Bright Futures for Youth

06/15/2026

Bright Futures for Youth's summer camps -- including the GREAT Camp run by NEO and the Grass Valley Police Department and The Friendship Club new friends camp for incoming 6th graders -- started this week! A big thank you to our staff for all the hard work and preparation that goes into making these camps a great experience for the kids in our community.

06/08/2026

Much appreciation to everyone who participated and helped raise money for Bright Futures for Youth through the Rotary Gold Country Challenge last Saturday in Nevada County. And, of course, many thanks to the Nevada Union High School Interact Club – a student-led club involved with Rotary – for cheering on the riders when they finished the ride at the Nevada County Fairgrounds. Bright Futures for Youth handled one of the stops along the route.

06/04/2026

Know a young person interested in learning how to work in construction? Sierra College NCC (Grass Valley campus) is offering a free "Construction Bootcamp" course, beginning June 22.

05/21/2026

We are so grateful to the sponsors of The Friendship Club graduation gala on Wednesday. They were all so helpful in making this a memorable, special event for the young women who graduated from The Friendship Club and local high schools. We also celebrated high school graduate Emily, who benefits from our SAFE program for youth experiencing homelessness. Thanks also to the community members who joined in to celebrate their accomplishments.
Much appreciation to:
Our Visionary Sponsor, Rick Kalb, Private Wealth Advisor, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co.
Cohen Defense Group
Super Ear
Owens Estate and Wealth Management Strategies
River Valley Community Bank. And these sponsors contribute in other ways to make this evening special:
Stucki Jewelers for the personalized, exquisite necklaces for our graduates
Foothill Flowers for the beautiful center pieces and corsages
Three Lilies photography
Penny and Company Photo Booth
Professional A/V Productions
Baked by Chelsee – yummy cookies at the dessert reception
Southfork Vodka
Wild and Lovely’s Gianna Seghezzi for event planning for this evening and our other major events.And, many thanks to our wine sponsor, Dave Nurse

05/21/2026

A heartfelt thank you to the 150 people who joined us at the 25th Annual Friendship Club Graduation Gala on Wednesday at the Bright Futures for Youth campus backyard in Grass Valley. Community leaders, educators and so many others came together to celebrate the incredible accomplishments of these young women graduating from the Friendship Club after-school program and soon-to-be graduates from high school. We also celebrated another high school graduate, Emily, who benefits from the SAFE program for youth experiencing homelessness. To our committed supporters, hardworking volunteers, and tireless staff — none of this happens without you. These graduates have accomplished and overcome so much, and they are ready for the next chapters of their lives. Together, we are building a better community. In the first photo is Friendship Club Program Manager Kylie Keeling and grad Riley, who is planing to attend Sierra College and become a criminal justice attorney. Shelby DiLorenzo, who graduated from The Friendship Club in 2014 and is now a neonatal and pediatric respiratory therapist, shares how she benefited from the program.

05/12/2026

Flower potting is a tradition at The Friendship Club — and it's one of our favorites to close out the school year! As our youth planted flowers together, it was a reminder that growth takes time, change can be wonderful and brighter days are always ahead. Many thanks to Bob and Maddy Zucca at Weiss Landscaping for donating the beautiful flowers, and the pots and trays. We're so grateful for all the memories made this year — and the fun is far from over! Sign-ups for summer activities are already underway.

05/08/2026

Summer is around the corner and there will be a lot of fun and learning for young people at the GREAT Camp, hosted by Bright Futures for Youth’s NEO program and the Grass Valley Police Department. The GREAT Camp empowers and inspires youth and builds leadership skills.The GREAT Camp is two, one-week camps, with incoming sixth-graders attending June 15-19 and incoming seventh- and eighth-graders attending June 22-26. The camp operates 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Silver Springs School, 140 Park Ave. in Grass Valley. You can learn more and register here:

GREAT Camp – Two, one-week leadership camps for 30 incoming 6th graders and incoming 7th and 8th graders run by NEO staff and Grass Valley police officers.

05/04/2026

The Honey Hills Fest 26 is a five show celebration in Nevada County this month that brings together 15 women music projects, bands and KVMRxDJ. Bright Futures for Youth is hosting one of the concerts in our backyard on Saturday, May 23, from 6-10 p.m. open for all ages -- 200 Litton Drive, Grass Valley. The festival, which is back in our community for the third year, celebrates and showcases the talents of local and regional female musicians and artists. See below for more information and to purchase tickets, and all the concert dates. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-honey-hills-fest-2026-tickets-1985342718515?keep_tld=true&msockid=3b2262fbd3b9644326b3717fd23d65fb

04/22/2026

We wanted to let you know about a new locally-produced documentary, PERFECT STRANGERS, which shines a light on the hidden world of s*x trafficking. Nevada City Police Chief Dan Foss is featured in the film along with firsthand accounts. PERFECT STRANGERS is showing Wednesday, April 29, 7 p.m. -- free entry -- at the Del Oro Theater in Grass Valley. This is a film for parents, educators, community leaders and anyone who may believe “this couldn’t happen here, and not to my family.” *xtrafficking

04/16/2026

Bright Futures for Youth’s Cinderella Project, a boutique within Native Wren at 125 Mill St. in downtown Grass Valley, will hold a fun event 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 18, for students looking for clothes for prom and graduation, from dresses to suits. Free clothes, free refreshments and a chance to find just-the-perfect look this year. The Cinderella Project ensures cost is not an issue for high school, junior high and younger college students to attend proms and other formal events. We hope to see you.

The boutique will hold a special event so high school and junior high school students can find just-the-right clothes for proms, graduation and other occasions GRASS VALLEY, Calif. – The Nevada County Cinderella Project boutique special event will be held Saturday, April 18, 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. ins...