Background

[The following prospectus was written prior to the COVID epidemic in 2020.  We iintend to restore it in some form in 2021.]

Centaur Rising has long sought to reach out to youth who are less fortunate than those in our foothills communities.  A sister 501-c-3 organization, SPIN (Supporting People in Need) has a long-standing highly successful inner-city program called “Street Cred” (SC).  SC endeavors to keep disadvantaged Jefferson High School students in school and to help them make more positive decisions about their futures.

In 2020 SPIN and Centaur Rising (CR) sought to combine missions, staff, experience, and programs to offer a brand new “Pegasus Project” (PP).  SC uses the “Code of the West” in its efforts to impact student ethics and commitment.  CR’s nine school horses, with a combined Horse Camp (HC) experience of over 100 years, have much to give and much to teach kids from all kinds of backgrounds.

Format

PP’s four-day/week program was intended to take place July 20-August 13, 2020.  The first week participants will convene at the Montbello Parks and Recreation.  SC staff will get to know each student and their backgrounds.  SC principles and materials will be used to help develop confidence, personal ethics and improved decision-making.

For the next three weeks, students will be bussed three days per week to Anchorage Farm.  Here they will participate in a slightly modified Horse Camp program.   Each student will “adopt” a horse with whom they will develop a “bond” throughout the course of the program.

Participants will learn work ethic, commitment, confidence, and how to effectively communicate with their horse.  They will learn to recognize where their adopted horse “is coming from”, thus learning compassion.  Each student will take one riding lesson each day in the HC portion of the program.

On Friday of each week participants will reconvene at the Rec Center to discuss their new insights and how to apply what they have learned to their real life challenges.  Such discussions will also be integrated into the day-to-day HC program.

Recruitment

PP middle-schoolers will be recruited from Denver’s most disadvantaged neighborhoods.  They will be selected on the basis of their individual potential to rise above past mistakes and negative influences.  The recruitment process will identify for each participant an adult mentor who will help students continue their PP successes after they return home.  Essentially, the backgrounds of PP participants are characterized by meager opportunities and support systems, lack of academic commitment and success, inadequate role models, poverty.

Celebration

An end-of-the-program graduation ceremony was to have been held on August 13, 2020.  Parents, mentors, family and other significant adults will be invited.  Participants will demonstrate their by-now-considerable equestrian skills. They will report on what they have learned and how their new insights apply to problem solving and decision-making at home.

You Can Help

CR and SPIN are seeking funding from a variety of sources.  Private donations play a key role.  Here are some ways you can help.

A half-day scholarship for a disadvantaged inner-city youth is $55, a full day is $110 and a weekly scholarship is $320, You can ponsor a student for the entire Centaur Rising portion of the program for $960.  Tracking the success of this program is critical.  A donation of $1000 will help fund follow-up staff and materials.  We sincerely appreciate any support you can give.  Thank you!

Donate here.

Volunteers are always welcome.  If you see a spot in this program where you think you can help, please let us know.

Your support will enable an inner-city young person to join the Centaur Rising family and “rise above”!