About Rancho Cielo
Rancho Cielo offers vocational training and high school education in partnership with John Muir Charter Schools. Students can earn a WASC-accredited high school diploma (or equivalent), leave prepared to enter the workforce, and/or enroll in post-secondary education.
Because of your support, students learn in a safe, supportive environment that affirms them as individuals and builds self-esteem and belonging—at no cost to them or their families. Our graduates will achieve the success they seek by developing a positive sense of their own character and identity, and cultivating the skills necessary to achieve health, happiness and economic freedom in a rapidly changing and culturally diverse society.
That is the transformation that Rancho Cielo facilitates.
Since Rancho Cielo was established as a California 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in 2000, our campus has become a training facility of choice in Monterey County, helping to grow the next generation of actively engaged community members. Services are offered through seven programs:
A Message From Our Interim CEO
I’m thrilled to serve as Interim CEO of Rancho Cielo. You might remember that I was the first professional leader here, and I served in that role for 12 years. My heart has always been with our students and dedicated staff. Coming back to the Ranch feels like coming home.
Here’s what continues to resonate after all these years: We serve young people aged 16 to 24 who have been marginalized and have had the fewest opportunities. What we provide includes high school education, job training from industry professionals, mental health counseling, cultural affirmation and enrichment activities they deserve to experience. And we lift our youth with our belief in their ability to succeed, because when they get what they need, they thrive.
We’re in the Love Business. Every academic teacher, vocational instructor, staff member, board member, counselor and industry partner on this campus is in the Love Business. Diplomas and job training matter, and our students work hard to achieve that success. But what ultimately changes a young person’s life is being seen, believed in and held to a high standard by adults who care. The young people we serve are more important than the skills we teach.
The board is conducting a search for Rancho Cielo’s next leader, so stay tuned. In the meantime, my focus is to keep this campus strong and steady.
Thank you for believing in our young people.
—Susie Brusa, Interim CEO
Mission
Rancho Cielo Youth Campus invests in all young people facing challenges for success through diploma education, vocational training, counseling and life-skills development in a safe and affirming environment.
Vision
We aim to enrich the lives of young people who walk through our gates and empower them to become accountable, competent, productive and responsible citizens who will earn a sustainable living wage, become financially independent, and help end the cycle of poverty.
Values
- We create and maintain an atmosphere of hope, inspiration, opportunity, safety, mutual respect and belonging in which our students can pursue their goals.
- We embrace diversity, equity and inclusion and support an environment that affirms each individual’s common humanity, background and cultural heritage.
- We provide access to relevant workforce development training to help our students earn a living wage and escape poverty.
- We support the whole student through collaboration with our local community, educational partners, and law enforcement agencies.
- We operate with the highest standards of integrity, accountability, ethics and civic responsibility.
- We provide connections back to our community to help students become participating and productive members of society.
- Create an atmosphere of acceptance, safety, mutual respect, and belonging that affirms each student’s background and cultural heritage;
- Maintain high academic, civic, vocational, work ethic, and professional expectations for our students;
- Continuously improve our program design and delivery to promote the long-term success of our graduates;
- Foster an environment that attracts top-notch staff who embody our ideals and values;
- Collaborate with our community partners to identify and meet young people’s evolving needs;
- Embrace the common humanity in all of us and support its growth through the development and healing of the whole person;
- Stand against hate and violence of any kind;
- Understand and address systemic barriers so that all students can achieve success at the highest level possible;
- Continue our graduates’ connectedness with Rancho Cielo to support their future success.
Rancho Cielo is itself a collaboration among many organizations, public and private, from the Salinas Valley and across Monterey County that provide academic instruction, healthcare, and mental health services as well as juvenile justice, enrichment opportunities, on-the-job training, and work readiness for our students.
Our impact reaches far beyond the students themselves — it touches their families, communities, Monterey County, and beyond. We could not do this work without the support and contributions of our surrounding community, donors, and sponsors, whose collaboration is a testament to how deeply they care about all of our youth and their future success.
Our volunteers also play a fundamental role in the success of our programs through advisory councils and for our students, providing mentorship, time, and expertise. Our students work alongside positive members of our community through an extensive volunteer network (more than 400 a year). Learn more about volunteer opportunities at Rancho Cielo.
