Street Kids - Rite of Passage

Of
Rite
assage
P
2014
Issue
Dedicated to improving the lives of youth
S tr e e t
Kid s
Pedal Power and the
Road to Success
Bicycling Magazine Feature
Best of the Year
Street Kids: a story about
our students and their
cycling journeys
Acknowledging the hard work
and dedication it takes to
achieve goals and change lives
President’s
Message
30 Years of
C yc l i n g T r a d i t i o n s
S. James Broman, President
Since 1984, ROP has been working with youth. Over these thirty years, our
profession has evolved by focusing on research and a continuum of care. As a
company, ROP has developed new programs along the continuum, instituted
best practices and has become a learning organization focused on doing what’s
best for youth. We have not been afraid of change and innovation; we have
relished it – while remaining true to the core tenets on which we began.
Our founder, Dave Maguire, believed that exercise and physical well-being
could have positive effects on mental health, and indeed, recent research is
validating this perspective. Our staff taught youth to ski, guided them across the
country on bicycles, and encouraged them up some of the highest mountains
in the Sierras. We were there alongside them – climbing with them, challenging
ourselves while encouraging them, and staying with them when they felt like
giving up.
Benefits of Sports
Founder Dave Maguire
prepares for the first Mexico
to Canada Tour in 1984.
And, we watched amazing things happen. Some of them overcame insecurities.
Some felt their strength for the first time while others finally admitted their
vulnerabilities – and learned that it’s OK to do so. Young people smiled with
pride and watched how family and friends celebrated their accomplishments.
Youth realized that they could reach the highest peaks, both literally and metaphorically, and see new perspectives
for their lives at the top.
The recent article by Bicycling Magazine exemplifies these accomplishments, as it followed a team of nine students
who cycled to the Grand Canyon. The team was led by Greg Townsend, a dedicated staff member who has shared
his love of cycling with youth for two decades. In this article, and every day in the ROP program, we continue to
witness the positive benefits youth receive from cycling and experiential sports. We believe these activities, as with
any challenging endeavor, can give youth access to a level of commitment and endurance that is necessary as they
transform their lives. Furthermore, the unique developmental experiences we want for our own children, are what
we should deliver for the at-risk youth in our care.
Two-Time Champs
Students successfully
compete in the Colorado
High School Mountain
Bike League.
As other programs cut athletics and experiential activities, we at ROP advocate for youth by ensuring they continue
to have these experiences – in addition to the most effective evidence-based practices. There is room for both.
Greg Townsend
When I have an opportunity to speak to one of our graduates, I ask them what
they took away from the program. They mention that they learned discipline
and left with a feeling of accomplishment, often for the first time. In addition,
time and time again, what they cherish most is a unique experiential event
and the person whose passion and dedication created it. It validates what I
think we all know: it’s the people and the experiences that connect us that
matter most.
Females Enter the Race
The female cycling program
launches with participation
in the Death Ride and
other venues.
Racing Team
Ridge View’s racing team continues
ROP’s 30 years of cycling traditions,
winning the Colorado junior
championship three times.
Join Us on the
Tour Across America
Rite of Passage is celebrating 30 years
of improving the lives of youth, and is
launching its third Tour Across America. Led
by cycling coach Greg Townsend, the mission of
this trek is to empower youth and raise awareness for
local, community-based youth organizations.
To learn more about this event, including how to join us, volunteer time, or
to make a donation, please visit us at www.riteofpassage.com.
2 • Rite Of Passage
B i cyc l i n g M a g a z i n e ,
Vol ume LV, Number 1
J a n u a r y /F e b r u a r y 2 014 E d i t i o n
Street Kids
E x c e r p t s f r o m “ S t r e e t K i d s ” w r i tt e n by T r a cy R o s s .
I m a g e s by S a m A d a m s / w w w . a d a m s d e s i g n p h o t o . c o m
At midnight last night, they pulled into
the town campground and ate cold turkey
sandwiches while shivering in their
matching gray-and-maroon sweat suits.
While some slept soundly in the cool,
damp grass, others tossed fitfully. And
now they are creeping up Highway 160,
428 miles from the Grand Canyon. This
is their first big day: 101 miles with an
elevation gain of 9,072 feet. They ride past
creeks shimmering like tinfoil, trailheads
beckoning hikers, and oily black cliffs cut
through with waterfalls.
gangs—but they are also members of the
school’s remarkably successful cycling
team, and despite their troubles, they still
have hopes, dreams, and longings. [For
these nine students], there is more at
stake than simply pedaling to the Grand
Canyon. For some students, the ride is a
chance at reformation. If they can commit
to pedaling up to 100 miles per day for
11 days, says their head coach, Greg
Townsend, this can become a catalyst that
helps them move past the pain, confusion,
and mistakes that led them to Ridge View.
There are nine boys total, all from Ridge
View Academy in Watkins, Colorado.
Some battle addiction, others belong to
[At Ridge View Academy]…there are
no fences, isolation rooms, or cells.
