Summer Phase
Every year in June, 30-35 at-risk youths enter the Summer Program. They are organized into Work Teams of 4-6 rangers, headed by an adult Work Team Leader and assigned neighborhood service projects – primarily homes of elderly or single mothers to be repaired and painted. The rangers work four days a week and are paid at the federal or state minimum wage (whichever is greater). The rangers are involved in many other learning activities and receive a number of other services. The program concludes in August with a graduation luncheon and ceremony. A youth can participate in the program for four years.
The Summer Program is different from other programs serving at-risk youths in a number of ways, including serving only high school age youths. The values of this program are:
1. Members have an opportunity to earn a pay check. For many youths we serve it is their first job. The opportunity to earn money for themselves and to help their families draws kids who otherwise might not be attracted to “do gooder” organizations. Such are often the kids most at-risk.
2. Positive male role-models. All of our rangers are males, 14-18 and most do not have fathers in the home. The Urban Ranger staff – including Work Team Leaders – is positive male role-models for our rangers.
3. Rangers are highly disciplined, closely supervised. Rangers do physical exercises daily, at 7:00 a.m., before every workday. They wear “work” uniforms and have “dress” uniforms. Push-ups are called for (“Give me ten!”) when rangers are “out of line” at work, in class, or on field trips and hikes. Rangers reporting for work without belts, or found with trousers sagging, are required to wear the “red suspenders” for the remainder of the day.
4. Attitudes are changed. Three basic work values are emphasized: Be on time, dress appropriately, speak respectfully. Additional values are to take pride in a job well done and to take proper care of tools and equipment issued to a ranger or to a team. Rangers are reminded that a key to success in the world of work and business is to be 15 minutes early for every appointment or meeting.
5. Rangers engage in daily spiritual reflection. The work day begins with an “Our Father” before departing for the work site. The last 30 minutes of the day consist of a 15 minute values presentation by a “role model” from the community and a 15 minute group spiritual reflection, concluding with an “Our Father.”
6. Rangers are of service to their neighbors and their community because their job is to make improvements in the homes of poor neighbors and in the green spaces in their neighborhoods. This has many benefits, including valuing and respecting private property and realizing that there is a place for them in their community.
7. Rangers learn the importance of team work in getting a job done and of bonding with kids they had never known before as well as with their adult Work Team Leaders.
8. Rangers are improving Kansas City neighborhoods, slowly but surely, by improving the housing stock, directly, and in cooperation with many other organizations like Christmas in October, neighborhood organizations, and churches.
We believe the Urban Ranger Corps is the only organization that provides all of the above activities and experiences, and in an integrated and coordinated manner. There are no similar programs in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
