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Last month at dawn, in front of the Santa Maria Valley Youth & Family Center, fifteen families put their middle school boys on a bus to the Kern River Valley. Thirteen days later, they picked up these boys – who looked the same, but had notably risen to the challenges of leadership, hard work and team building through an intensive program at the R.M. Pyles Boys Camp.
Nancy Johnson, Clinical Director in Santa Maria has worked with the camp, families, and boys since 1986 and is an enthusiastic advocate for the program. “Pyles Camp is for those boys who are at a bit of a fork in the road,” she said. “With the right motivation, support and challenges, they develop skills to become leaders – a tip over the fence toward positive choices is sometimes all they need.”
Pyles camp primarily looks for boys from low-income families living in challenging environments who would benefit from a multi-year summer wilderness camp experience supplemented by year-round mentoring and exposure to male role models. Participants are referred by FSA Outreach Mentors, school counselors and teachers.
Gail Burgess, Outreach Mentor Program Manager, sums up her process, “When I recommend boys for the camp, I look for boys that are trustworthy, kind and are deserving of this privilege. Their teachers or I see potential in them.”
To read more about the impact of the camp experience, read the full
story on our Family Matters Blog!
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