During the 2024-2025 school year, teens in the Aspen School District will have the opportunity to hold a paid position on The Youth Advisory Team.

The Aspen-Pitkin Healthy Futures Collation was created, attempting to improve the lives of young people in the Roaring Fork Valley. It is a group of 12 sectors that commit to coming together and working on the enhancement of young lives, specifically in regard to substance abuse. The Youth Advisory team is under this coalition with the aim of giving young people a voice in their future and an opportunity to be involved in projects. The student leader of this team is Cade Feast. There will be an application for this program due to the limited number of spots available. Funding for this program comes from a national grant of $125,000 and this number is matched by other sources.

Sand described this team as the youth pillar of the Aspen-Pitkin Healthy Futures Coalition. Youth in this program will have the opportunity to spearhead projects meaningful to the team as well as give the Coalition feedback regarding their programs and projects aimed towards protecting kids from mental health and substance abuse.

“I want to create something that’s more meaningful, both for the Coalition, but also for the kids themselves, so they can come away saying, I did this, I learned stuff, I met different people. I got paid,” Sand said.

Aspen Family Connections Director, Katherine Sand, works directly with struggling families in the valley. Sand understandswhat it is like raising children in Aspen as her two children graduated from AHS in 2021. She created The Youth Advisory Team to give teens in the valley a chance to combat substance abuse and mental health issues.

“It became really obvious to me that we weren’t doing enough…The work that really prevents people from getting into situations that are complicated or stressful, on their mental health, their family situation, or on their child’s ability to succeed in school,” Sand said.

There are only about 15 positions available on the team, and Sand anticipates more interest than that. After the initial application, there will be a conversation – not an interview – between Sand and the applicants, where the commitment and intentions will be discussed.

“I’m actually more interested in giving voice to all kinds of young people, including those who aren’t conventionally [the ones] who have a voice in our community. And it’s more about building confidence, building trust, [and] improving the community,” Sand said.

The application is open to all current Aspen Middle School and Aspen High School High School students, especially those who feel that they want to make a difference in the community. Aiming to let all young voices be heard, the goal is to create a team of diverse youth from all different backgrounds.

“I don’t want to be like a resume tick box, it’s not like that, I want people who really want to make a difference,,” Sand said.

Students on this team will have access to all data from Healthy Kids Colorado, and have the opportunity to use it to create positive change. The Youth Advisory Team aims to compel the culture of Aspen’s youth to be healthier, happier, and safer.

“I have absolute faith that young people, young people can make this a better community. I have absolute faith in that, and I think that’s why this program is really a program of optimism,” Sand said.

For interested students, apply here.