While at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch, our young people have many opportunities to build skills and prepare for their futures. One of those opportunities is coordinated through our Experiential Learning Program and the Boys Ranch High School’s FFA club. This coordination allows youth to not only utilize class time to build their life and career skills, but extend experiences after school and during the summer in our Experiential Learning Program.
Over the summer, youth in ELP and FFA began projects that recently showcased at the Tri-State Fair in Amarillo, Texas. One of those projects, a custom, hand-built smoker, took first place in the BBQ Grills category! While it was a joint effort among the whole group of kids who participate in our welding area, Trae, Kadan and Alex were among the youth chosen to present the project at the Tri-State Fair. We’re incredibly proud of their accomplishment and all of the hard work our boys and girls put into building this amazing piece.
Through programs like ELP and FFA, our goal is to give the boys and girls at Boys Ranch the tools and support they need to become all they were meant to be. Our efforts to encourage their growth and development is guided by a principle we call Cal Farley’s Model of Leadership & Service. Our MOLS is comprised of six universal needs — safety, power, purpose, adventure, belonging and achievement — which we believe people need in order to reach their God-given potential. By helping our youth fulfill those needs, they become able to develop the skills necessary to succeed now and in their futures!