Academically, it has all the offerings of
a traditional school…its robotics team
had been regionally ranked; in its shop
students are currently framing walls for
a Habitat for Humanity project. These
opportunities, says former Colorado
governor Bill Ritter, give “kids in the
system, whose lives have seen a series of
difficult turns, a chance at victory.”
The Cycling Team
Predictably, most kids choose ball sports
[when joining one of Ridge View’s many
sports teams]. But every year, a few join
cycling. Some do because they think it
will let them escape their problems, while
others remember the fun they had riding
Huffy’s as children. Few are prepared for
Rite Of Passage • 3
The Final Journey
[On the last day,] we pedal 51 miles to the town of
Tusayan, gateway to the Grand Canyon…At some
point the wind dies down and I [journalist, Tracy
Ross] can sense something both beautiful and
terrifying—the Grand Canyon.
At the top of the pass, everyone stops, waiting
for the final riders…They come, eventually, and
I survey the boys from our perch on the pass that
will soon drop to the chasm. Alexis straddles his
bike, calm again but eager to keep riding. Aaron’s
here, too, finally, with full certainty that he can
“accomplish something.” Allen huffs up the pass
looking proud… Austin is singing. James stares into
the distance. Colton says, “Can you believe it? I’m
happy. But I don’t want it to be over.” Duncan gazes
out over the vast, sage-covered landscape and says,
“I’m here. I made it. I’m not stopping.”
I don’t think he means that he will ride forever. But
that he has come this far in his life, and that he will
keep pushing forward. He has a plan to get his GED,
finish his sentence, join the Marines, find his daughter.
This, I see, is the point of riding to the Grand Canyon:
It gives these kids something concrete to strive for.
You encounter a hill and you have to pedal hard to
reach the summit. But there will be another hill, and
another—it’s an ongoing struggle. To keep reaching
the top takes self-awareness and owning your own
actions in spite of innumerable and unknowable
obstacles. So close to the Grand Canyon, I witness
the power of cycling to provide these kids a way to
unhitch from the weight of their past.
how hard they’ll work, because Ridge View cycling is grueling. The
weekly schedule, long miles and Townsend’s coaching get results—since
2009, the team has won the Bicycle Racing Association of Colorado
series title three times. And since it joined the Colorado High School
Mountain Bike League in 2010, racers have twice stood on the podium.
A number of Ridge View boys report having…epiphanies. Austin [one
of the nine students cycling through the Grand Canyon] says that it’s the
hardest thing he’s ever done but that it helps him make better choices….
There’s another factor to the program’s success in reshaping these kids’
lives, one that science alone can’t explain: It’s the white-haired, wiry,
48-year-old Townsend, who began coaching in the Minden, Nevada,
Rite of Passage team in 1986. ROP has…other bike teams, but none
have a coach like Townsend. Since joining ROP, he has led the Grand
Canyon trip 19 times and cross-country trips several other times.
4 • Rite Of Passage
Best of
2013
School, Scholarships and Staff
30-Year Celebration
Kicking off Rite of Passage’s 30-year anniversary of dedicated work with youth, seven
basketball teams converged at Canyon State Academy for a three-day tournament
from campuses in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, Ohio and Maryland.
Center for Excellence Award Recipient
The Colorado Department of Education, in collaboration
with the Denver Public School Board, presented a Center
for Excellence Award to Ridge View Academy. This award is
given to Colorado schools with a student population of at
least 75% at-risk youth and demonstrates the highest rates
of student longitude growth, as measured by the Colorado
Growth Model.
Citizen of the Year
First-Generation Graduates
A new report from the Department of Education cites the
nation’s high school graduation is approaching 75%, the
highest rate in 40 years. Bolstering graduation rates on the
local level, Crescent Leadership Academy (in New Orleans)
bestowed high school diplomas to six students, half of
whom were first generation high school graduates.
First in Family to Graduate
The Knights of Columbus’ Citizen of the Year award,
presented to Silver Oak Academy’s Program Director Kevin
Mcleod, was followed closely by a Senate of Maryland
Resolution offering him recognition and congratulations. Mr.
Mcleod was named Citizen of the Year for his “leadership
of public and private partnerships aimed at community and
family revitalization,” while the Senate Resolution recognized
him for “life-long dedication, commitment and exemplary
public service.”
Passageway Scholarship Foundation awarded $114,098 in college and
vocational trade scholarships to Rite of Passage graduates in 2013.
Rite Of Passage • 5
Best of 2013
Accelerating Student Learning
Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID), a college
readiness system that accelerates student learning, has approved
Ridge View Academy as a qualified school. Nationwide, 98%
of AVID seniors in 2012 reported they will graduate from high
school and attend a post-secondary institution. This is aligned
with Ridge View Academy’s goal of providing students the skills
necessary to successfully transition to college.
Giving Back to Others
Art Inspired Restorative Justice Project
The Gathering Place, a homeless shelter in Denver, is among
several community-based organizations that use the knitting
and crocheting projects of the Betty K. Marler Center students.
