About Us
Youth Frontiers is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization, and we exist to help schools in their mission to develop both smart kids AND good kids.
For over 20 years, Youth Frontiers has been transforming the day-to-day experience in schools across America by providing dynamic and meaningful programs designed to create a more positive school community.
This past year, we delivered 664 retreats in 15 states throughout the country, including in our expansion areas of Denver, Phoenix, and Omaha.
Each year we work with nearly 100,000 students and educators– challenging them to think critically about how they treat themselves and others, and inspiring the silent majority of students to help make their school a better place.
Retreat Presenters
Joe Beckman
Joe Beckman grew up in West St. Paul, MN, attended St. Thomas Academy, and graduated from St. John's University with a degree in theater and communication. After college Joe was doing the acting thing but knew that something was missing. In 2003, he discovered Youth Frontiers, and the rest is history. In high school, Joe-although not a bully-was certainly a bystander and feels that a program like YF's could have given him the courage to make more of a difference. His gift is his ability to share stories from his life when he fell short, and he challenges the students he speaks with to do things better. Besides Youth Frontiers, Joe enjoys playing sports, hanging out with his family, and speaking for youth groups in churches throughout the Twin Cities.
Rita Boersma
Hailing from the University of Minnesota where she majored in English, Rita quickly put her degree to work as a waitress. After that she pursued work in Education, taking jobs as a para, a teacher, and Head of a Drama Department. Finally, Rita found her home at Youth Frontiers in 2007 where she is able to not only utilize her degree (you're welcome, Mom), but also her theater background and her love of working with young people. In addition to working at YF, Rita can be found performing with ComedySportz and other improv and theater groups around the Cities. She still teaches improv and theater to teens, as well as corporate team-building workshops. She has won numerous prestigious awards including---World's Best Sister and Unintentional Physical Comedian of the Year.
Jean Culp
After graduating from the University of St. Thomas in 2006 with degrees in Psychology and Family Studies, Jean started working for Youth Frontiers. Before coming to YF she worked in various ways with today's youth. Some of her favorite jobs have been with St. Joseph's Home for Children, Mary's Place, and as Head Coach of a youth girl's soccer team. After discovering Youth Frontiers, Jean feels like she has found her "dream job". Having had a hard time academically in school, she especially loves meeting those students on retreat that struggle academically and need a little encouragement to believe in themselves. When Jean is not on retreat, you can find her spending time with her family, camping in the summer, and skating on a frozen pond in the winter.
Debra Grahn
Debra Grahn is a retreat staff musician and the sound equipment manager at Youth Frontiers. Debra G has been a part of the YF team since the fall of 2002, coming from the University of WI, Oshkosh with a degree in Vocal Performance. During her residence at UWO, she studied vocal technique, pedagogy, health, and Opera and recital performance. Debra has experience in teaching beginner, intermediate, and advanced voice students of all ages. At YF, being on the front lines of retreats working with students is a passion for Debra G. She's likes to find the positive in any situation and any person, and has an ability to inspire growth and hope in the youth and adults she works with. She relates well to those students who are having a tough time in school or life, and pushes them not to give up.
On the side, Debra G is a professional musician, singer/songwriter, and recording artist in the Twin Cities, MN. Her other interests in life are painting, photography, writing poetry, and dancing. She loves to meet new people and learn from everyone.
Todd Hansen
Todd has a Masters of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Southern California, and has acted in, and produced, several shows in Los Angeles. He left a stage and commercial acting career of 20 years to join Youth Frontiers. As an ex-camp counselor and a stay-at-home father, spending time with young people talking about character values seemed a perfect fit.
Todd's favorite part about retreats is encouraging young people to find their voice and watching them share it, courageously, in front of their entire class. He also loves traveling to the small towns of America - so he can read about the town's history in the hotel brochures and on the back of diner menus.
Jon Herchert
After ten years of retreats, Jon Herchert is a certified Youth Frontierian. As a retreat staff/musician, Jon enjoys the challenge of teaching students about character. When he's not on retreat Jon can be found hanging out with his 2 sons and beautiful wife, while also staying involved in many music projects (performing/recording/producing/writing) with many local and national artists.
