Ripley Youth Outreach Celebrating 10 Years

Over the last decade, RYO members have led many impactful initiatives that have shaped Ripley County.

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(Ripley County, Ind.) - Ripley Youth Outreach (RYO), a program of the Ripley County Community Foundation, is celebrating 10 years of empowering young leaders across Ripley County. Since its founding in 2015, RYO has given local high school students the tools and opportunities to make meaningful change in their community through hands-on philanthropy, creative projects, and youth-driven grantmaking.

Over the last decade, RYO members have led many impactful initiatives that have shaped Ripley County:

• 2015: Launched the Birthday Box Program with the simple mission: to make sure every child, regardless of their circumstances, would feel special on their birthday. The program delivers boxes filled with cake mix, icing, balloons, and candles to eight local food pantries, bringing the joy of a birthday celebration to families in need. Since then, this program has celebrated over 2,000 birthdays.
• 2016: Supported innovative learning by funding virtual reality tools, robotics kits, OSMO curriculum, and livestream equipment for local schools. Helped launch Tribal Brew, a student-run business at Milan High School
•  2018: Awarded the Change Ripley County Grant to New Horizons to build an ice cream shop at Liberty Park, creating inclusive job opportunities for youth and individuals with special needs.
• 2019: Provided $3,651 in mini grants to Ripley County schools, funding projects like a Chinese classroom library, a biomedical freezer, a self-defense course, and bee houses. That same year, RYO partnered with Hillrom to distribute 47 preschool bikes to families in need. The highlight was providing bikes to children in foster care—many of whom were receiving their very first bike. Additionally, some of the bikes were sold to build a long-term endowment fund, ensuring the sustainability of the program.
• 2020: Launched two creative initiatives to foster youth engagement and community spirit. RYO secured a $5,000 My Community My Vision Grant to commission an interactive mural on the Versailles Courthouse Square, a project designed to promote youth pride and community connection. That same year, RYO hosted the first-ever Chalktoberfest, a chalk art competition where students created movie poster-themed art. This event gave young people a safe and much-needed creative outlet during the pandemic.
• 2021: Awarded the Change Ripley County Grant to St. Paul Lutheran Church to renovate the Brown Township playground. The vision for a new playground began with a single, inspiring moment, specifically when RYO received a note from a 9-year-old child expressing a simple wish for a place to play. This powerful message became the motivation for creating spaces for youth. The project, which was built from the ground up, now stands as a symbol of our collective commitment to our children.
• 2022: Partnered with Main Street Versailles to beautify the Ripley County Courthouse Square with festive wooden cutouts for the seasons. That same year, RYO launched the Box of Christmas Cheer Program, which provided families served by local food pantries with festive treats like sugar cookie mix, sprinkles, and hot chocolate. Additionally, RYO secured funding through the My Community My Vision Grant to revitalize Daren Baker Memorial Park in Milan, transforming the space with two vibrant murals and free community Wi-Fi.
• 2024: Awarded the Change Ripley County Grant to support Lanie Narwold’s vision of turning a U.S. 421 traffic barrier in Osgood into a vibrant public art piece in partnership with Iron Timbers. We also brought color and creativity to Bricktoberfest with Chalktoberfest, showcasing interactive murals by middle and high school students.
• 2025: Hosted the Ripley County Film Fest, celebrating local creativity by showcasing short films from local filmmakers and bringing the community together through storytelling.

The Ripley County Community Foundation believes that youth are essential to the county’s future and is committed to creating opportunities that help them grow as leaders, collaborators, and philanthropists. Through programs like Ripley Youth Outreach, students gain hands-on experience in problem-solving, project management, and community development while discovering the power they have to make a difference.

To celebrate this milestone, RYO is launching its “10 for 10” campaign, honoring 10 years of impact and inviting the community to give $10 to fuel the next decade of youth-led philanthropy.

This campaign ties directly into the Ripley County Community Foundation’s Day of Giving on Friday, November 7, 2025. On this special day, every gift has the opportunity to be matched 50%, meaning a $10 donation becomes $15, amplifying the impact of every supporter’s generosity.

“Over the past 10 years, RYO has proven that young people have the power to transform their community,” said Amy Streator, Executive Director of the Ripley County Community Foundation. “This milestone celebrates not only what Ripley Youth Outreach has accomplished but the future leaders who will continue to drive change in Ripley County.”

Community members are encouraged to join the celebration by sharing their RYO memories and making a $10 gift on the Day of Giving to ensure the next 10 years are even more impactful. Visit https://rccfonline.org/impact/initiatives/ripley-youth-outreach/ to learn more about their impactful work.