Wyoming Resilience Youth Initiative

The UW Malcolm Wallop Civic Engagement Program (MWCEP), directed by Dr. Jean Garrison and Dr. Jason McConnell, is launching the Wyoming Resilience Youth Initiative to create a community of practice for Wyoming educators to empower youth voices through curriculum and applied practices. As a response to Governor Gordon’s Reimagining and Innovating the Delivery of Education (RIDE) Initiative focused on youth life skills and community involvement, the project prepares students to be engaged citizens. Simultaneously, it gathers their voices on Wyoming’s chronic problem – the exodus of young adults from the state. By leveraging relationships developed with teachers statewide in the K-12 Curriculum Project, MWCEP will partner with teachers in 20+ schools over 18 months (Jan 2025-July 2026) to collect photography and narratives about barriers and opportunities in educational attainment, employment, and community resilience that will be showcased locally and on a public interactive map.