I am BYEP’s new Program Director. Though, not entirely new.

My story at BYEP began a long time ago. I first got involved with BYEP as a mentor in 2015, soon after became a Program Manager, and in 2019, left to pursue my Master's in marriage and family counseling at Loyola University in New Orleans. Now I am thrilled to be back as BYEP’s Program Director, ready to inspire and build dynamic connections within the community.

Since starting my position here as Program Director in early June 2022, I have felt so much aliveness being back in the presence of the youth we serve. I wholeheartedly believe that our participants are the most extraordinary members of our community, and I am so grateful for their silly, joyful, and raw reflections about the world and how they belong to it. The theme of belonging often comes up at BYEP. How it feels, where it comes from, and its vitalness to our lives.

This past summer, participants were asked to consider their belonging as it pertained to the natural world and went on a series of adventures hiking through forests, rafting down rivers, balancing on high ropes, and following slug paths into community gardens to find deeper meaning.

Looking ahead to fall, we have many incredible adventures planned such as outdoor rock climbing, mountain biking on trails, and exploring our local Lewis and Clark Caverns. And along with those adventures, we embrace the opportunity to connect with each other — building new connections and strengthening existing ones. These connections are what makes us feel that we belong at BYEP.

Thank you for giving us the chance to welcome your teens at BYEP, and thank you for giving back to your community by being present and witnessing youth empowerment!

Kayla Bradley
Program Director
kayla[at]byep.org

Program Update: September 2022