RANCHO CIELO INC
Building Skills. Transforming Lives.
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Rancho Cielo serves marginalized youth aged 16-24. Our students were unsuccessful in a traditional high school setting for a variety of reasons: incarceration, family barriers, pregnancy, bullying, homelessness, and more. In 2018, the Salinas Union High School District (where most of our students previously went to school) had a total graduation rate of 86.4% which was below the statewide average of 87.3%. Statistics show that dropouts are 3.5 times more likely than graduates to be arrested in their lifetime as evidenced by the fact that 80% of America’s incarcerated population does not have a diploma. And, the opportunity to get out of poverty is virtually non-existent without a diploma. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, high school dropouts earn about $10,000 a year less than graduates amounting to lifetime earnings that are $260,000 less than peers who earned a diploma . Additionally, people without diplomas have fewer job options available to begin with.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Drummond Culinary Academy (DCA)
The Drummond Culinary Academy is a ten-month program resulting in a culinary certificate and a high school diploma. DCA students spend half of their time in the classroom working towards a WASC-accredited high school diploma, in partnership with John Muir Charter School. The other half of their time is spent in the commercial kitchen receiving vocational training from our certified executive chef using the nationally recognized Pro-Start culinary curriculum. Furthermore, Serv Safe training and certification is also provided, increasing students’ employability.
As part of program requirements, students complete a 200-hour externship program where they work in local restaurants with the goal of obtaining full-time employment upon graduation. Upon their program completion, DCA graduates receive ongoing mentoring as they navigate to positions with increased responsibilities. Community volunteers are on campus daily, mentoring, tutoring, or working on any number of enrichment activities with the students.
Silver Star Youth Program (SSYP)
The Silver Star Youth Program is an alternative ed high school for youth on probation. This public-private partnership emphasizes achieving a high school diploma. The SSYP collaborative includes the Monterey County Probation Department, which provides supervision, case management for students involved in the juvenile court, meals, and transportation; the Monterey County Office of Education, which provides teachers and classroom aides; Monterey County Behavioral Health, which provides trained social workers who lead evidence-based practices in their groups and individual counseling; Turning Point Job Services, who teach job-readiness skills and place students in paid internships to gain work experience; the Visiting Nurses Association, who provides a registered nurse and health services; and other partners who provide substance abuse counseling, violence diversion classes and other services. Community volunteers are on campus daily, mentoring, tutoring, or working on any number of enrichment activities with the students.
Rancho Cielo YouthCorps (RCYC)
Youth on probation, with former gang affiliations, or with a criminal background have a severe disadvantage when attempting to enter the labor market. Youth Corps is a crew-based employment and job readiness program designed to prepare young people for full-time employment while they maintain the Rancho Cielo campus. RCYC gives these young people, many of whom are gang affiliated with criminal records, the opportunity to learn job skills while being compensated for their work. RCYC crewmembers ready themselves for employment through their work on a variety of projects that teach everything from work ethic to complex construction skills. RCYC members work between 30-40 hours a week and are evaluated weekly by their leadership team. RCYC participants are assisted with their resume, attend interview and life skills workshops, and have the opportunity to participate in one-on-one counseling and group counseling sessions offered by trained Monterey County Behavioral Health therapists. Upon program completion, RCYC members receive job placement assistance.
Rancho Cielo Construction Academy (RCCA)
Construction Academy students earn a WASC-accredited high school diploma and stackable certificates in construction via a nationally-recognized curriculum while building Tiny Homes. Like the Rancho Cielo Drummond Culinary Academy, the students spend half of their time in the academic classroom and half of their time in hands-on vocational training with a Licensed General Contractor Instructor. A partnership with our local community college, Hartnell College, allows students to receive college credit for construction classes. Like all of our programs, students have access to mentors, enrichment opportunities, and health services like the VNA and Monterey County Behavioral Health.
Transitional Housing Village
The Transitional Housing Village opened in 2014 and provides housing for up to 22 low- or very low-income students aged 18-24 who are working to make a positive change in their life but are homeless or unsafe in their communities. To be eligible, Transitional Housing Village residents must be current Rancho Cielo students or Rancho Cielo alumni. These young adults will have the opportunity to remain in these homes for a period of up to 24 months positioning them for responsible adulthood and improving the quality of life for their families and communities.
The Transitional Housing Village consists of five three-bedroom single family homes located on the Rancho Cielo campus. The property is gated and secure, ensuring the safety of residents. At least one home is specifically designated for women. There is a full kitchen, two bathrooms, and two large living spaces. Additional amenities include on-site laundry and access to a recreation room, gym, fishing pond, running and hiking trails, and fully stocked food pantry. Each resident receives an individual success plan and case management from Residential Advisors to identify barriers to success. Residential Advisors also help students connect to community services for which they are eligible. A Rancho Cielo staff member is on-site 24 hours a day.
