Colorado Youth Outdoors programs are offered every Wednesday evening in the Fall and Spring during 12 week sessions. The program offers an introduction to traditional outdoor activities for both parents and high school students in either Northern Colorado or Colorado Springs.   In Northern Colorado each program session is open to the first 150 participants who register and in Colorado Springs the maximum capacity of the program is 50 youth and their parents.  Program fees are $25/participant.  Scholarships are available.

CYO offers an experiential introduction to the following recreations:

• Trap Shooting
• Fly Fishing
• Fly Tying
• Spin Casting
• Archery

Once participants have completed the introductory session of CYO they are eligible to sign up for our Adventure Series. These experience based activities range from overnight hunting trips to one day fishing excursions.

Building on the timeless call of the great outdoors, CYO is a fun and effective way to build great families.

This is an aerial view of the Regional Education Facility at Swift Ponds which serves as site for the majority of programming in Northern Colorado.

Colorado Youth Outdoor Instruction Staff

North East Region

 Welcome to Colorado Youth Outdoors!!! My name is Bennett Colvin and this is my first year  as  an instructor at CYO.  I am a native to Northern Colorado and I teach biology and zoology at Fossil Ridge High School.  I love fishing and especially fly fishing and spend nearly all of my free time on the water. In the rare chance that I am not fishing, or dreaming of fishing, you can find me camping, skiing, fly tying or hiking.  I am excited about our upcoming CYO class and meeting you!

Steve Burczyk: Originally from Wisconsin and grew up an avid outdoorsman. Following a 22 year career in the U.S. Army he has been teaching high school for the past 10 years and has taught in Missouri, Wisconsin, and finally Colorado. Steve teaches at Loveland and Thompson Valley high schools and has been a CYO instructor since 2008. His wife teaches in Greeley and he has three step-children, three dogs, and a cat. He continues to enjoy hunting and fishing here in Colorado and likes to share that enjoyment with CYO participants

Kirk Johnston is in his third year as a Special Education Teacher at Greeley Central High School.  During the past two years CYO offered Kirk the opportunity to introduce some of his students to the outdoors and the opportunity to join the CYO instructional staff.  Kirk grew up hunting and fishing on the western slope of Colorado.  He also enjoys family time, training animals, winter sports, hiking, and gardening.    

My name is Bob Pfenning.  I am a retired phys ed. teacher from the Eaton School District.  Now that I am retired I spend a lot of my time up in the mountains fly fishing and back packing.  I am always looking for high mountain lakes and streams to hike into and I love to catch brown trout, rainbow trout, brookies and green back cutthroats.  I tie my own flies and practice catch and release fishing but once in a while I will keep a nice fat brookie to cook over the campfire!  I love taking beginners fly fishing and I try to help them have a great experience on their first outing!

Greig Mcalpin and I am a second grade teacher in loveland co.  I am married and have a 3 yr old son.  I am an avid hunter and love fishing as well. I was born and raised in colorado and have always loved the outdoors and everything it offers.  I find CYO so appealing because it’s mission is something I believe in greatly.  These outdoor activities helped me continue to grow a rocky relationship with my father.  These activities gave us a chance to have otherwise tough conversations as well as giving us a setting to connect with each other doing something we love.  I am very lucky to be a part of the CYO family and blessed with the chance to help others find a connection to bulid life long relationships.

Marlon Poole: I was raised in Southern Colorado where I did Boy Scouting with my dad, along with hunting and fishing with him.  I taught my own son to fish on the Poudre River and Joe Wright reservoir, and we bow-hunted together.  My son is hearing – impaired, so we would go behind Hughes Stadium in the evenings to learn how to stalk quietly and to follow blood trails.  Today our favorite time together is fly- fishing.    I am a Science teacher at Poudre High School in Fort Collins.  I know the value of spending time out of doors with my own kids.  I am excited to be part of an organization that brings families together doing activities that will last a lifetime.

South East Region

Jeff Neumeyer: Growing up in South Dakota the outdoors were a way of life. Outside of my family, my love is in the outdoors; my passion is chasing elk during the Colorado archery season. When not in the outdoors I am in the classroom. For the past 15 years I have taught PLTW Pre-engineering and Architecture and serve as the Applied Technology Department Chair at Doherty High School in Colorado Springs. I hold an Associate’s degree in Architectural Drafting, a Bachelor’s degree in Management, and a Master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction. In the time I have been with Colorado Youth Outdoors I have witnessed many families strengthen their family bonds.

Jim Keating: I am Colorado native and lifelong teacher. I have taught history, English, government, drama, and geology. I have also taught field science courses for more than two decades along the Front Range, and in Teton, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Zion, and Canyonlands National Parks. I am an avid outdoorsman who started fly tying and fly fishing at the age of twelve and began hunting at 13. I was fortunate to have grown up at a time when it took little effort or resources to pursue those passions. Those opportunities are not as attainable as they once were and that is why I am so passionate about Colorado Youth Outdoors. My wife, Michele and I have been married for 35 years and have three grown children and one grandson.