Kesiah Kolbow
Five years ago Kesiah participated in the Respect Retreat at her high school. Having enjoyed learning about herself and getting to know her classmates better, she decided that she would aspire to work for Youth Frontiers one day. The rest is history. Apparently, dreams really do come true. In her free time, Kesiah enjoys running around Lake Calhoun, BBQ-ing with friends, watching the Food Network, reading, playing scrabble, singing, and performing. Her all-time favorite activity is hanging out at her parents' house with her family. Her favorite foods include her mother's enchiladas, her mother's meatloaf, her very own stir-fry, anything spicy, and saltine crackers (which she eats every morning for breakfast). Kesiah feels incredibly lucky to be working with such a wonderful organization. She is also excited to have a job where she can laugh heartily, sing, dance, and be merry.
Rachel Kroog
Rachael is thrilled to be part of the few, the proud, the official, Youth Frontierians, having worked for YF for over 10 years! When she's not doing "The Kindness Rap" with elementary students during one of her Kindness Assemblies, she loves to pretend she's a cross between Ace Ventura Pet Detective and Dr. Doolittle, caring for her dog, cats, chinchillas and bearded dragons. She's glad that she can run free and play with her friends and hopes never to be put in a cage... again.
Megan Lee-Erickson
After receiving her B.F.A. from Sarah Lawrence College, Megan lived and worked in New York City for a number of years before returning to her hometown of Minneapolis. She has worked as an actress, singer, paralegal for an immigration law firm, loan account manager, administrative assistant, camp counselor, youth acting coach, vocal coach, singing telegram, and finally, retreat staff at Youth Frontiers for the past four years. Megan is pleased that her skills in theatre, music, and youth leadership (not to mention the occasional singing telegram), have lent themselves to her development here at Youth Frontiers. She eagerly looks forward to another fabulous year at Youth Frontiers! In her spare time, Megan sings with the ensemble, Exultate, and in the summers can be found working with Itzhak Perlman at The Perlman Music Program on Shelter Island.
Jane Leyden
Jane has a B.A. from the University of Notre Dame and a Master's Degree from the College of St. Catherine. She spent 12 years as a professional actor in Minneapolis, Chicago, and Los Angeles. She has enjoyed her 10 years at Youth Frontiers, especially facilitating retreats for educators who inspire her with their stories of courage and passion.
Her favorite T.V. show is The Office. She loves building community among adults, Sunday afternoon walks with her husband and 4-year old daughter Tess, and exploring the depths of the human heart.
Todd Maas
Todd holds a Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Bethel University. He has been involved in professional youth work since 1991 as a camp counselor, speaker, and Youth Pastor. He brought that experience and passion for changing students' lives in 2005 to work with Youth Frontiers. "My favorite part of retreats is the challenge of helping to motivate a disconnected grade of students to connect in ways they never could have imagined in a few short hours. I love my job!"
When Todd is not on retreat you can find him spending time with his beautiful wife Kristen and their adorable girls Isabelle and Mallory. When he has a few spare minutes Todd enjoys updating his Facebook status with things about golfing (weather permitting), running, leadership development, and trying to become a retreat staff musician by practicing his guitar and singing.
Joe Mailander
Joe is a graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville, Minnesota, where he graduated with honors in Latin American Studies and Spanish. He worked as a camp counselor in high school, a tutor while studying abroad in Guatemala and Chile, and is presently writing and playing children's folk music for his band, The Okee Dokee Brothers. He has traveled with The Medicinal Strings Bluegrass Band for three years performing free concerts for underserved communities. Now, Joe is basking in the glory of being a Youth Frontiers Retreat Staff.
Eric Malmberg
Eric plays the guitar, and sings. When he's not rocking his sweet guitar skills for Youth Frontiers, Eric plays and tours in a rock band called Attention. They've made trips to the east and west coasts, and even a trip across the pond to the United Kingdom! On the weekends, Eric can be heard as a DJ on Minneapolis radio station KQRS. He spends his free time loving baseball, eating good food, and seeing lots of live music.
