The R.M. Pyles Boys Camp, which allows at-risk youth to attend a multi-year summer wilderness camp and receive mentorship throughout the year at no cost, continued its legacy of educational support by issuing scholarships to 8 young men in 2021, totaling $7,917.
Graduates at the 2019 Pyles Senior Signing Day. Multiple Scholarship recipients are pictured.
Pedros Celis, Drake Gascon, Raymond Hoffman, Griffin Johnston, Brian Lopez, Fernando Ochoa, Ivan Trigueros Ramirez, and Kyle Vance are the proud recipients of scholarships and are continuing their education at UC Irvine, East Los Angeles College, Southwestern Community College, California State University Northridge, UC Santa Cruz, Ventura College, UC Santa Barbara, and San Diego State University, respectively. In just the past 20 years, the Pyles Scholarship program has issued $650,766 to 133 recipients. Since 1977, the Pyles Scholarship program has awarded $1,193,164 to 567 individuals.
Since the camp’s inception in 1949, R.M. Pyles Boys Camp has served more than 28,000 California boys. Each camper has heart-wrenching stories of their struggles, such as living in neighborhoods with gang violence, attending low performing schools, and being exposed to substance abuse and domestic violence. Former campers have gone on to achieve numerous successes including becoming the first college graduate in their families, serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, and returning to work at the camp as counselors.
The Camp’s work does not end once the boys leave the campground. The experience is supplemented with year-round mentoring and young men may earn scholarships for college or vocational training. Program leaders have set a 2022 goal to serve more than 400 boys and provide $15,000 in scholarships.
