25th Anniversary Celebration
Celebrate 25 Years of Rancho Cielo!
Join us for a day of music, food and wine as we celebrate 25 years of empowering Monterey County’s youth.
Rancho Cielo has been transforming lives through education, job training and community support — and now it’s time to raise a glass to everything we’ve built together. Be part of the celebration!
TICKETS GO ON SALE SOON!
2:30-7pm (doors at 2pm)
Tentative schedule:
2:30 Welcome and Award Ceremony
3:30 John Nava & the Latin Jazz Collective
4:15 Special Appeal, Sponsor Recognitions, Strolling Dinner/Culinary Experience
5:15 Chris Cain & Tony Lindsay – A Tribute to Ray Charles
Enjoy all live music at Rancho Cielo’s majestic Sally Hughes Church Amphitheater (pictured above).
Rancho Cielo founder Judge John Phillips remembers it clearly: Rancho Cielo was once “nothing but an unsightly dumpsite.” In those early years, the school was more vision than reality. But it was a bold vision rooted in giving young people purpose and hands-on opportunity. During a Board meeting, someone said, “We should have an amphitheater for these kids.” The idea came with a price tag—roughly $150,000—well beyond the program’s early budget. But then a connection to the Salley Hughes Church Foundation led to funding.
“We had eight kids start on the project,” Phillips says. “They were the most uninspired kids I had ever met. They didn’t want to do anything, so I fired them. I told them I’d bring them back only if they promised to work hard.” They did. And they returned with something to prove. That summer, they hauled base rock, poured concrete and worked alongside the Judge himself. By the end of the season, they had built more than a structure. They had built pride.
The finished amphitheater, reminiscent of the Greek Theatre in Berkeley, features a proper stage and tiered seating with lighting for evening events. When the work was done, the students invited their families to a barbecue to show off what they had helped create.
Over a decade later, that same amphitheater held its largest audience yet. In 2024, around 600 people gathered there for Rancho Cielo’s biggest graduating class in history.
“It started as a vision,” Phillips reflects. “Now it’s a place where young people celebrate their accomplishments. And they built it with their own hands.”
25 Years of Serving Youth
Accomplishments
For 25 years, Rancho Cielo has been the leading force in the Salinas Valley and Monterey County, working to change and improve the lives of undeserved and under-promised youth in Monterey County. Through creative partnerships with local organizations, our students receive on-site counseling, enrichment and social services and connect to a community striving for social vibrancy.
2000
Visionary and former Superior Judge John Phillips founds Rancho Cielo.
2005
First five students graduate from the Silver Star collaborative program.
2008
Youth Corps is founded.
2010
Drummond Culinary Academy begins.
2011
Rancho Cielo receives the DOL YouthBuild grant, starts a three-year YouthBuild program (Construction & Sustainable Design Academy) and builds the Transitional Housing Village.
2015
Transitional Housing opens and Rancho Cielo launches a $10M capital campaign.
2017
Groundbreaking for the Ted Taylor Ag Vocational Center.
Ted Taylor Ag Vocational Center opens (30,000 sq. ft.).
Technology and Engineering program (Ag Tech & Mechatronics) begins.
2021
Auto & Diesel Repair program begins.
2022
Welding & Fabrication program begins.
2023
Classic Car Restoration track is incorporated into Auto & Diesel Repair program.
Rancho Cielo joins CA Rise, the nation’s first-ever statewide investment in employment social enterprises.
New three-year YouthBuild program launches to support Culinary and Construction Academies.
A Message from Founder John Phillips
“Rancho Cielo was born out of the frustration I experienced during my tenure as a Monterey County Superior Court Judge and having to send 18-year-old kids to prison for life. If only we could reach these kids earlier, they might have been going to college or into the workforce. I felt I had no choice.
In 2000, I formed a nonprofit, acquired 100 acres and developed a relationship with the construction industry to build and open Rancho Cielo. We had no idea how great the need was. I was surprised by the phenomenal support from the private sector and the local business community, not just monetary, but hands-on, coming to campus to work and mentor our kids.
The response was overwhelming. The private sector and local business community stepped up, not just with funding but with direct involvement, mentoring and support. What began as a dream of a few classrooms has grown into a thriving campus. Thank you to all our supporters who made this possible and the new supporters along the way. It’s because of you that we continue to be so effective. Kids leave us with a diploma, self-confidence and enthusiasm as they move out into the world.”
See more 25th anniversary highlights in our 2024 Impact Report here.
