Jerelyn Thomas
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Jerelyn Thomas 1999 fellow
Bold Idea
Provide low income, culturally diverse youth with outdoor and environmental service learning opportunities that promote developmental themes of personal empowerment, leadership and community participation.
Organization
The mission of cityWILD is to provide low-income, culturally diverse youth with outdoor and environmental service learning opportunities that promote developmental themes of personal empowerment, leadership, and community participation, while motivating participants to reach their potential at home, in school, and within their community. cityWILD is a bold effort to bring the typically exclusive world of outdoor experiential education to a broad non-traditional audience: low-income youth of color. The core of the organization's work is: 1) Leadership Development Program, which includes, an After School Component, Weekend Adventures and Expeditions, and Case Management Services; 2) Teen Workforce Development Program, which employs participating teens as outdoor educators, leaders, and guides with cityWILD; and 3) Ventures, which is cityWILDs unique income generating business that provides river rafting and outdoor adventure experiences to other nonprofits and youth agencies, as well as the general public, promoting environmental awareness and building outdoor leadership skills for their staff and youth.
Biography
Jere Lester Thomas is a consultant, facilitator and leadership coach with over 20 years experience in the fields of Leadership Development and Human Behavior. Jere’s proven ability to provide quality, outcome based services has benefited numerous individuals, teams and organizations.
Before starting Sage Resources Inc., Jere was the co-founder and executive director of a Colorado-based, award winning nonprofit youth leadership development program. Her work with this project resulted in the National Outdoor Leadership School’s Alumni Achievement Award. In addition she was senior faculty at the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) in the professional development program and as an international staff trainer. In the academic realm, Jere has served as masters level adjunct faculty at the University of Denver and Prescott College.
Jere is an experienced facilitator and consultant working with rural and urban groups. She has specific expertise in the realms of public health, human services, rural communities and coalition-based initiatives.
Jere holds a BA in Psychology from Brown University, a Masters in Social Work from CSU Sacramento and a Leadership Coaching certificate from Georgetown University. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, a trained facilitator and a certified Myers-Briggs practitioner.
