Deborah Young BFA, BA, BS, MA, University of Colorado
MEdS, University of Colorado
Deborah Young began her career life as a juvenile probation officer with the Boulder County Sheriff’s Department. Understanding the challenges and limitations of the justice system, she moved into the educational system hoping to give a stronger voice to children. Her teaching career started at Boulder High School where she was drawn into a lifelong commitment to early childhood education and the needs of the poor. She trained with Dr. Caspari in Montessori’s work for children and peace and with Dr. Glenn Doman in brain development at the Philadelphia Institute for the Achievement of Human Potential. She continues her passion of researching the special needs of single mothers and the impact of poverty on families and children. Debbie has set up programs to serve these needs locally and internationally. She has volunteered for more than twenty-three years in many programs serving women from lesser developed countries. She has combined her academics with service work in the Sanctuary movement of the 1980’s sheltering refugee women and on providing education and avenues of empowerment for women and children. Debbie has founded many schools during the past twenty-seven years including a middle school based on service learning. She has been involved in the charter school movement and was instrumental in initiating both the North Routt Charter School and the Steamboat Springs Montessori public school program. Her current passion she shares with students at Naropa is through a small nonprofit initiative called Americas Association for the Care of Children (AACC). AACC designs and directs community development programs serving women and children in rural villages and impoverished urban areas of Central America. Debbie’s classes involve service work commitment and many times international travel.
