08/08/2006 

The Greeley Rotary Club and the Rotary Club of Sarasota Florida has facilitated the fifth annual Kids Across America youth exchange.

Our mission is to enrich the lives of middle school age children by providing them with a seven-day educational travel experience to another part of the United States.

This project is the brainchild of Myra Monfort. Local foundations provide most of the funding for the project. The Greeley Rotary Club contributes an additional $2,000 and the Sarasota Rotary Club contributes a similar amount. The Rotary Clubs plan the activities for children and oversee the project.

During their travels these kids learn about another area of the country by the experiences they have. The children who are selected to participate would otherwise not be afforded a travel experience like this. They are also selected based upon merit for their general citizenship and the contribution they make at their home Boys and Girls Clubs. It is our hope that their experiences will help build self esteem and broaden their horizons.

Six children, three boys and three girls come to Colorado and three boys and three girls go to Florida. So that we might enrich as many kids as possible, we match the traveling children with “Buddies” in their destination cities. This year 26 children participated.

We enlist the Boys and Girls Clubs to help us facilitate the program. They select the children and provide the counselors who travel with and participate in activities with the kids.

This summer the Colorado schedule included the following activities:

·        Learn to Scuba and Snorkel – thanks to Ron Bland and Tortuga Bay

·        Do a Challenge Course – this helps the Kids and Counselors get to know each other more quickly.

·        Tour of a Bison Ranch

·        Experiential Education Program at the Poudre Learning Center - how water affects our lives

·        Travel to Estes Park & Rocky Mountain National Park

Trail Ride on Horseback, Hiking, Seeing Wildlife, Drove up Trail Ridge Road, Played in Snow – a first for the Florida kids, Swimming, Played Putt Putt Golf, Rode Go Carts, shopping in Estes Park, Join us for our Rotary meeting,

·        Return to the Poudre Learning Center for a wrap up of their educational program

·        Pizza party at Classic Lanes Bowling Alley

·        They also did a Community Service Project – Cleanup at Allen Park

The Florida schedule included:

·        Learning about and interaction with Manatees

·        Boat Trip and Snorkeling

·        Air Boat Ride

·        Activities at Myakka State Park, Islands of Adventure theme park, and A day at Magic Kingdom 

A special thanks to Myra Monfort and Wonderful Staff of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Weld County and Sarasota Florida

 This year’s Kids Across America committee: 

Submitted by Mark Llewellyn – Chair of The Greeley Rotary Clubs Kids Across America Youth Exchange Project

 (970) 356-5171