Participants will take part in various case management activities including behavioral health services, leadership building opportunities, and job readiness, life skills, and financial literacy workshops. Residents are also taught life skills like saving a portion of their paychecks, learning how to do laundry, applying for a driver’s license, etc. When combined with the academic and vocational training opportunities that program participants will receive, these services will help ensure that these youth leave our campus fully prepared to retain permanent housing.
Ag Processing and Mechanics
In August 2019, Rancho Cielo opened the 30,000-square-foot Ted Taylor Ag Vocational Center which provides valuable training for highly-skilled, living-wage agricultural jobs while providing a clear pathway to self-sufficiency for some of the most vulnerable young people of our community. The Rancho Cielo Ag Processing & Mechanics program is a unique experience, giving students hands-on training, as well as academic instruction in the classroom, leading to the completion of high school diploma in partnership with WASC-accredited, John Muir Charter School. Students who participate in the Ag Processing & Mechanics program will learn the mechanics, food safety, electrical of the salad factory line, commonly referred to as “Value Added.” Students will have the opportunity to maintain and repair machinery and equipment that is essential to the agriculture industry.
Students will have the opportunity to visit and learn from various agriculture companies, such as Taylor Farms, Mann Packing, D’Arrigo, Costa Family Farms, Dole, Ocean Mist. In addition, Students will have the opportunity to learn from Hartnell instructors and professionals currently working in the agriculture industry.
Where we work
External reviews

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Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of program participants who receive a secondary school diploma or GED
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of accreditations/certificates given out to programs that educate/train/re-train displaced workers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Outcome - describing the effects on people or issues
Direction of Success
Holding steady
Number of participants engaged in programs
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Rancho Cielo is an educational and vocational training facility of choice in Monterey County, helping to grow the next generation of actively engaged community members. Our goal is for students to become thriving community members and productive contributors to our workforce with the power to advance economically. Specifically, upon graduation we expect that:
• Students are prepared to seek employment and upon hire, demonstrate good work habits on the job.
• Students re-engage in our community, as evidenced by working full-time and volunteering.
• Student are on the path to physical, mental, and emotional healing.
• Students have improved self-esteem and positive character and identity development.
• Students are self-sufficient and contributing members of our local economy.
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Rancho Cielo is a safe place where young adults who have been unsuccessful in or aged out of other school settings can achieve a WASC-accredited high school diploma and obtain vocational training and certifications. Support is provided to our students through six programs:
• In August 2019, Rancho Cielo opened the 30,000-square-foot Ted Taylor Ag Vocational Center which provides valuable training for highly-skilled, living-wage agricultural jobs while providing a clear pathway to self-sufficiency for some of the most vulnerable young people of our community.
• The Drummond Culinary Academy is a ten-month program resulting in a culinary certificate and a high school diploma. Students can earn stipends.
• Construction Academy students earn a diploma and stackable certificates in construction via a nationally-recognized curriculum while building Tiny Homes and installing solar panels.
• Youth Corps is a crew-based employment and job readiness program designed to prepare young people for full-time employment while they maintain the Rancho Cielo campus.
• The Transitional Housing Village provides safe, on-campus housing for up to 22 current Rancho Cielo students or alumni who are continuing their education or working.
• The Silver Star Youth Program is an alternative ed high school for youth on probation.
At Rancho Cielo, youth learn how to get a job and keep a job. Our programming is unique in that it offers young people up to age 25 a chance to earn their high school diploma from WASC-accredited John Muir Charter School while also learning a vocational trade. Our programs represent a marriage between the needs of the industry for skilled workers and the needs of the community for living wage jobs for our youth, some very “difficult” to employ due to barriers and criminal backgrounds.
Employability skills training at Rancho Cielo addresses the “soft skills” needed to secure and retain employment. The intent is to ensure that students are properly prepared in the complex technical skills of their chosen occupation and in those skills that will help them successfully get and keep their jobs—skills that are transferable to any employment position.
Along with offering a chance to earn diplomas and jobs, we also work with students to achieve health and happiness. Monterey County Behavioral Health, Clinica de Salud, and a VNA nurse are regular presences on campus. In addition, Rancho Cielo programs and services are tailored to the population we serve. Students learn in a safe and supportive environment that affirms them, building self-esteem, connectedness, and belonging. We create an atmosphere where students can develop pro-social desires, a future orientation, enhanced health and self-esteem, and a connection to our community.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Since 2000, Rancho Cielo has been a safe place for disenfranchised youth to receive academic education working towards a high school diploma while also earning vocational certificates. Rancho Cielo’s program model is different than other youth development and workforce development programs for the following reasons:
• Collaboration- Our community of partners help make our program possible. Rancho Cielo students receive wraparound services that address their physical, social, emotional, and mental needs. This helps avoid duplication of services.
• Cultural affirmation- Rancho Cielo programs and services are tailored to the population we serve. Students learn in a safe and supportive environment that affirms them, building self-esteem, connectedness, and belonging.
