Lynn Gilkey Honored at the White House - 9/30/16
Wichita Eagle Article
Valerie Jarrett to Speak at "Sisterhood of Queens" Event- 9/30/16
Wichita Eagle Article
Founder David Gilkey Appears on "Morning Joe"- 11/3/15
Wichita Eagle Article