2002 Celebration
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2002 Celebration |
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Programs OYES! Riverside Neighborhood Civil Air Patrol Squadron Program Descriptions OYES! Riverside Neighborhood Civil Air Patrol Squadron Contact: The mission of the Latino Community Development Agency is to enhance the quality of life of the Latino community in central Oklahoma through education, leadership, services, and advocacy. One of the agency’s divisions is the Oklahoma Youth Empowerment System program (¡OYES!), which coordinates a number of projects and events aimed at gang intervention and prevention among Latino youth in Oklahoma City. The Riverside Neighborhood Civil Air Patrol Squadron, which teaches youth self-discipline and leadership skills while exposing them to the thrills and challenges of aviation, is one of the most successful projects in the program. As LCDA staff worked with youth in the ¡OYES! program and their families, they became aware of the need for structure, self-discipline, and goal setting in the lives of Latino youth. In 1996 staff approached a community volunteer who worked with Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cadets in another part of the city about the possibility of starting a CAP program for youth in ¡OYES! Civil Air Patrols have operated cadet programs around the country since 1941 as highly structured, discipline-based programs that train and educate youth in aerospace technology, leadership skills, physical fitness, character development, and moral education. The volunteer agreed to the proposal, and the Riverside Neighborhood Civil Air Patrol began in August 1996 under the auspices of the CAP Flight in a suburb northwest of Oklahoma City. The squadron has created opportunities for underprivileged Latino youth to participate in a program that typically requires a significant financial commitment far beyond the capability of their families. In just two years, the program achieved independent squadron status. The all-volunteer, youth-driven and youth-directed program operates on a military model to empower youth while instilling self-discipline and moral integrity. Cadets meet weekly to participate in aerospace and leadership classes, practice drills and test their knowledge, learn CPR and first aid, and work toward physical fitness goals. Cadets also regularly tour local air force and aerospace facilities, take up to five orientation flights with a certified pilot, and participate in periodic search-and-rescue practice sessions. The cadet squadron is the only one in the nation that provides extensive scholarships to cover the cost of participation. Bilingual staff and volunteers, free transportation to and from classes and field trips, and funds to cover books, uniforms, and activity fees enable youth to step outside a world often characterized by poverty and crime. While the squadron’s structure utilizes the format and philosophy of the national program, it has been tailored to meet the needs and experiences of the high-risk youth it serves. Community volunteers are not as rigid in their expectations because they recognize that many of the youth have experienced tremendously discouraging events in their daily lives. Since the program is the first highly structured environment most of the youth have encountered, they must overcome considerable distractions and personal barriers to continue. |