Skateboarding Youth & Cops
As we approach our final month of summer before we start thinking about school again, I wanted to reflect on our Skateboarding and Outdoor Experience Program. Thanks to a generous grant from the Teichert Foundation, SCIP was able to fund a unique pilot program that combined skateboarding and the outdoors.
Sean LaTour, who was a recent graduate of CSU Monterey Bay, planned the program and collaborated with SCIP to offer students day trips to skate parks throughout the area, camping, surfing, and quad riding. Sean plans to combine his passion for youth development and his experience in skateboarding as he works toward gaining his teaching credential. For now, one of his long term goals is to create an interscholastic skateboard league for area middle/high school students. Southern California already has a very successful program in place (See that program HERE) where schools feature skate teams and compete against one another. The format is similar to other traditional sports like football or basketball.
What is appealing to me as the Founder of SCIP and as law enforcement officer, is that a program of this magnitude has the potential to connect with a segment of the school population that would otherwise be seen as defiant youth. A league specifically designed for skateboarding youth would be a positive program in our community.
As part of his final project, Sean conducted some research on the impact of having skate parks open and accessible to youth. With the help of film maker Forrest Brownell, Sean was able to capture images, testimonials, and critical data, that supported having skate programs in our community. You can view the short documentary HERE. You can also read a recent article from Monterey County Weekly HERE.
To learn more about the Skateboarding program at SCIP, you can email Sean LaTour (slatour@sacscip.org) or call 916.333.6464 ext. 3106.