Five years ago, Youth Clubs of Park County was awarded a grant worth $115,000 a year. That grant ran out Sept. 30.

But Tina Bernard, director of the organization, said she and her staff have been notified of a new grant award for the next five years. As of last week, the staff had no dollar amount tied to the grant, but hope it’s for the full amount they applied for in the grant application.

This grant was written to include three elementary schools in Cody. However, there is a waiver attached to the effect that, should the inclusion of those schools be impossible because of COVID limitations, the money will be shifted to other uses rather than relinquished.

“The application has been approved but we have to update it annually to prove compliance,” Bernard explained. “It is not easy to get these funds and it’s complicated to keep them. We have to jump through some hoops.”

The funds, from the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center application, are federal monies awarded to states. Each state then decides how to disperse the dollars. In Wyoming, the Department of Education is the vehicle for dispersal.

“We actually have to do daily, quarterly and annual numbers and demographics on the kids and their progress,” Bernard pointed out.

The newly awarded grant incorporated a sort of club-within-club arrangement, with emphasis placed on STEM — science, technology, engineering and math — learning. The staff and supplies for the programs outlined are 100% covered by the grant.

In the last two years of the previous grant, Tiffany Wutzke, a veteran of more than 14 years with the club, took on a different role and became the director of programs and training. As she became more involved in writing the grant, she began to work closely with Karen Bierhaus, a program consultant for the Nita M. Lowey 21st Century Community Learning Center grant accountability division. During that association, Bierhaus was so impressed with Wutzke and her work with programming and the kids, that she nominated Wutzke as an ambassador to the Afterschool Alliance.

“Tiffany does her work with joy,” Bierhaus wrote in her recommendation. “Everyone around her feels that lift and it makes her work as a steadfast advocate for the kids and families in Park County that much more meaningful.”

Wutzke was contacted, applied for the program and has been accepted. Ambassadors are advocates for after school programming locally, but also at the state and national level. There are only 18 ambassadors in the United States.

During her one-year term, Wutzke will organize public events, communicate with policy makers and community leaders and work to increase awareness and support for afterschool and summer learning programs.

“It’s quite an honor,” Wutzke said. “But it requires a lot of training.” Because of the pandemic, most of that training is via Zoom meetings.

Wutzke is a product of area schools, graduating from Powell High School in 1996. She started with Youth Clubs of Park County in 2006, at both the Cody and the Powell locations.

Staying involved with youth for nearly 15 years is something of an accomplishment. Wutzke said it’s the kids who keep her motivated, knowing she is making a difference in their lives.

“You don’t always know that at the time, but some former club members have come back as adults and told me about the influence I’ve had on them,” she said.

Bierhaus echoed that validation in her recommendation.

“You know she [Wutzke] cares ... and she does what great leaders do — builds relationships. Tiffany makes you feel like you belong and her gift connecting to people has made a tremendous impact in the Youth Club programs,” Bierhaus wrote.

Wutzke’s favorite project thus far was working with third graders and NASA engineers. In the program, the students created a project, then met with the engineers via the internet to troubleshoot and ask questions.

“They could ask any questions they had, if they needed assistance, or just ask questions about space,” Wutzke said.  “It was so fun to see the kids ‘click.’ They were better able to explain their projects after talking to the engineers. And they were in the third grade!”

The grant aligns what the club does to the students’ school day to ensure educational success, Bernard said.

“We have good relationships with the schools,” Wutzke added. “If a student is struggling, we can reach out to their teachers to find out what they need help with and how to help them.”

But it goes beyond academics.

“What’s unique about us is we teach kids not just academically but also socially. We do it in such a way that they don’t know they are learning,” Bernard said, citing teaching manners by example.

Both women are quick to point out they don’t do any of this alone.

“We couldn’t do any of this without our club directors and staff,” Bernard opined.

“We have the greatest staff at both clubs,” Wutzke chimed in.

It isn’t just staff either.

“We’ve had to learn to do things differently since the pandemic hit,” Bernard said. “We have to thank the families for trusting us with their children and bearing with us during the changes since we opened back up in June.”

She said it is the parents who work overtime during fundraisers and purchase supplies or other needs listed on cards posted on the giving tree or doughnut board.

“There are a tremendous number of people who bring in a lot of the things we need: businesses, community leaders, members and parents,” Wutzke said. “We wouldn’t be here without those people.”