The Youth Action Team was created by a group of high school students invested in centering the voices of youth in decision making within the Globeville and Elyria-Swansea communities. The mission of the Youth Action Team is to connect youth to the CSU Spur campus and to work alongside CSU Spur staff and partners to complete projects of their choosing. Youth are compensated for their time and have worked on projects building career pathways, highlighting small businesses, addressing homelessness, improving food access, and more.
2023-24 Youth Action Team
The 2023-24 CSU Spur Youth Action Team focused their project on animal health by interviewing veterinarians, taking behind-the-scenes tours of veterinary hospitals, and reflecting on their own experiences with adoption. YAT members assembled take-home kits for new pet owners that include resources like toys and toothpaste and handed out these kits during 2nd Saturday at CSU Spur.
In addition to creating the kits, YAT members compiled a list of helpful links for new pet owners.
General resources
Finding a veterinarian
- Humane Colorado Veterinary Hospital at CSU Spur
- Finding a veterinarian (American Veterinary Medical Association)
Vaccines
- Community vaccine clinic (Humane Colorado)
- Vaccinations for your pet (ASPCA)
Financial resources
Resources for dogs
Cost of caring for a dog
Dog food
- Safe vs. toxic foods for dogs (Sploot Veterinary Care)
- How to choose the best dog food (American Kennel Club)
Potty training
- How to potty train your dog (The Humane Society)
Grooming & bathing
- How to bathe a dog: step-by-step tips from a professional groomer (Chewy)
- How to trim a dog’s nails (VCA Animal Hospitals)
Health care
- How to brush your dog’s teeth and why it’s so important (American Kennel Club)
- Instructions for ear cleaning and administering ear medication in dogs (VCA Animal Hospitals)
How to make your dog comfortable
Resources for cats
Cost of caring for a cat
Cat food
- Safe vs. toxic foods for cats (Sploot Veterinary Care)
- Feeding your cat (Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine)
Potty training
- How do I litter train my cat? (BCSPCA)
Grooming & bathing
- How to bathe a cat: step-by-step tips from a professional groomer (Chewy)
- How to trim cat claws (The Humane Society)
Health care
- Brushing your cat’s teeth (VCA Animal Hospitals)
- Instructions for ear cleaning and administering ear medication in cats (VCA Animal Hospitals)
How to make your cat comfortable
- How to make your cat feel at home (Purina)
Are you interested in joining the Youth Action Team?
Email [email protected] to learn more.
Since 2017
2017
CSU & BRS become partners
CSU System and Bruce Randolph School signed a MOU in 2017, after several years of working together. The commitment to the partnership has created a pipeline of each grade level engaging with the university in a different way – ranging from campus visits to in-school programs to college readiness work.
2019
Youth Memory Project
CSU and History Colorado collaborated with Bruce Randolph School freshmen and sophomores throughout a semester to create a Youth Memory Project, where students interviewed a close friend or family member and shared their stories of growing up in north Denver. The project now lives within the history archives at History Colorado.
2020
Youth Action Team created
Eleven youth were selected to be part of the first Youth Action Team cohort and developed an internship program — a community project that benefited the GES community, connected neighborhood youth to the National Western Center and CSU Spur, and set the framework for future Youth Action Team cohorts to continue engaging with the campuses.
2021
Cohort 2: Small business flyer
The Youth Action Team focused on understanding community needs during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their project for the year included a small business brochure flyer that they passed out at community events and the grand opening of the CSU Spur Vida building.
2022
Cohort 3: Clothing drive
The Youth Action Team focused on understanding homelessness in their community and how to help their neighbors experiencing homelessness. Their project for the year included a clothing donation drive benefiting Denver Rescue Mission, an organization of their choosing.
2023
Cohort 4: Food access
The Youth Action Team focused on food insecurity and help with food access. Their projects included creating a Food Access Directory, organizing their own community food drive, and planting crops in partnership with The Growhaus in the Community Food Justice Garden at CSU Spur.
Youth Action Team partners
The YAT was created with the support from organizations at the National Western Center.
Questions? Email [email protected] to learn more.
KAREN SCHLATTER
Director, Colorado Water Center
Karen Schlatter was appointed director of the Colorado Water Center at Colorado State University in 2025, after joining the Center as associate director in 2023. Schlatter brings academic, nonprofit, and public sector experience in managing complex water challenges with a deep commitment to building partnerships and the ability to engage in conversations across Colorado’s water community. She joined CSU from the University of Florida Water Institute where her work included facilitating multi-stakeholder/academic teams to achieve shared goals around water management through collaborative, interdisciplinary research. Prior to her role at UF, she served as associate director of the Colorado River Delta Program at the Sonoran Institute, where she focused on building cross-sector and international partnerships to support large-scale ecological restoration, effective binational water management, and community engagement in the Colorado River Delta region. Schlatter earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from McGill University and a Master of Science in environmental studies from the University of Colorado Boulder. She served as an agricultural extension volunteer in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.
TOM VILSACK
Chief Executive Officer, World Food Prize Foundation
Effective March 1, 2025, Thomas J. Vilsack, former United States Secretary of Agriculture and Governor of Iowa, will become the first Chief Executive Officer for the World Food Prize Foundation. In this new role, Governor Vilsack will focus on expanding the Foundation’s global network, and will further position the Foundation as a leader in addressing global food and nutrition insecurity, continuing his lifetime of public service.
In 1998, he became the first Democrat to be elected as the Governor of Iowa in more than 30 years. During his two terms as Governor, he created an $800 million, 10-year economic development incentive program—the Iowa Values Fund. His administration worked with schools, medical providers, businesses, faith-based organizations and other entities to expand healthcare coverage to more than 90,000 previously uninsured children.
He became the 30th and 32nd United States Secretary of Agriculture, from 2008-2017 and 2021-2025, respectively. Only five people in U.S. history have served in the Cabinet longer, and during his tenures, the United States Department of Agriculture set records for U.S. agricultural exports and provided food assistance to millions of Americans. He helped expand food and nutrition access through summer feeding programs for children and additional support for fruit and vegetable purchases through the Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program. As Secretary, he worked to develop new and superior markets for small and mid-sized farms, allowing those operations to remain viable and in turn, strengthening and growing rural communities.
Governor Vilsack has long been connected to the World Food Prize Foundation, having served on both the Council of Advisors and the Board of Directors. His insights and acumen were vital in shaping our mission and initiatives. His leadership and experience will be instrumental in expanding the Foundation’s international reach and continuing the mission of elevating innovations and inspiring action to sustainably increase the quality, quantity and availability of food for all.
It’s our anniversary!
It’s our anniversary! CSU Spur has been fully open to the public, sharing hands-on, family-friendly activities around food, water, and health for two years. Join us on Saturday, Jan. 11, for 2nd Saturday activities, including desserts, a mariachi performance, face painters, horses on treadmills, veterinarians in surgery, scientists in labs, and more. The celebration is from 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and CSU Spur will be open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; no registration required, all public activities are free.
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is presented by Canvas Credit Union.
We’ll see you Saturday!
2nd Saturday at CSU Spur is 10 a.m.-2 p.m. this Saturday (May 9), and this month, the theme is Spur in Bloom. Join us for flower-themed arts and crafts, horse demonstrations, interactive activities focused on topics like sustainability and gardening, the return of the Market at the Center, and more!