For Immediate Release
April 9, 2002

Assets for Colorado Youth Announces Formation of New Board

Denver, CO - Assets for Colorado Youth (ACY) welcomes six community leaders to its Board of Directors. The board members include:

• Steve Del Castillo, Director of the Office of Research and Collaborative Program Development with the Denver Area Boy Scouts of America; ACY Board President.
• Ken Grimes, Program Director for Denver 4-H Youth Programs.
• Glenna Kelly, Theater Program Coordinator with Kaiser Permanente; ACY Board Vice President.
• Johanna Maes, Director of the University of Colorado's Pre-Collegiate Program; ACY Board Secretary.
• Carol Miyagishima, Ph.D., a private consultant and the Director of the Ethnic Living and Learning Committee for the Chancellor at the University of Colorado.
• Cecilia K. Sanchez de Ortiz, Site Consultant for the Annie E Casey Foundation's Making Connections-Denver Initiative; ACY Board Treasurer.

Assets for Colorado Youth is a nonprofit organization that champions positive youth development by building capacity, focusing on individual and community strengths and increasing "developmental assets" in youth. Developmental assets are a research-based set of opportunities, values and positive relationships that all young people need in their lives to succeed.

Said María Guajardo Lucero, executive director for ACY, "We look forward to benefiting from the expertise these board members will lend to the asset movement in Colorado. From their own professional and community involvement, the board members will be able to share their perspectives on different ways that the asset framework can fit into the youth-development arena."

ACY first opened its doors in 1997 as a statewide initiative funded by The Colorado Trust. Assets for Colorado Youth became a 501(c)(3) in 2000 to position itself to continue its work well into the future. The organization is setting a national standard for demonstrating innovation, sharing best practices, and providing leadership to promote a strength-based approach to youth development.

For more information, visit the ACY Web site: www.assetsforcoyouth.org, or call
303-832-1587; (toll-free): 888-KID-7871.

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