Our Mission

True North inspires individual determination and teaches self-advocacy by providing year round positive youth development programs for teens in our rural San Miguel region who have limited access to resources, opportunities, and support.

Our Story

More than a Decade in Service

In February 2014, three longtime mentoring professionals with over forty years of combined experience working with youth, along with several leaders in the community, Social Services, and partnering non-profits, identified a serious service gap among our region's teen population.

  • Vision.

    With the support of adult Navigators, we envision that every teen participant in True North Youth Program will graduate from high school with a plan and a path to follow into adulthood.

  • Method.

    True North Youth Program fills the gap by providing year-round, free programming for teens in five core programs: Community Service Learning, Academic Tutoring and Support, Positive Youth Development through Outdoor Recreation, Rising Stars Summer Bridge Program and College & Career Readiness. We've grown from an all volunteer organization to a team of full-time and part-time staff, and from serving 6 students to over 2,000 students and their families. We look forward to continuing the growth of the True North family, so reach out and get involved! 

  • Impact.

    Our beneficiaries are high school students living in 3 school districts (Telluride, Norwood, West End, and home school for the region) in the San Miguel and West Montrose Counties. Over the past decade, our programs have reached more than 400 teenagers each year who together contributed over 20K hours of engagement, including over 5K hours of service. We’ve offered 300+ unique out-of-school programs, 90+ free community and outdoor activities, 150+ career development opportunities, connecting over 250 students with teen employers, while our staff also provide weekly in-school support. As of 2025, we’ve awarded $125K+ in college and trade scholarships to 58 students.