His favorite color is black... he wears it a lot.
Bjork Ostrom
Prior to joining Youth Frontiers Bjork spent his time as a student at the University of Minnesota, studying at the College of Design. He supported himself by writing and performing songs, which helped him buy scrumptious helpings of rice, beans, and beef flavored ramen noodles. In the year ahead, he is excited about (1) working along side wonderful people (2) working along side future world changers (i.e. kids) and (3) trying to live life to its fullest.
John Sandahl
As a senior at Richfield high school, John was a student leader on the Respect Retreat and discovered he had a passion for inspiring young people. For six years, John has been delighted to inspire young people through stories of his experiences (good and bad) growing up in Richfield, MN with his "googly eyes." John studied theater at Saint John's University where he graduated with honors in 1998. After college he spent time as both a classroom teacher and administrator in Nassau, Bahamas and then at SJU. When not on retreat, John is also passionate about ultimate frisbee as both a coach of the Minneapolis South high school team and a player on the nationally prominent club team Sub Zero.
Sam Soule
Sam was born in Moorhead, MN to a humble wood worker and his noble wife. After being brought up under the traditions of the great Midwest, Sam ventured off to find his place in the bigger picture. Victory was achieved when Sam joined forces with the Youth Frontiers team after his years of being a retreat leader. Sam enjoys harnessing the power of laughter and dance during YF retreats to encourage young people to stand up for what is right. When Sam is not kicking it with YF, he can be found riding his bike, cooking meals that take longer than "instant," and reading books about how to read books.
Kecia Winter
Kecia is a pianist/singer/songwriter who has performed her music around the country. While still in high school, she started a decade-long engagement playing piano at Nordstrom department stores, releasing two CDs. A graduate of the University of Minnesota, with degrees in Management Information Systems and Math, Kecia spent ten years in IT consulting for companies like 3M, Boeing, and IBM. She began part-time work with Youth Frontiers in 1998, and started her full-time career with YF after spending six years working and playing in Colorado and California. Kecia is thankful to be part of an organization that is passionate about making the world a better place. When not at YF, she enjoys running, spending time with family, and traveling anywhere the sun is shining.
Director of Retreat Programs
Andy Zimney
Andy Zimney has worked with youth his entire career. After graduating from St. John's University with degrees in English and Theater, he worked as a camp counselor, wilderness guide, substitute teacher, rock climbing instructor, acting teacher, and youth mentor. As a staff member at Youth Frontiers since 2001, Andy loves the opportunity to challenge both youth and adults to live more closely to the ideals they hold most important. Andy is a father and husband who loves spending time at the park, in the back yard, and up north with his family. Andy is also an actor and comedic improviser who can be seen regularly at Comedy Sportz Twin Cities, an all-ages improvisational comedy company in Minneapolis.
Jamie Zuel
Jamie Zuel, a.k.a. Zuel, has been working in youth development during his entire career. After graduating from St. John's University with a degree in Theology, Zuel spent time as a youth minister in central MN. Shortly after that he worked as a summer camp director at YMCA Camp Icaghowan. It was then, in 2003, when he joined the Youth Frontiers team. He has the incredible honor of sharing his talents with young people by challenging them to think differently about how they treat themselves and others. When not on retreat, Zuel loves to run, hang out with family and friends, and eat good food. In the summer months, you can catch Zuel entertaining large crowds at St. Paul Saints baseball games as the "Super Fan."
Jim Becker
Jim Becker teaches Economics and Civics at Eagan High School in Eagan Minnesota. He is a Link Crew Coordinator in his building, coaches or has coached hockey, football, and golf, and is the Assistant Director of the Minnesota High School Football All-Star Game. His wife Brenda is a middle school administrator and they have two wonderful and ACTIVE high school aged kids... They are all self proclaimed "Disney Psychos".
His favorite movies are "Braveheart" and "The Sound of Music" (he's sure Freud would have a field day trying to figure that one out).
As an educator Jim has been a longtime "Youth Frontiers Groupie" and now considers himself privileged and a little bit lucky to be working with such amazing people.
