About Pagosa Community Initiative

The Pagosa Community Initiative, located in rural Pagosa Springs, mission is to create interactive opportunities that honor culture and diversity to provide Archuleta residents with services that increase wellness and engagement for a better quality of life.

 

Our programming began in 2021 under a different organization but based on the deep need of the community a new organization was formed to let this work be able to continue to grow. Through PCI’s mission and vision, we have been able to serve our community by providing out-of-school time opportunities for students K-12, family advocacy and support services,  adult education, and community-building opportunities. 

 

 A few facts about our organization: 

• Eighty percent of the students we serve are at risk and underserved.

• Last year we served over 120 students by providing the only consistent afterschool programming while also offering summer programs that served an additional 75 students. This represents about 15% of the student population in our school district. 

• This year we are currently serving 100 students with more interest daily.

• Our youth programming is play-based and provides character development, opportunities to build leadership skills, and community collaboration. We believe that helping youth build these skills will ultimately create a stronger community for years to come. 

• We continue to offer this programming free of charge to the community and we are providing the only full-time after-school program outside of sports and religious opportunities. 

• We serve over 30 families by providing family resources connection and advocacy through the family services program. 

• Our family services program helps to stabilize families by providing family education options such as parenting classes, helping them to navigate the school system and other systems, and connecting them to mental health resources.

 

Our organization is the only one of its kind in Archuleta County and we strive to create a safe, welcoming, equitable place for families. 

 

As we look toward the future, we are excited about working to fulfill the following goals: 

1. Integrate trained therapists into all aspects of our programming. 

2. Create groups of youth in partnership with therapists to support LGBTQ youth, youth mental wellness, and a safe place for older youth to be during out-of-school time hours. 

3. Integrate adventure programming and community-based programming into all of our out-of-school offerings. This would allow our youth to engage with the natural world around them and to engage with their community in new and exciting ways while working towards mental wellness. 

4. Add on to our family services programming to be able to help and support more families that are in need in our community.