Get Paid to Work, Explore & Grow in the Colorado Rockies

Spring 2027 Elevate Gap Program
March 15 – May 28, 2027 | Estes Park, Colorado | Ages 18–23

Your Next Adventure Starts Here.

Looking for something more than a summer job? Ready for a semester that actually feels like an adventure?

Come live and work in the Colorado Rockies.

The YMCA of the Rockies' Elevate Gap Program combines paid seasonal employment, outdoor adventure, personal growth, and community into one unforgettable experience.

Spend your spring working in Housekeeping or Food Service, exploring the mountains, building friendships, developing new skills, and discovering what you want your next chapter to look like.

Work hard. Get outside. Meet great people. Find your purpose.

WHAT MAKES ELEVATE DIFFERENT?

This isn't just a seasonal job.

GET PAID
Work a minimum of 32 hours per week in a real hospitality job and earn Colorado minimum wage.

LIVE IN COLORADO
Call YMCA of the Rockies' Estes Park Center home for the semester, surrounded by the Rocky Mountains and just minutes from Rocky Mountain National Park.

GET OUTSIDE
Hike, backpack, explore Colorado, learn outdoor skills, and take part in a multi-day group adventure.

GROW
Participate in weekly Elevate activity days, personal development workshops, service projects, and career exploration.

FIND YOUR PEOPLE
Live, work, and adventure alongside a community of other young adults from across the country and around the world.

YOUR SPRING COULD LOOK LIKE THIS...

Wake up in the Rockies.

Go to work with your team.

Spend your days off exploring mountain trails.

Learn something new.

Meet people who become lifelong friends.

Push yourself outside your comfort zone.

Look around and realize you're actually living the adventure you were looking for.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

As an Elevate participant, you'll:

• Work in Housekeeping or Food Service

• Work a minimum of 32 hours per week

• Participate in weekly Elevate activity days

• Take part in personal and professional development workshops

• Complete service projects

• Learn outdoor skills through hiking and backpacking

• Participate in a multi-day group trip

• Explore potential career paths and discover your strengths

• Build real-world hospitality and customer-service experience

WHO SHOULD APPLY?

You might be a great fit if you're 18–23, dependable, flexible, adventurous, and ready to try something new.

You don't need to have your whole future figured out.

You just need to be willing to show up, work hard, get involved, and see where the experience takes you.

THE DETAILS

Location: YMCA of the Rockies – Estes Park Center
Program Dates: March 15 – May 28, 2027
Age: 18–23
Work: Minimum 32 hours/week
Pay: Colorado minimum wage
Program Fee: $500 non-refundable fee
Housing: On-site staff housing through the Rocky Mountain Living Package

ROCKY MOUNTAIN LIVING PACKAGE

Live where you work with other seasonal staff.

The RMLP includes:

• Shared dormitory housing

• Three buffet-style meals per day

• Wi-Fi

• Staff activities

• Community living

Cost: $170/week, automatically deducted from your paycheck.

READY FOR SOMETHING DIFFERENT?

You could spend the next few months doing the usual.

Or you could spend them working in the Rockies, hiking mountain trails, meeting incredible people, and discovering more about yourself along the way.

The mountains are calling.

Are you ready to answer?

Come for the adventure.
Leave with experience, confidence, friendships, and a clearer sense of what's next