Grand Canyon Youth

Grand Canyon Youth Grand Canyon Youth (GCY) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit based in Flagstaff, AZ, serving youth since 1998.
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Mission: Grand Canyon Youth offers educational outdoor expeditions that connect young people to the transformative power of the rivers and canyons of the Southwest. Vision: We envision a diverse and equitable world where all youth are empowered to live with purpose while discovering and caring for self, community, and the natural world. GCY offers a variety of expeditions, including 1-day kayaking

trips on the Verde River, multi-day rafting trips on the San Juan River, and multi-week expeditions on the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. We work hard fundraising year-round to keep our expedition costs low, and because we believe that cost should never be a barrier to participation, we offer additional direct financial aid. Check out our website to learn more about our nonprofit: www.gcyouth.org

Youth from the Yavapai-Apache Nation are in the midst of a 15-day Grand Canyon rowing trip!They launched with big smiles...
06/16/2026

Youth from the Yavapai-Apache Nation are in the midst of a 15-day Grand Canyon rowing trip!

They launched with big smiles and breakfast pastries, donated by the lovely Shift Kitchen & Bar. Thank you to collaborators Grand Canyon Conservancy, Grand Canyon National Park Tribal Affairs Division, and Yavapai-Apache Nation for helping make this expedition possible!

When it's time to derig, youth make a ""fire line"" from each boat to the trailer in order to get gear off the boats. L...
06/15/2026

When it's time to derig, youth make a ""fire line"" from each boat to the trailer in order to get gear off the boats.

Look at this beautiful teamwork!

Season update!So far this season, we have served 421 youth, completed 6 Diamond Down trips, 10 San Juan trips, and 24 Ve...
06/13/2026

Season update!

So far this season, we have served 421 youth, completed 6 Diamond Down trips, 10 San Juan trips, and 24 Verdes.

Woooooohooo!

📸: Katie Woodard

GCY got some snazzy new Smokers from the lovely Sawyer Paddles and OarsHere are some action shots! 😍
06/08/2026

GCY got some snazzy new Smokers from the lovely Sawyer Paddles and Oars

Here are some action shots! 😍

Sneak peek!Big shout out to R Entertainment and Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park for supporting GCY at recent sho...
06/05/2026

Sneak peek!

Big shout out to R Entertainment and Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park for supporting GCY at recent shows like Michael Franti and Spearhead and to the donor who bought the signed guitar and then donated it back to GCY to auction at a later date!

Guitar will be featured in our River Tales auction in the fall... more pictures then!

Summer San Juan expedition still open for youth enrollment (11-14 years old)!While paddling through the heart of the San...
06/03/2026

Summer San Juan expedition still open for youth enrollment (11-14 years old)!

While paddling through the heart of the San Juan River, youth on this trip you will learn about geology, hike side canyons, and play in mud!

Learn more here: https://gcyouth.org/expeditions/individual-expeditions/

New blog post! Rea Antoniou reflects on the importance of technology-free expeditions and what happens when youth put th...
06/01/2026

New blog post!

Rea Antoniou reflects on the importance of technology-free expeditions and what happens when youth put their phones away for days at a time. Rea holds a BSc in Psychology from Aristotle University in Greece and an MSc in Neural and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Tübingen in Germany. She is currently pursuing a PhD in Interdisciplinary Health at Northern Arizona University, where she studies the anthropology of loneliness, relational meaning, and the changing contours of intimacy in the age of AI.

Read more here: https://gcyouth.org/blog/

Photo credit: Austin Corbett

Our Diamond Down expedition with Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy (FALA) students just came back from the river!The y...
05/30/2026

Our Diamond Down expedition with Flagstaff Arts & Leadership Academy (FALA) students just came back from the river!

The youth made homemade pasta on the river for spaghetti night! Epic!

Address

2131 N 1st Street
Flagstaff, AZ
86004

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 12am - 5pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm

Telephone

+19287737921

Website

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