{"id":2011,"date":"2016-03-09T18:52:56","date_gmt":"2016-03-09T18:52:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lbpost.com\/articles\/life\/pets\/exploring-a-future-with-animals-acs-s-youth-explorer-academy\/"},"modified":"2016-03-09T18:52:56","modified_gmt":"2016-03-09T18:52:56","slug":"exploring-a-future-with-animals-acs-s-youth-explorer-academy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/hi-lo\/pets\/exploring-a-future-with-animals-acs-s-youth-explorer-academy","title":{"rendered":"Exploring a Future with Animals: ACS\u2019s Youth Explorer Academy"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\"\"<\/strong><\/p>\n

ACS Explorer Academy’s Mentor Team. Leader Roxy Mediano is at the head of the table, right. Photo by Kate Karp.<\/em><\/p>\n

Roxy Mediano has had a passion for animals ever since she can remember. When investigating volunteer opportunities at her high school, the Lakewood teenager was told by the school\u2019s counselor that there were none involving animals.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy dad saw an article in the newspaper about the Explorers Program,\u201d she said. \u201cI came in, and I liked it. I just kept coming.\u201d<\/p>\n

Long Beach Animal Care Services\u2019 (ACES) Explorer Academy\u00a0<\/a>fills the ticket for kids from 15 through 19 who are seriously interested in every aspect of animals, whether pet or wildlife, and are considering a future that involves working toward their welfare. The program, headed by Animal Control Officer (ACO) Edna Sorensen, is now in its sixth year and is the equivalent of the\u00a0Police Explorers Program<\/a>, which is geared to young people wanting a career in law enforcement. Sorensen took over leadership of the Explorers Academy after ACO Gerrie Umbertus moved out of the area. She loves the Academy and says that it\u2019s the kids themselves that are her favorite part of the program. They join because they want to be there, out of a passion and a purpose.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat drew me here was that I wanted to work with animals since I was little, and I thought it would be a great opportunity to learn more about them,\u201d said Briana Milstead, another mentor.<\/p>\n

The ACS Explorers Academy educates its participants in public safety and humane education. Explorers meet once a month as a group either at the shelter or on field trips that pertain to the program\u2019s goals. This month, the Explorers will visit the Cabrillo Aquarium and will observe the annual grunion run and learn about the aquarium as well as what grunions are and do. Other field trips will include the\u00a0Red Bucket Equine Rescue<\/a>\u00a0in Chino Hills, which is the organization the shelter contacts if a horse is found straying and unclaimed; the Marine Mammal Care Center and the\u00a0International Bird Rescue (IBRCC)<\/a>\u00a0in San Pedro; and the\u00a0Forever Wild Animal Sanctuary\u00a0<\/a>in Phelan.<\/p>\n

\u201cI liked going to Forever Wild, with the big cats,\u201d said Jade Lumpkin, who completed the program in a previous year and is now a mentor. \u201cWe get to watch them feed them. There\u2019s the snakes as well and a few alligators too. There was a tiger I liked.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMy favorite part was the horse classes\u2014it\u2019s not every day that we learn how to handle horses and take care of them,\u201d said Tatiana Valentin, another Explorers mentor.<\/p>\n

Sometimes, the field trips come to the shelter. An exotic reptiles class, which also covers tarantulas, is taught by a handler who brings along his slithery, crawly charges to demonstrate handling them and explain rescue procedures. Last year, mentor Yamilex Torres was so enthused by the demonstration, particularly the rattlesnake that came along, that she was ready to run out and get a snake. She likely will one day\u2014she plans to work with reptiles in the future.<\/p>\n

Not All a Walk in the Dog Park<\/strong><\/p>\n

Of course, gaining practical experience within the bounds of an animal shelter isn\u2019t all fun and field trips. The program\u2019s curriculum also includes a visit from the medical team, from whom the Explorers learn about promoting herd health among shelter animals and what common diseases affect pets; and interaction with the special investigations team to learn the basic elements of filing a report and processing complaints, and what background and schooling are necessary to work as an investigator. They may go on ride-alongs with ACOs after completing the first year to find out what else animal control officers do besides picking up cats and dogs. This is a favorite activity among the Explorers, and Sorensen says that it\u2019s a valuable experience for them. She said that there fortunately haven\u2019t been any difficult or upsetting incidents during ride-alongs but said that if there were, the Explorer would be asked to stay in the truck for his or her own safety while the ACO handles the incident.<\/p>\n