• Network of employers- The programs at Rancho Cielo are influenced by our community. We work with local business/industry leaders to determine the greatest local employment needs and shape our programs around those recommendations. In Monterey County, agriculture, hospitality, and construction are the top industries and we train our students for living-wage jobs within these sectors. Advice from local business leaders helps inform our programs and services. They serve as mentors and, upon graduation, these leaders hire our students.
• Partnership with local educational institutions- We partner with two WASC-accredited school districts, John Muir Charter School and the Monterey County Office of Education, to provide academic instruction to our students. We also work with local community colleges, including Hartnell College, to map our curriculum into their courses, both with co-enrollment and articulation agreements.
Rancho Cielo is a leader in this respect. There are few, if any, youth development programs that offer services as comprehensive as those offered at Rancho Cielo for communities most left behind.
In addition, Rancho Cielo has a proven track record of success in helping students who have been unsuccessful academically find a way out of poverty through education and training that leads to economic opportunities and living wage jobs. Our programming is based on research that shows that one of the primary strategies to stem the tide of juvenile violence is education and jobs. The social cost savings of Rancho Cielo's model are enormous. One year of incarceration costs $149,000 whereas one year at Rancho Cielo costs $15,000. For 10% of the cost, Rancho Cielo gets twice the results—80% of our students stay out of trouble compared to 40% of youth offenders without the benefit of our program.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
Last year we opened the 30,000-square-foot Ted Taylor Ag Vocational Center (TTVC). We are excited to report that we celebrated the Center’s first Ag graduating class this past June along with graduates from the Construction and Culinary program. These young people had to overcome many obstacles to get to the diploma finish line. But 29 of our students did it, despite the additional challenges that the COVID lock down created. There was an 89% recidivism reduction and 85% of 2018 graduates were still on a successful path after completing our program.
Next year, barring any delays due to COVID, we will open the final two wings of the TTVC—the Auto/Diesel Wing and the Ag Futures Wing. In the Auto/Diesel Wing, students will learn how to repair and rebuild engines. Once that skill is mastered, students will complete Snap-on courses leading to industry-recognized certificates. In the Ag Futures wing, students will work on innovative technologies in agriculture such as drones, automated weeders, remote monitoring of water and soil nutrients, and more. Like the other programs on campus, students will have access to caring mentors, culturally-affirming programs, and a variety of enrichment activities. Upon graduation from the TTVC, students will be prepared for living-wage jobs in our own community.
We are also leaders in our community. The Nonprofit Alliance of Monterey County recognized Rancho Cielo as "Non-Profit of the Year" for culturally affirming and enriching programming. In 2018, as a result of the Ranch’s program outcomes, the Monterey Peninsula Chamber also named Rancho Cielo “Non-Profit of the Year.” In 2019, the Monterey Peninsula Chamber named Rancho Cielo “Business of the Year” as a result of community confidence and good stewardship of gifts. The Arts Council for Monterey County has named Rancho Cielo a “2019 Champion of the Arts” for our commitment to incorporating arts education into the curriculum.
How we listen
Seeking feedback from people served makes programs more responsive and effective. Here’s how this organization is listening.
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How is your organization collecting feedback from the people you serve?
Case management notes, Constituent (client or resident, etc.) advisory committees, Suggestion box/email,
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How is your organization using feedback from the people you serve?
To identify and remedy poor client service experiences, To identify bright spots and enhance positive service experiences, To make fundamental changes to our programs and/or operations, To inform the development of new programs/projects, To identify where we are less inclusive or equitable across demographic groups, To strengthen relationships with the people we serve,
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With whom is the organization sharing feedback?
The people we serve, Our staff, Our board, Our funders, Our community partners,
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Which of the following feedback practices does your organization routinely carry out?
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What challenges does the organization face when collecting feedback?
Financials
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Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
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Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
RANCHO CIELO INC
Board of directorsas of 02/11/2022
Mr. Mike Costa
Costa and Sons
Troy Boutonnet
Ocean Mist Farms
Jeri Gattis
Community Volunteer
Dr. Shyam Kamath
California State University, Monterey Bay
Lorri Koster
Mann Packing
Cosme Padilla
Castroville Community Services District
Joanne Taylor Johnson
Community Volunteer
Ted Balestreri
Emeritus - The Cannery Row Company
Judge John Phillips
Emeritus - Founder
Jesse Lopez
Bianchi, Kasavan & Pope, LLP
Manny Gonzales
Community Volunteer
Susan Black
Pinnacle Bank
Mike Avila
Avila Construction
Don Chapin
Don Chapin Company
Janine Chicourrat
Portola Hotel & Spa
Walt Duflock
SVG/THRIVE
Sal Gutierrez
Community Volunteer
Jazmin Lopez
Pisoni Farms
Jorge Quezada
Granite Construction
Burt Cutino
Emeritus-Sardine Factory
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? GuideStar partnered on this section with CHANGE Philanthropy and Equity in the Center.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as:
Race & ethnicity
Gender identity
Sexual orientation
No data
Disability
No data