The California Rodeo Salinas has
invited the Rodeo Education and Character (REACh) team to town for many years
as part of the community outreach effort. Their Cowboys & Kids program is a
unique one that takes the concept of ‘The Cowboy Way’ into a classroom; using a Western theme and
highlighting the American Cowboy’s traits, Cowboys and Kids engages the young audience through visual,
auditory, and hands-on teaching methods. By using these different
tools they are able to meet the needs of the students’ different learning
styles and maintain their interest throughout the presentation. In addition, the 45 minute REACh assembly touches on
areas required in the states’ curriculum; math skills, vocabulary, memory
recall, and more.
This
year, rather than reaching a small number of children during summer school, the
California Rodeo has worked with REACh to get their Cowboys & Kids program
out to Salinas elementary schools May 18th-22nd. Dr. Juvenal Luza, the
Superintendent of Salinas City Elementary Schools, approved the assembly to be
held at all of the 13 schools in the district and the district sponsored the
program. Almost 4,000 students will experience the program, which will teach
the students to be strong and not to be led by others into drugs, gangs
and bullying activities using appropriate examples pertaining to their age
group. "Kids have always been fascinated with cowboys, so we
try to use that to motivate them to adopt high ethical and moral standards that
are associated with the rodeo," said Penny Conway, who developed REACh 24
years ago while she was an elementary school teacher in Payson, Ariz.
"Adopting these standards can help kids battle all of the dangers they
face today."
Each
of the children will receive a printed magazine style program about the Cowboys
& Kids values with information about and coupons for Rodeo events as well as
a ticket voucher for free admission into the Rodeo on July 16th or
18th. Visit www.carodeo.com for more information about the
California Rodeo Salinas, which will take place July 16th-19th,
and other events. For a schedule of Cowboys & Kids classroom presentations,
please contact Mandy Linquist at mlinquist@carodeo.com or 831-775-3102; media coverage
can be arranged, but permission is required and will need to be planned in
advance.
About
the California Rodeo
The California Rodeo Salinas
will take place July 16-19, 2015. The California Rodeo Association is a
not-for-profit organization that strives to preserve and promote the traditions
of the California Rodeo Salinas and the West. We support the community and
other non-profit organizations through the staging of the annual California
Rodeo Salinas and other year round operations of the Salinas Sports Complex.
Through donation of our facility, vending and fundraising opportunities during
Rodeo and other events, the California Rodeo Association returns between
$200,000 and $300,000 annually to local non-profits. For more information about
the California Rodeo Salinas, log on to www.CARodeo.com or call the California
Rodeo Office at 831-775.3100. 'Like' the California Rodeo
on Facebook at www.facebook.com/CARodeoSalinas or follow us on twitter
@CaliforniaRodeo for updates, photos and more.