And there\u2019s grunt work as well. Explorers are expected to assist as volunteers for a total of 24 hours cleaning kennels, doing crowd control and parking assistance at events and parades, and reading to the animals as part of the\u00a0Pet Literacy Program<\/a>. If an Explorer returns after the first year, he or she may be involved in canvassing neighborhoods for coyote information and other animal-related details.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe don\u2019t have staff for some of these events, and we take the Explorers as volunteers,\u201d Sorensen said.<\/p>\n

Sorensen added that as they go through the program, Explorers learn about shelter protocols such as how long animals are held in the shelter, the\u00a0Community Cats\u00a0<\/a>trap\/spay-neuter\/release program, and the euthanasia policy, which can be a deterrent to some volunteers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re a high-intake shelter, and there\u2019s a possibility that some animals will be euthanized,\u201d Sorensen said. \u201cWe\u2019re doing what we\u2019re doing\u2014the Community Cats and other things\u2014to try to prevent a high number of animals from being here and facing euthanasia. It\u2019s a good thing to work on with the kids.\u201d<\/p>\n

Calling Good Kids<\/strong><\/p>\n

Sorensen said that a young person wanting to join the Explorer Academy must be enrolled in school or homeschooled and have no police record. There is a yearly enrollment fee of $24; Sorensen said that if a prospective Explorer can\u2019t afford the fee, waivers are available.<\/p>\n

Because the Academy calls for focus and participation, requires once-a-month group meetings and additional meetings for the mentors, and involves an end-of-year review and final exam, Sorensen makes it clear that each Explorer has to be both sufficiently dedicated and able to balance both schoolwork and the Academy\u2019s demands. Kids who are profoundly interested usually don\u2019t need much prodding.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen a lot of students come out of their shell,\u201d Sorensen said. \u201cOnce they see the animals, their eyes light up and ask all kinds of questions, and it\u2019s really great to see them. Last year, I had one kid who had a big effect on me. It seemed as if he had a home life that wasn\u2019t that great. He hardly said one word. On a field trip, he became engaged with the guest speaker, and at the end of the day, he was asking me all these questions. For me, that was big. Having programs like this helps these kids know that there\u2019s something else for them.\u201d<\/p>\n

After successfully graduating from the program, students get a certificate of completion and their volunteer hours are logged. Sorensen is also glad to type a recommendation letter for them. The program, she said, looks good on a resume, particularly for those who volunteer beyond the first year, and there have been several participants who have further benefitted. Third-year participant Jaylen Scott has been hired through Pacific Gateway for a city job, and he\u2019s paid his Explorer fees in order to return to the Academy as a mentor. He still comes to clean the kennels as well. Mediano, who heads the mentor program along with Scott, was hired with another Explorer, Renee Royer, as a licensed canvasser for ACS.<\/p>\n

The Mentor Program<\/strong><\/p>\n

Mentors are Explorers who elect to remain with the program after the first year. They work to support the new Explorers and help with more involved shelter tasks, such as canvassing and adoption events. They also hold mentor meetings to interact and plan for fund-raising events and their own teaching projects.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe mentor meetings are good because they get to interact and plan, whereas the regular meetings are guest speakers or tours, and the focus is on what they\u2019re learning about,\u201d Sorensen said.<\/p>\n

