Junior Rangers, Mounted Division at their graduation on Jul 22nd, 2011.


Building Community Through Partnerships MRCA Junior Rangers - Mounted Division


This past summer was a time to celebrate for both the MRCA and our new partner, Compton Junior Posse (CJP). On July 23rd, the first class of Junior Rangers - Mounted Division successfully completed and graduated from our yearlong program. This unique unit of the Junior Rangers program is just the first step in a growing relationship with Compton Junior Posse (see page 12).


The MRCA and CJP first came together in the summer of 2010 to form the Junior Ranger – Mounted Unit, in order to serve the young adults involved with the CJP program and the surrounding area. Once a month over the course of a year, the participants traveled from South East Los Angeles to King Gillette Ranch—in the heart of the Santa Monica Mountains. It is here


at King Gillette Ranch where their outdoor education and wilderness exploration first began.


“It’s expanding the kids’ exposure to new careers and to educational opportunities,” explains Mayisha Akbar, Founder and Executive Director of Compton Junior Posse “And also [offers] explorational opportunities, because in the city they don’t often get to the mountains. And it gives them opportunities to relieve stress— emotional trauma—and to be able to go out into nature and feel free. Being able to release some of that stress makes them more healthy physically and emotionally.”


Throughout the 10 lessons, Junior Rangers learned a variety of topics, such as: fire ecology, watershed protection, wilderness safety and


Junior Rangers learned camping skills during an overnight trip to Sage Ranch.


preparedness, orienteering and compass skills, the principles of Leave No Trace, and became CPR and First Aid certified. The group spent all of their days outside, practicing new outdoor skills and


Winter 2012 15


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