Pete Larson
Pete grew up in Minneapolis, MN as the 9th of fourteen children. Pete is a graduate of St. John's University in Collegeville, MN.
Pete spent over 25 years working with youth and families in a variety of settings. For 10 years Pete was the Youth and Family Minister at St. Patrick's Church in Edina, MN. He spent many years working with Youth Frontiers leading over 600 student retreats, speaking to nearly 100,000 kids in grades 5-12. He was also a host of The Wishing Well Show, an interactive TV program at the Minneapolis and St. Paul Children's Hospitals. Pete is currently the director of Family Fest Ministries, Inc., which seeks to strengthen families in the Christian faith through weeklong and weekend retreats for families and couples. Pete lives in Bloomington, Minnesota with his wife, Lynn, and their two teenage boys, Dan and Tim.
Senior Leadership
Joe Cavanaugh, Founder & CEO
Joe Cavanaugh is a nationally-known advocate promoting timeless values and personal character to audiences of all ages. With over 25 years of experience working with young people, he is one of the foremost communicators to youth on the topics of respect, integrity, courage and compassion. In 1987, Joe founded Youth Frontiers, Inc., a Minnesota-based nonprofit organization that partners with schools to create more positive school communities. Through programs that help young people realize the importance of living a life of character, Youth Frontiers is transforming the day-to-day experience in schools across America so that our schools - and therefore our kids - can thrive. Youth Frontiers' work has impacted nearly one million students and educators and has received national acclaim by providing powerful retreats with the vision of changing the way young people treat each other in every hallway, lunch line, and classroom of every school in America so that today's young people can make tomorrow's world better.
Joe has been the subject of countless newspaper articles as well as radio and television interviews including "The Osgood Report" on CBS radio and a 90-minute PBS television special titled Respectfully, Joe Cavanaugh. He has been recognized by General Colin Powell of America's Promise as being a leader in our nation's effort to rescue America's young people. He currently serves on boards and committees for St. John's University and Catholic Charities of St. Paul and Minneapolis.
Jack Lee, President & COO
Jack brings to Youth Frontiers 15 years of experience in business and finance. A graduate of Notre Dame, Jack spent four years in commercial banking in Cincinnati, a short banking stint in Paris, France and received an MBA from the University of Michigan in 1993. He spent nine years in finance out west with Intel Corporation, working with everything from an internet start up to the $2.5 billion construction of a new fabrication facility. In 2002, he decided to return to his native Twin Cities and make a career shift, and now uses the skills gained in business to make a difference in schools, and in kids' lives.
Jack plays and coaches a lot of soccer, and deals with his current frustration with Notre Dame's football team by playing the piano, cooking and speaking French. He is active in his church, serves on the board of Upstream Arts and is a Rotary member. He and his wife, Laura, love to travel and have dragged their two daughters, Elisabeth and Catherine, on many long car trips that have taken them through 42 states and several countries.
Andy Zimney, Director of Retreat Programs
Andy Zimney has worked with youth his entire career. After graduating from St. John's University with degrees in English and Theater, he worked as a camp counselor, wilderness guide, substitute teacher, rock climbing instructor, acting teacher, and youth mentor. As a staff member at Youth Frontiers since 2001, Andy loves the opportunity to challenge both youth and adults to live more closely to the ideals they hold most important. Andy is a father and husband who loves spending time at the park, in the back yard, and up north with his family. Andy is also an actor and comedic improviser who can be seen regularly at Comedy Sportz Twin Cities, an all-ages improvisational comedy company in Minneapolis.
Board of Directors
Networking Team
- Carol Culp, Community Volunteer
- John Estrem, Community Volunteer
- Nate Garvis, President, Naked Civics, LLC
- Marialice Harwood, Publisher, Delta Sky Magazine, MSP Communications
- Steven Kennedy, Partner, Faegre & Benson LLP
- Dean Phillips, President, Phillips Distilling Company
- David Walsh, Psychologist and Author
Expertise Team
- Kenneth Dragseth, Retired Superintendent of Edina Public Schools, Dragseth Consulting, Inc.