Through a knitting program that combines restorative justice with
the age-old art of needlecraft, the young women at the Marler
Center created more than 40 toys for children at the shelter.
Proud Parenting
The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation
awarded a second-year Proud Parenting grant to Imperial
County (CA) Probation Department and Rite of Passage
(Rite Track) based on a review of the program’s positive
outcomes. The grant is designed to break the cycle of
intergenerational delinquency by strengthening parenting
knowledge and skills.
Silver State Construction
The Reno-Gazette Journal reported on the final phases of
a Silver State Academy 22,000 square foot construction
project, that will reinforce the campus as an academy
model program. The Reno-Gazette Journal interviewed
CEO S. James Broman, who states, “Our goal is to constantly
improve the program, and we think this facility will do that.”
6 • Rite Of Passage
Mock Trial in Federal Court
Federal Court Judge Ginger Berrigan, who also sits on
the Crescent Leadership Academy (CLA) Board, gave
CLA students the opportunity to participate in a mock
trial. Hosted at the US District Court Eastern District of
Louisiana, students sat in the courtroom and presented
their oral argument succinctly enough for the “defendant”
to be found not guilty.
Gov. Hickenlooper Supports Students
Boosting Voting Rights
Colorado State Representative Paul Rosenthal, also an ROP
teacher, included his students in a political lesson as he
introduced House Bill 13-1038 to the Colorado Legislature.
The Bill concerned voting rights of individuals in custody of the
Division of Youth Corrections, and the students were asked to
provide testimony on the roadblocks they encountered to vote.
Governor Hickenlooper and Representative Rosenthal invited
the students and staff to witness the signing of the bill into law.
Fire Science Curriculum
Working with the local Fire Department and Forestry
Services, the students at Sycamore Canyon Academy are
learning the study and practice of mitigating and treating
fires. Through a new fire science curriculum, students spend
approximately half of the time in classrooms, and the other
half completing hands-on projects with local fire service
agencies including maintaining fire break trails.
New Gender-Responsive Program
After the passing of Nebraska Senate Bill 561, which
reorganized Nebraska’s probation system and identified the
state’s need for a continuum of services, Uta Halee Academy reopened its doors. Licensed by the Nebraska Health and Human
Services, Uta Halee Academy, which means “on the sunny side”
in the language of the Omaha Tribe, offers a gender-responsive
program in a least restrictive, normalized environment.
Community Connections Through Art
Urban Art Projects
The Denver Urban Arts Fund was created to prevent graffiti
vandalism and provide opportunities for young people to
participate in positive, well-tended art projects. This year,
stakeholders, artists and partners of the Denver Urban Arts Fund
invited ROP students to paint a mural in Northeast Denver. Artist
Bimmer Torres designed the mural and states it, “…represents
the awaking of the mind to the community… and symbolizes
positive change in the neighborhood.” Painting with Mr. Torres,
students finished the mural in five weeks.
Muralist Softens Summit View
Research by the Missouri Model advocates and
industry experts cite the benefits of a therapeutic,
least restrictive environment for youth. Efforts are
being made nationally to “soften” architecturally
secure facilities, and were achieved at Nevada’s
Summit View Youth Correctional Center in
collaboration with the Division of Child and Family
Services and a muralist. With the recent re-opening
of Summit View, now called Red Rock Academy,
murals, painting schemes, and minor renovations
create a therapeutic milieu conducive to treat
Nevada’s highest risk youth.
Environmental Grant Recipient
The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, in collaboration with
the Mason and Smith Valley Conservation Districts, awarded
an environmental grant to Silver State Academy. Through this
grant, students earn high school credits in science for natural
resource education and have the opportunity to earn wages by
harvesting indigenous seeds in the field and in the hoop house
that was constructed on the campus.
Anchoring the Evening News
Reporting from Fox News
Pennsylvania FOX 43 news station and it’s Sports
Director, Todd Sadowski gave Silver Oak Academy
students a behind the scenes look at the finer details
of broadcasting the news. Guided by Mr. Sadowski, the
students used the equipment, worked the teleprompter,
green screen and cameras as they reported current
events as a news anchor and as a weatherman during
the mock broadcast.
Red Rock Academy
Reimagined
Rite Of Passage • 7
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U.S. POSTAGE
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MINDEN, NV
PERMIT NO. 94
Rite of Passage
2560 Business Parkway, Suite A
Minden, NV 89423
Phone (775) 267-9411
Fax (775) 267-9420
www.riteofpassage.com
Equal Opportunity Employer
Of
Rite
assage
P
2014
Issue
Dedicated to improving the lives of youth
B i c y c l i n g Tr a d i t i o n s
Run Deep
Pedal Power and the Road to Success
Bicycling Magazine Feature Article
Street Kids: a story about our students and
their cycling journeys
Best of the Year
Acknowledging the hard work and dedication
it takes to achieve goals and change lives