The hearts of our youth are the lifeline of our community
The Blue Heart Collaborative is an organization dedicated to uniting all youth organizations, recreational venues, event spaces, and youth ministries in Casper, Wyoming. By fostering a collaborative effort, we aim to pool resources, funding, and manpower to drive meaningful change within the community. While many organizations in Casper care deeply about youth, their independent efforts have resulted in gaps where the youth fall through the cracks.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS
OUR WHY
SHAPING THE FUTURE FOR OUR YOUTH
The tragic murders of 2 Casper youth at the hands of their peers in 2024, coupled with an alarming rise in youth suicides, underscores the growing culture of violence and bullying among Casper's youth. This culture, fueled by social media, threatens the foundational values that define Wyoming. We must confront these challenges and guide our youth back on a positive and supportive path.
OUR MISSION
Empowering our youth to safeguard their hearts by grounding their identity in Christ, while discovering their unique calling through community programs that foster self-expression, physical fitness, and practical life skills.
OUR VISION
Bringing together youth resources to tackle mental health challenges that contribute to violence and suicide in our community.
OUR STRATEGY
Our approach leverages a three-stage Board of Directors and a four-pillar system to engage youth directly, empowering them to shape programs that address their specific needs in the Casper community.
OUR VALUES
Rooting Youth Identities in Christ
Empowering Youth to Lead the Community
Focusing on Action Over Meetings
Building Self-Sufficiency and Confidence
with Life Skills
Promoting Healthy Lifestyle Choices Over Excuses
WHO WE ARE
LEADERSHIP
Here at the Blue Heart Collaborative, we have a Three-Stage Board to keep our leadership efforts balanced.
Our board consists of:
Youth Professionals: Comprising heads of youth organizations and those who support youth in the community, this stage gathers ideas, resources, and funding for projects.
Youth Representatives: Consisting of youth from each high school and middle school, this stage debates various ideas and ensures their effectiveness within peer groups, shaping future leaders.
Youth Ministry: Youth pastors from local churches ensure the organization's direction remains Christ-centered and not influenced by national agendas or data.
4 PILLARS
Our focus is the 4 pillars of well rounded youth. The pillars are:
Youth Ministry: Building an identity in Christ, rather than on external factors like clothes, grades, sports, or friend groups, to provide a stable foundation and prevent depression and mental health issues.
Youth Physical Fitness: Promoting healthy lifestyles year-round, as physical activity boosts endorphins and combats depression and mental health issues.
Youth Self-Sufficiency: Teaching practical skills such as automotive and home repair, taxes, business basics, and survival skills in a non-school environment to foster self-worth and prevent depression.
Youth Self-Expression: Providing avenues for self-expression through music, art, acting, broadcasting, and technological science to help youth discover their passions and prevent feelings of insignificance and mental health issues.
MEET OUR FOUNDERS
DC MARTINEZ
DC relocated to Casper, WY, five years ago from Las Vegas, NV, where he spent two decades as a Sports Director for NYS & UNLV Youth Athletics and served as a Christian Youth Leader for The Rock Ministries. He has extensive experience working with youth of all ages, from managing introductory sports programs and coaching at the middle and high school levels to mentoring in gang intervention and addiction recovery. His dedication has earned him recognition, including the Top Youth Organization award in 2017, Mentor of the Year in 2018, and a Jefferson Volunteer Award in 2024.
He was homeschooled during his early years while traveling with the Broadway Tour of Man of La Mancha, as his father was an actor best known for his role as Pepino on The Real McCoys. However, his life took a dramatic turn during the summer before his junior year at SDSU when he witnessed a close friend being shot and held him as he passed away. While still grieving, he endured further heartbreaks, including the tragic loss of another friend, who took his own life the morning after celebrating his commitment to play football at Cal Berkeley, followed by the passing of his father just two weeks later.
These trials taught him how to transform pain into purpose, and led him to start guiding and supporting youth by showing them that making Jesus Christ the center of their lives can change their outlook on every situation, bringing hope instead of despair.
After moving to Casper, DC quickly grew to love the community and sought God's purpose for him in helping the youth of Natrona. This journey led him to become the Sports Director at the YMCA, establish a non-profit for underprivileged youth in travel sports known as Underdawgz Sports Academy (USAWY), and join the Youth Ministry Team at Fort Ministry.
When the community was shaken by the tragic loss of two young locals, the Lord made his purpose even clearer. God had brought him to Casper to utilize his personal experiences with youth violence, suicide, gang mentality, and substance addiction—experiences that many professionals may lack—to create an organization that unites all youth organizations. This organization, the Blue Heart Collaborative, works collaboratively with a clear mission of keeping Christ at the center, while empowering the voices of youth to develop programs that address and combat mental health challenges that are leading to violence and suicides in this community.
CONTACT: [email protected]
GET INVOLVED
Volunteers for Events, Pillars and Prayer Warriors. To Volunteer please fill out the Volunteer Form.
If you are a youth and would like to take part in future events, sit on the board or volunteer please fill out our Youth Contact Form
DONATE
Donate to BHC through Venmo: @BHCWY
Get involved and help make a difference for Casper's youth, get on our community leaders communications list by filling out our community leaders form
COMMUNITY CALENDAR
COMING SOON!
RESOURCES
COMING SOON!
We will have a resource directory for local:
Youth Ministry
Food Assistance
Suicide & Depression
Addiction
Bullying
Self Expression Outlets
Health Care
Education Assistance
Third Spaces
Transforming Lives Together
Your generous donations help us to continue spreading God's love, create essential programs to develop life skills for our youth, and develop well rounded future leaders.
Thank you for your support!
GET IN TOUCH
CONTACT US
Get in touch with us, we're here to listen!
FAITH
Let us know how we can pray for you.
Connect with us and stay up-to-date!
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