Sacred Rok transforms lives, one person at a Pme, by mentoring underserved you PDF
Preview Sacred Rok transforms lives, one person at a Pme, by mentoring underserved you
Sacred Rok transforms lives, one person at a 1me, by mentoring underserved youth to experience the ceremony of nature in the healing environment of Yosemite Na1onal Park. Sacred Rok is led by Yosemite rock climber Ron Kauk. Contacts: Execu1ve Director Ron Kauk Board Chair Nancy Goodban Who We Are Ron Kauk is a world renowned rock climber who has lived and climbed in Yosemite for 45 years. The lessons that he has learned through rock climbing have inspired a deep respect for nature. In 2009 he and colleagues established Sacred Rok to support youth in nature, helping them learn to respect nature and through that to respect themselves. The Sacred Rok Board of Directors is commi3ed to represen1ng diverse ethnici1es, languages, and professional experiences as well as gender parity. The Problem Young people have lost touch with nature, and yet they will be the earth’s stewards in coming genera1ons. They grow up tethered to electronics, and many, especially children of color, have never been to a na1onal park. The Na1onal Park Service recognizes the need for increased diversity, including a history that has o"en neglected the stories of people of color and the indigenous. The city of Merced is called “The Gateway to Yosemite” but low-income youth who live there have never been to Yosemite. Growing up in a neighborhood with guns, drugs and gangs, they risk ge4ng into trouble and ge4ng locked up. The Sta1s1cs • 2015 – Violence Policy Center reported that Merced County has the fi"h highest rate of youth being killed of the 58 coun1es in California, all killed by guns – a3ributed to gang violence. • Teens in the Central Valley are more likely to be “disconnected” – not in school and not working (KidsData.org) - 9.1% in Merced County, 9.7% in Fresno County, 10.7% in Tulare County, 11.1% in Kern County, 8.5% in San Joaquin County, 8.4% in Madera County - compared to 7.7% statewide. • Juvenile felony arrest rate is higher in the Central Valley coun1es (KidsData.org) – 8.4 per 1,000 in Merced, 7.1 in San Joaquin, 6.4 in Tulare – compared to 5.3 per 1,000 statewide The Cost of Doing Nothing A year in juvenile hall costs taxpayers more than $90,000. How Does Sacred Rok Help? Sacred Rok leads trips to Yosemite for foster youth, incarcerated youth, and low-income youth, most of whom are children of color. Trips include day hikes as well as overnight camping trips. Sacred Rok provides healthy, organic, locally sourced meals and snacks, and facilitates the en1re experience. In partnership with the Park Service, youth also remove decaying asphalt from trails. Key Partners • Merced County Proba1on Department Juvenile Hall • San Benito County Proba1on Department Juvenile Hall • Boys & Girls Club of Merced • Merced Youth Leadership Council • Building Healthy Communi1es, Merced • Upli" Family Services (foster youth, SF Bay Area) • Symple Equazion (alterna1ve educa1on, proba1on kids in the community) • Modesto Upli" (mentoring at-risk youth) • Na1onal Park Service, Yosemite Na1onal Park Juvenile Hall Kids Ron Kauk leads monthly trips for juvenile hall kids to Yosemite as well as Pinnacles Na1onal Park, and he also has lunch in the classroom at Merced Juvenile Hall’s “Bear Creek Academy” (BCA) twice a month. The teacher has incorporated Sacred Rok into the BCA curriculum. They reflect together on the trips, their goals, their past and future. BCA youth co-wrote a book, Voices from the Inside Out, with Sacred Rok, sharing the transforma1ve impact the experience has had on them. Does It Work? • The Boys & Girls Club mentor reports that kids are be3er behaved and do be3er in school a"er their involvement with Sacred Rok. • One foster youth graduated from high school, signed up for the outdoor club at community college, and transferred to a four-year college to study environmental issues. • Juvenile Hall youth report that the community service work makes them feel valued, and that the experience in nature gives them hope. So? Sacred Rok is not a panacea for broken homes and communi1es. Young people exit from Juvenile Hall only to return back to their home neighborhoods. It is all too easy to slip back into old pa3erns. The support from Ron and the classroom is no longer available every week once they are out of Juvenile Hall. These young people contact Ron on Facebook or by text, sharing that they would like to come to Yosemite, to visit, but they do not have the resources to make the trip.
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