During the February meeting, led by Mediano, nine second- and third-year Explorers were planning a booth with the theme of diversity for the upcoming Scout-O-Rama, which will take place\u00a0June 6 at Heartwell Park<\/a>. The young people were enthusiastically throwing ideas back and forth like baseball players at spring training: where the balloons would go, who\u2019s going to get or make what for the goodie bags, how donors to the program could be attracted.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have a really limited budget,\u201d Sorensen said. \u201cWe\u2019re always trying to think of fund-raising ideas. One of the students had a carnival for this once, with games and food. We collected over $300 to get money into our fund to pay for uniforms and all kinds of things. It helps the kids who can\u2019t afford it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Teams were also being formed for the wildlife presentation. Each team was assigned an animal\u2014skunk, coyote, opossum, raccoon. Everyone wanted the raccoon, but the entire menagerie got assigned with no further protest.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou know how we normally have a guest speaker? Well, you guys are going to be teaching that course,\u201d Mediano said. That was met with a minimum of good-natured moans and groans.<\/p>\n

Mediano said that although the urban wildlife presentation isn\u2019t until June, she wants the students to be fully prepared so that they\u2019re not rushing. With three months of preparation and the enthusiasm demonstrated from the most vocal Explorer to the most taciturn, that\u2019s pretty much a guarantee. And likely, skunks, coyotes and opossums will join the ranks of the adorable raccoon long before June.<\/p>\n

Full details of the Explorer Academy\u00a0are available here<\/i> <\/a>. To donate to the program, visit the\u00a0dedicated donation page<\/i><\/a>.<\/i><\/p>\n

“Let children walk with Nature, let them see the beautiful blendings and communions of death and life, their joyous inseparable unity, as taught in woods and meadows, plains and mountains and streams of our blessed star, and they will learn that death is stingless indeed, and as beautiful as life.”
<\/i>~ John Muir, naturalist and environmental philosopher<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Roxy Mediano has had a passion for animals ever since she can remember. When investigating volunteer opportunities at her high school, the Lakewood teenager was told by the school\u2019s counselor that there were none involving animals.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":67382,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"newspack_sponsor_sponsorship_scope":"","newspack_sponsor_native_byline_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_native_category_display":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_style":"inherit","newspack_sponsor_underwriter_placement":"inherit","inline_featured_image":false,"newspack_ads_suppress_ads":false,"newspack_popups_has_disabled_popups":"","_EventAllDay":false,"_EventTimezone":"","_EventStartDate":"","_EventEndDate":"","_EventStartDateUTC":"","_EventEndDateUTC":"","_EventShowMap":false,"_EventShowMapLink":false,"_EventURL":"","_EventCost":"","_EventCostDescription":"","_EventCurrencySymbol":"","_EventCurrencyCode":"","_EventCurrencyPosition":"","_EventDateTimeSeparator":"","_EventTimeRangeSeparator":"","_EventOrganizerID":[],"_EventVenueID":[],"_OrganizerEmail":"","_OrganizerPhone":"","_OrganizerWebsite":"","_VenueAddress":"","_VenueCity":"","_VenueCountry":"","_VenueProvince":"","_VenueState":"","_VenueZip":"","_VenuePhone":"","_VenueURL":"","_VenueStateProvince":"","_VenueLat":"","_VenueLng":"","_VenueShowMap":false,"_VenueShowMapLink":false,"_":"","_author_alias":"","cap-aim":"","cap-description":"","cap-display_name":"","cap-first_name":"","cap-jabber":"","cap-last_name":"","cap-linked_account":"","cap-newspack_employer":"","cap-newspack_job_title":"","cap-newspack_phone_number":"","cap-newspack_role":"","cap-user_email":"","cap-user_login":"","cap-website":"","cap-yahooim":"","newspack_article_summary":"","newspack_email_html":"","newspack_email_type":"","newspack_featured_image_position":"","newspack_hide_page_title":"","newspack_hide_updated_date":false,"newspack_post_subtitle":"","newspack_show_share_buttons":"","newspack_sponsor_byline_prefix":"","newspack_sponsor_disclaimer_override":"","newspack_sponsor_flag_override":"","newspack_sponsor_only_direct":"","newspack_sponsor_url":"","newspack_article_summary_title":"Overview:","newspack_show_updated_date":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[39],"newspack_spnsrs_tax":[],"coauthors":[],"class_list":["post-2011","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-pets","tag-scratching-post","entry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2011"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2011\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/67382"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2011"},{"taxonomy":"newspack_spnsrs_tax","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/newspack_spnsrs_tax?post=2011"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lbpost.com\/esd\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=2011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}