- Craig Vana, Executive Director for Emergency Management and Safety, Minneapolis Public Schools
Strategy Team
- Joe Cavanaugh, Founder & CEO, Youth Frontiers, Inc.
- Dave Dorn, President, Special Olympics Minnesota
- Mike Maney, Ryan Companies
- Margrette Newhouse, Myers Chair in Management, College of Saint Benedict/St. John’s University
- Mary Nord, President, Weber-Nord Consulting **Board Chair
- Hank Shea, Senior Distinguished Fellow, University of St. Thomas School of Law
Expansion Team
- Connie Grady, Senior Director, Cushman and Wakefield, Inc.
- Jeff Heegaard, Community Leader
- Colleen Needles Steward, President, Tremendous! Entertainment & The Family Catalog
- Tim Thorpe, Executive Director, Pathways
Excellence Team
- Tony Enrico, President, 2nd Wind Exercise
- Scott Lutz, Chief Marketing Officer, Life Time Fitness, Inc.
- David McFarland, Senior Vice President & Chief Credit Officer, Marquette Transportation Finance, Inc.
Research and Testimonials
Evaluations Overview
Evaluating Our Impact:
Youth Frontiers Three Key Findings
Youth Frontiers Three Key Findings
1. Students learn how to treat each other better.
2. Students are more engaged and willing to stand up for others.
3. Youth Frontiers delivers a consistently high-quality retreat experience.
YF Longitudinal Evaluation Project, Ed Sass, Ed. D., 2002-2005 YF Client Review Evaluation Project, Bill Johnston, 2007-2008 Preliminary Report, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota, 2009
- - 93% of students on the Kindness Retreat reported that they learned ways to be kinder to their peers and how to include others in activities. (Sass, 2005)
- - Over half of teachers surveyed regarding the Courage Retreat felt that there had been a noticeable change in the ways students treated each other even 60 days after the experience. (Sass, 2005)
- - 74% of students on the Respect Retreat reported that they had been more respectful of others since the retreat. (Sass, 2005)
- - Youth Frontiers expands the common vocabulary of students and teachers around building positive school communities. (Johnston, 2008)
2. Students are more engaged and willing to stand up for others.
- - 86% of students on the Courage Retreat reported that they learned what it means to act with courage, the impact of fear, and skills about how to show courage. (Sass, 2005)
- - Through the direct instruction on the retreat, students have an increased awareness of their choices and use this experience as a catalyst to change their behavior. (Johnston, 2008)
- - Youth Frontiers retreats assist educators with behavior management and problem-solving strategies. (Johnston, 2008)
3. Youth Frontiers delivers a consistently high-quality retreat experience.
- - 95% of teachers reported that the Respect Retreat was of a very high quality. (Sass, 2005)
- - Youth Frontiers has incorporated many best practices into the retreat format including using upper-class students as role models, using a variety of formats that are relational and youth-centered, and providing opportunities for personal reflection. (CAREI, 2009)
- - 100% of educators rated the quality of Youth Frontiers retreat staff facilitation as very high. (Johnston, 2008)
YF Longitudinal Evaluation Project, Ed Sass, Ed. D., 2002-2005 YF Client Review Evaluation Project, Bill Johnston, 2007-2008 Preliminary Report, Center for Applied Research and Educational Improvement, University of Minnesota, 2009
Reference Letters
Educator Endorsee
These teachers and administrators have volunteered to share the story of YF's impact on their school with you. If you are interested in speaking with one of our Educator Endorsees, please contact our office at 952.922.0222 to get their contact information. Thank you!
