Youth Academy honored for cleaning up local parks

Kitsap County named the Washington Youth ChalleNGe Academy its Partner of the Year for the thousands of hours that cadets put into helping restore the county’s parks and making improvements to them.

“The county could not keep our roads and parks clean without the dedication of our volunteers,” a Kitsap County newsletter noted. “This month, a handful of community members and groups were recognized for their exceptional work in keeping local roadways and parks clean and litter-free.”

Patrick Cruz, the programs officer who helps run the service programs for the Academy, accepted the award at a celebration in December, along with several cadets from the 24-2 cycle.

Cruz noted that “Service to the Community” is one of the core components cadets need to achieve in order to graduate from the Academy. The Youth Academy is not just about class work.

(Courtesy Kitsap County Parks)
Cadets help remove vegetation at North Kitsap Heritage Park.

In September, 50 cadets from the Academy spent hours at North Kitsap Heritage Park, removing non-native vegetation and restoring the natural ecosystem at the park.

“Their hard work focused on an area newly restocked with native plants like Western red cedar, Western white pine, and a variety of hardwoods,” the county parks division noted in a Facebook post.

And in October, dozens of cadets teamed up with the Newberry Hill Heritage Park Stewards to remove invasive, non-native vegetation and restore the park’s natural beauty.

(Courtesy Kitsap County Parks)
A cadet carries wood and debris from Newberry Hill Heritage Park.

Aaron Bartleson, the natural resources coordinator with Kitsap County Parks, said the most rewarding moment working with the Youth Academy came during mock-interviews where cadets showcased their individual growth throughout the program.

Bartleson worked with second platoon of cycle 24-2 during three work parties over the course of several weeks and said, “I really came to know the cadets, their background, struggles, challenges and desire to improve their station in life. I was deeply impressed with the amount of preparation each cadet put into their interviews. I mentioned to Pat Cruz that there was not one cadet I interviewed that I would not hire. They did great! The continued respect they show on a daily basis echoes in all that they do. The lasting impacts of the program will serve these young men and women for decades to come.”

In 2024 alone, Bartleson said the cadets donated 4,839 hours of labor at a monetary value of $170,000 of labor.

“They helped us remove scotch broom to make room for more native vegetation, cleared illegal garbage dumps, hauled material for trail improvement, removed weeds from Howe Farm, prepped the ball fields for the sports playing season and helped clear ground for a new wheelchair-friendly trail,” Bartleson said. “It’s backbreaking work they have helped us with and the work they have done goes beyond monetary value.”