New Program Sees Big Impact on Local Teens
Officer Pat Carbaugh grew up in a broken home with drug addiction in his family. When he was just 11 years old, his mom passed away. The family lived in a single-wide trailer in Airway Heights, weighed down by the poverty single-parent families often experience.
It was a bleak start to life. Pat was statistically at a higher risk to use illegal drugs, to be involved in criminal activity, and to become incarcerated.
“I experienced firsthand what many of the kids in the Airway Heights area are facing today, “ Pat says. “With the assistance of positive adult role models that invested time, energy, and resources in me, I was able to escape the addictions my family had suffered.”
His path out took him into service with the United States Marine Corps, and then to become a police officer with the City of Airway Heights, coming full circle back to his youth.
Seeing kids in the community struggling with the challenges he remembers so well, Pat started to dream and pray about how he could help kids having the same rough experience he did growing up. Pat kept dreaming for 14 years.
His dream became a reality this year with the launch of the newly minted Airway Heights PAL program, a joint effort between the City of Airway Heights, the Airway Heights Police Department and Peak 7 Adventures with grant funding from the US Department of Commerce.
The Police Adventure League (PAL) offers a 6 week, 4-day per week program with an audacious goal: help build trusting relationships between the youth and local law enforcement by engaging in outdoor recreation.
“This program, the opportunity to work with the youth and engage them in positive recreation, means everything to me. To think I might have the ability to impact a child, the same way I experienced when I was a kid, is a blessing,” Pat says.
The pilot program started on July 5 with 10 teens selected from the Cheney School District, which manages the schools in Airway Heights. Ranging from 7th-11th grade, the boys were selected based on school counselor referrals, parent interest and Pat’s conversations with kids. Each has experienced trouble in school and needs some extra support.
“All ten of these boys came into the summer not knowing each other or having much experience in the outdoors. And both have changed so fast. I have seen this group come together and let their guard down,” says Jonathan Shaw, Peak 7 Summer Guide and Whitworth Masters in School Counseling student.
To provide relationship consistency, Jonathan is the primary Peak 7 Guide working with the PAL program, assigned to work with Pat in running trips. With recreation as the focus, the group has spent the last three weeks sampling the best in local adventure. The program kicked off with a day-long challenge course experience. They rafted the Clark Fork River, visited several local and regional rock climbing sites and still have three weeks of adventures to go.
“I have seen Hashim, who was afraid of the outdoors because of bugs, exploring spider webs. I have seen trust develop through the process of belaying. I have seen a group from a variety of backgrounds laughing and having fun together,” Jonathan says. “ I have seen many of the boys be silly and free. They have let loose and had space to let their curiosity and fun run wild. I have seen many of them push themselves into uncomfortable environments and find it is fun.”
Parents are seeing similar changes. During the summer, many teens retreat to their bedrooms to spend hours on their phones and computers.
“Seeing the changes has been the best part. He (Caleb P) looks forward to every day now, mostly because the people and program have helped him feel safe, wanted and a part of something bigger. I can not say thank you enough,” Caleb’s mom, Tammy, shared.
“My son is not the typical teen who likes to hang out with friends, (he) doesn’t care for the outdoors and is very hesitant to try new things that are outside of his comfort zone, especially being outdoors. This program has brought out a different side to him. It has motivated him to step out of his comfort zone and truly enjoy what life and this program has to offer. This program is a great way to keep our young teens out of trouble while having a great time practicing life skills and going on outdoor adventures that help motivate them to put their phone down and enjoy being a kid,” reflects Emilio’s mom, Veronica.
In the coming weeks, PAL will head to the Smith Rocks in Oregon for a multi-day rock climbing trip before official graduation and the end of the program on August 15. Plans are underway to expand PAL in the future, with hopes to introduce a girls’ program, and possibly grow into the school year with adventures offered to larger groups of students.
Pat reasons, “I fully realize that children in those types of environments are the victims. If it were not for the adults that invested in me, I may have become one of those statistics. It is now my turn to pay it forward and become one of those positive adults to as many youth as I can.”
