June 4, 2025

Thirty years ago, the Blue Mountain Coalition for Youth and Families was founded when a group of parents came together to host safe, fun dances for local teens. This simple idea became the foundation for our organization—creating a space where youth could gather, celebrate, and build community.

This spring, three decades later, we returned to those roots by hosting our very own PROM Night for the teens in our LEAD UP Program. Many of these youth are homeschooled and don’t have access to traditional school events like prom, so our team wanted to give them that special experience.

The teens themselves led the way: they picked the theme, planned the decorations, and helped choose the food. On prom night, seven youth attended—five of whom would not have had the chance to attend a high school prom otherwise. Dressed to the nines, they danced, played Jenga, sang along to their favorite songs, and captured memories together in the photo booth.

Prom night was more than just a dance—it was a joyful reminder of how important it is to create inclusive, meaningful traditions for all young people in our community.