Paul Andress
Counselor
South View Middle School
Edina, MN
Dawn Banas
Climate Coordinator
Summit School District
Frisco, CO
Randi Bibbins-Clark
Counselor
St. Wenceslaus School
Omaha, NE
Nancy Branch
Principal
Chandler Traditional Academy-
Independence Campus
Chandler, AZ
Rinalda Butts
Counselor
Monroe Middle School
Omaha, NE
Elizabeth Eaton
Student Assistance Program Coordinator
Centennial Schools
Circle Pines, MN
Molly Fenske
Counselor
Rockford Middle School
Rockford, MN
Mark Fodness
7th-grade Teacher
Bemidji Middle School
Bemidji, MN
Midi Hansen
Reading Specialist
Cedar Manor Elementary
St. Louis Park, MN
Counselor
South View Middle School
Edina, MN
Dawn Banas
Climate Coordinator
Summit School District
Frisco, CO
Randi Bibbins-Clark
Counselor
St. Wenceslaus School
Omaha, NE
Nancy Branch
Principal
Chandler Traditional Academy-
Independence Campus
Chandler, AZ
Rinalda Butts
Counselor
Monroe Middle School
Omaha, NE
Elizabeth Eaton
Student Assistance Program Coordinator
Centennial Schools
Circle Pines, MN
Molly Fenske
Counselor
Rockford Middle School
Rockford, MN
Mark Fodness
7th-grade Teacher
Bemidji Middle School
Bemidji, MN
Midi Hansen
Reading Specialist
Cedar Manor Elementary
St. Louis Park, MN
Anne Larson
Service Learning Coordinator
Moorhead High School
Moorhead, MN
Keith Lester
Superintendent
Brooklyn Center Schools
Brooklyn Center, MN
Stan Marczak
Principal
Grantsburg High School
Grantsburg, WI
Kim Mason
4th-grade Teacher
Olson Elementary
Bloomington, MN
Marcia Nelson
English Teacher
Crossroads Alternative High School
Coon Rapids, MN
Dennis Peterson
Superintendent
Minnetonka Public Schools
Minnetonka, MN
Tim Ramsey
Assistant Principal
Garden Lakes Elementary
Pendergast, AZ
Curt Zander
Middle School Director
Convent of the Visitation School
Vadnais Heights, MN
Service Learning Coordinator
Moorhead High School
Moorhead, MN
Keith Lester
Superintendent
Brooklyn Center Schools
Brooklyn Center, MN
Stan Marczak
Principal
Grantsburg High School
Grantsburg, WI
Kim Mason
4th-grade Teacher
Olson Elementary
Bloomington, MN
Marcia Nelson
English Teacher
Crossroads Alternative High School
Coon Rapids, MN
Dennis Peterson
Superintendent
Minnetonka Public Schools
Minnetonka, MN
Tim Ramsey
Assistant Principal
Garden Lakes Elementary
Pendergast, AZ
Curt Zander
Middle School Director
Convent of the Visitation School
Vadnais Heights, MN
Student Thank You Video
Frequently Asked Questions
How long has YF been around?
Youth Frontiers has been established as a nonprofit organization since August of 1987.
Are you religion-based?
Youth Frontiers is not a religiously-based organization. Our work is focused to serve all schools, including public and private.
Do you do retreats for churches?
Our core purpose is to support schools in their efforts to develop both smart AND good kids. We do not provide retreats for churches.
Are you politically affiliated?
No. We are a nonprofit, non-partisan organization that does not have a particular political agenda. We believe the timeless values we focus on reach across political divides to speak to as many kids as possible.
Where does YF do retreats? Is it a national organization?
The majority of our clients are located in Minnesota, but we are a national organization with school outreach representatives located in Minnesota, Arizona, and Nebraska. Last year, Youth Frontiers worked with schools in 15 different states.
How many people work at Youth Frontiers?
We currently have 34 full-time and part-time employees.
What are the qualifications of the Retreat Staff?
We believe some of the greatest youth professionals in the nation are working for us. Our Retreat Staff bring a variety of work experiences to their job as Retreat Staff including former camp counselors, youth ministers, teachers, actors and actresses, and professional musicians.
How many retreats do you do?
Youth Frontiers delivered nearly 700 retreats in the 2008-2009 school year.
Is your office located on a school campus?
No, we have an office in Minneapolis and School Outreach Representatives that serve several locations (including Denver, Phoenix, and Omaha, our expansion areas), but we travel throughout the US to do our retreats.
© 2009 Youth Frontiers, Inc. address: 6009 Excelsior Boulevard, Minneapolis MN 55416 telephone: 952.922.0222 or 1.888.992.0222 (toll-free)