About Us

YESS stands for Youth Empowerment Support Services.

      The YESS Institute is a local non-profit agency serving the Denver community. The YESS Institute offers training peer mentoring, school engagement programs in Denver Public High Schools. We also offer emotional intelligence and leadership trainings for staff at nonprofit agencies.  Our mission is to build EmoSmart Leadership™ within youth, their role models and organizations that support them. The YESS Institute has developed an inclusive, comprehensive, wrap-around student engagement peer mentoring model focusing on turning failing freshmen into successful high school graduates.

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History: A Timeline

1992 – 1995 In 1992-93, Carlo Kriekels and his friend Ronald rode 35,000 miles from California to Chile on a motorbike.  The 18-month long trip started out as a great adventure to discover the authentic Latin America, away from the "gringo trails," but ended with a shift in life priorities.  The motorbike trip gave him …

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Staff

     Carlo Kriekels, Co-founder and Executive Director, JD, LL.M.  Emily Webster, Program Manager at West High School Sarah Clark, Program Manager at North High School  Helen Penny, Program Manager at Lincoln High School – AmeriCorps Member Daniel Medina, Program Director at Lincoln High School – Contracted C. Lee Pirkey, MBA, YESS Institute Bookkeeper – Contracted …

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Board Members

YESS INSTITUTE BOARD MEMBERS Joél Contreras, Board Chair  Thomas M. Doherty, Chair of Product Development Committee Kyle Henderson, Treasurer and Chair of Finance Committee Portia Prescott, Chair of PR/Marketing Committee Terri Slivka, Chair of Advisory Board Committee Tal Edelstein, Strategic Planning Regan Byrd, Chair of Fundraising Committee Gia Irlando, Product Development Committee Sin Lounady, Fundraising Committee Dr. …

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Accomplishments

    The YESS cross-age peer-mentoring program: Recently been awarded prestigious Tony Grampsas funding by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Recognized for its dropout prevention efforts by the Mayor's Office of Education and Children with the "Heavy Lifting Award" Featured on Colorado Public Radio: EmoSmarts – CPR News Implemented as a pilot …

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Funders

Thank you to all our funders! We are very grateful for the support of the following institutions who have supported the agency over the past decade. Abraham Lincoln High School at Denver Public Schools Adolph Coors Foundation Anschutz Family Foundation Benjamin Moore Paint Best Buy Foundation Burt Foundation Colorado Compassion Inititative Daniels Fund Denver Active …

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Former Clients

Thank you to all of our clients, past, present and future! Denver Public Schools – Lincoln High School Denver Public Schools – West High School Denver Public Schools – North High School Denver Public Schools – Kepner Middle School Denver Public Schools – Greenlee K-8 Denver Public Schools – Denison Montessori Denver Public Schools – …

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Success Stories

Abraham Lincoln High School Student, Jackie “We are superior to everyone else”, was the motto of the secret group called the Pink Ladies that Freshman Jackie was involved in.  As one of the pink ladies Jackie actively participated in fights, ditched classes and disrespected teachers.  One day while ditching class, Mr. Medina, YESS School Liaison …

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Financial Information

The average revenue breakout of the last 10 years is as follows:  Earned Income – 25% Government's Contracts – 32% Foundation Grants – 34% Individual Gifts – 6% Corporate Gifts – 2% Events – 1% 89 cents of every dollar goes directly to programs.   

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Strategic Information

  Richard Male and Associates (RMA) is one of Colorado’s most experienced nonprofit management consulting firms. Founder/President Richard Male brings more than 40 years of both grassroots and high-level experience in social advocacy, nurturing leadership, and organizational development. RMA was engaged to develop a strategic/business approach for the YESS Institute that would provide a unified …

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