NPCA/LACP YOUTH IN WILDERNESS OBJECTIVES:

The objectives of the Junior Rangers Program in Los Angeles, are the following:

  • To connect urban youth to the outdoors
  • Conduct ecoliteracy programs that will help to improve student’s academic skills
  • Provide non-traditional/hands-on lessons to enhance personal and academic development
  • Provide work experience in the environmental field
  • Create a youth generated marketable product aimed at youth

The Los Angeles Community Partners will show how youth access, see and use parks from their perspective AND how it is relevant to their lives. This is to be done via a video documentary of the Jr. Rangers pilot program. More details to follow

Each trip should contain the following elements:

  • ecology
  • cultural history
  • natural history
  • employment

WHO ARE THE JR. RANGERS?
For the pilot project, 12 students from the Ecology Club of Dorsey & Crenshaw
high schools will serve as the core group.

WHAT WILL THEY DO?
These students will be given an opportunity to be groomed for leadership roles in outdoor environmental education trips. Thus, Jr. Rangers will research each destination and compile information into these 4 categories used as the focus for each trip. These trip prep materials then guide us to the specific activities at each destination. Then we can clearly show that we covered the four topics, and the students have specific things to talk about for each visit.

WHY IS OBA (Outward Bound Adventures, Inc.) SO INVOLVED?
OBA is an LACPartner and has generously offered to provide outdoor leadership training for program leaders and students, they also have the necessary insurance and equipment to carry out certain program elements.

WHO ARE THE KEY PROJECT PERSONNEL?
NPCA/LACP Liaison:
Patrick McCullough; 323 731-0323, nitepress@pacbell.net Patrick is in charge of fiscal
monitoring and reporting to NPCA.

Francisco Morales-Bermúdez; 1-800-NAT-PARK EXT.258, fmbermudez@npca.org
is NPCA’s Diversity Program Representative and manages the NPCA’s National Parks Young Leaders Program

LACP/LAUSD Liaison: Renee Klein; 310 827-1505, renee_klein@hotmail.com
Rene is in charge of coordinating the project with the LA Unified SchoolDistrict (source of the students for the pilot program).

LACP/OBA Liaisons: Greg Lee; 626 585-7344, gklee@paccd.cc.ca.us
Tana Donaghy; 626 793-9096, misstanad@aol.com
Greg and Tana coordinate the use of OBA staff, curricular materials, equipment, insurance, and transportation resources in direct support of the NPCA/LACP YIW pilot project. Both are also curriculum specialists in OBA and teach at local area colleges.


CAN OTHERS GET INVOLVED?
Yes. No project ever has all the funds and resources that it needs. Further, the whole concept of the LACP is to bring together various agencies who can cooperate to provide goods and services to further the cause of diversifying the parks. Any agency or individual who can provide any goods and services to augment and support the pilot project and stretch the budget by saving the precious limited funds of the project is certainly urged to do so.

WHAT IS NEEDED MOST?
In terms of goods:
Transportation (e.g. vans and buses) with qualified drivers (California Class B endorsement) for the various trips. Transportation costs (vehicle rental fees, gasoline etc) are a big cost item. If larger groups participate in overnight camping activities, more camping equipment (tents, sleeping bags, stoves, lanterns, cooking gear, etc) will be needed.

In terms of people: Outdoor education leaders who are familiar with the ecology, cultural history, natural history, and employment opportunities at the selected
parks/sites being visited (see the tentative activity schedule) and who are willing to volunteer their time without pay or compensation. Staffing costs are another costly item. More volunteers are need to do all sorts of tasks: write letters seeking donations and funds, support personnel for "behind the scenes" tasks---coordinating activity logistics; phone calls to schools, teachers, students, parents; running errands in preparation of trips, etc.

In terms of services:
reproduction/duplicating services to produce the lesson materials to be used on
the trips. As any teacher knows, duplicating is a major expense.

WHO DO I CONTACT TO GET INVOLVED:
Patrick McCullough, LACP Co-Coordinator: 323 731-0323,
nitepress@pacbell.net
Francisco Morales-Bermúdez, 1-800-NAT-PARK EXT.258, fmbermudez@npca.org