The CJE Story
The Compton Jr. Equestrians organization was developed to continue a 30-year effort to serve inner city youth in the hub city of Compton, along with other local areas. CJE picked up ongoing (continued) activities of the Compton Jr Posse, which was was originally formed in 1988 in response to the lack of programs available to youth in Compton who are at risk for dropping out of school, gangs, incarceration, and continuing poverty.
In support of Randall Hook’s vision for continuing the community service mission that drove his founding of the Compton Cowboys, which is underpinned by their motto “streets raised us, horses saved us”, he coordinated with Jamie Vance, another native of Compton and product of equestrian based programming there, to found CJE for the execution of the Compton Cowboy community service mission.
CJE was established as the Compton Cowboys’ 501(c)(3) non-profit entity for continuing the community service role of the CJE’s predecessor, the Compton Jr Posse. Randall, Jamie and all the Compton Cowboys had benefited greatly as participants in a program of people giving back to their community via horse and ranching based activities. As plans of the CJP founder and Executive Director Mayisha Akbar were proceeding toward her retirement and the closing of the program, Randall decided he could not stand by and allow such an important element of the community to vanish and thereby leave hundreds of youth without such a program and the important benefits it had provided to so many youth for over 30 years. The result was the formation of the Compton Jr. Equestrians.
Programming at CJE not only teaches the highly esteemed skills of ranching and horseback riding, but also incorporates a self-development focus that includes character building, academic enrichment, and career planning. An academic approach is incorporated throughout CJE programming, from and equine science-based horse anatomy, care, and riding curriculum. A coordinated tracking of personal growth and wellness include health, direct gardening activities, and school performance, as well as attention to literacy and cultural history. Youth participants in this program garner and build on benefits that include self discipline, self esteem and leadership skills. Additional benefits that accrue to CJE participants include the Compton location of the ranch itself, serving as a “safe haven” from the dangers of the streets including drugs, violence, gangs, and poverty.
The overarching and scientifically proven benefit of working with and riding horses involves delivery of a self-development program that leverages horses and nature to teach alternate coping mechanisms and respect for animals, themselves, fellow students, and staff, all of which help develop an enhanced vision of the world, and dreams for future possibilities.
Our Vision
CJE envisions a community where our self-development services and horse-based approach are available to any interested disadvantaged urban youth in our local communities, then expanding to serve the disadvantaged urban communities across our state, the nation, and the world.
Our vision includes program graduates who are healthy and thriving in their stewardship of the environment, their respect for animals, academic pursuits, chosen careers, community building interests, as well as with their selected ongoing interaction and involvement with horses. We see youth who have opportunities for participating and competing on equestrian teams, and working in careers in the multi-billion-dollar equine and related industries.
Our specific goals include contributing to our communities (to) decrease the number of incarcerated youth and school dropout rates, and increase high school, college graduation, and workforce and community participation rates.
Our Mission
Using the highly esteemed skill of horseback riding to inspire youth, while enriching the whole person through our 3 core areas of growth.
3 Core Areas of Growth
01
Equine Programming
A primary effort of the CJE involves leveraging student and participant interest in exploring horses to develop accomplished riders, when possible, but also being sure to expose all participants to the requirements of a competent equestrian. Horse and rider health, safety and development are important consideration, having critical implications for both horse and rider, where promoting horse-rider relationships is used to help develop rider understanding of these issues. CJE horses are often rescues, as the our equestrian center is always on the look-out for horses needing improved, stable and care-focused environments. Student involvement in horse rescue efforts generates very reformative self development results.
Our self development goals involve using an academic approach to learning about and teaching how to care for horses. Integration of course and actual physical practice and animal interaction activities encourages youth to explore alternative ways of dealing with obstacles they encounter with horses and fellow students that are constructive and safe.
Equestrian-based lesson plans expose youth to various career paths and future endeavors. As students in equestrian lessons Compton advance, their demonstrated riding knowledge and sportsmanship provide a solid foundation for opportunities to graduate into competitive activities and events.
02
Ranch & Facility Programming
CJE Ranch in Compton, like all ranches and barns, includes horse stalls and a riding arena, as well as a barn and other facilities for storage for horse tack, feed, and ranch equipment and tools. Students will learn stall and arena requirements, etiquette and maintenance. They will also learn key ranch equipment and tools.
Learning will include both course work and physical execution including mucking stalls, feeding, and dragging the arena to help ensure important information is retained.
The CJE Ranch also includes non-traditional (extracurricular) farm activities including gardening and petting zoo facilities. These facilities will help participants learn respect for and the appreciation and importance of the environment, nature, and human inter-dependence on them, as well as care for ranch animals.
Farming and organic gardening activities include planning, planting, maintenance, and harvesting.
03
Student Development & Wellness Programming
CJE goals include coordination of youth self-development to help develop healthy stable living habits and lifestyles. A case management process is used to track and document youth progress and improvements across all CJE activities and programs. A powerful element of the program involves leveraging the experience of interacting with and learning to develop productive relationships with horses, one of the largest and most powerful animals in the world, with extraordinary empathic capacities.
Scientific research has confirmed how such programs impact youth personal development, and generates both physical and emotional health. CSP’s case management process ensures effective monitoring, documentation and support for student growth and progress, including academic and career planning support.
Our efforts encompass physical and mental fitness through horse and animal care, riding activities, personal counseling for solutions and resource identification, esteem building exercises, physical gardening and nutrition in the form of real time farm-to-table vegetable cultivation.
Our Team
The partnership between the Compton Cowboys and the Compton Jr. Equestrians, which is the registered 501(c)(3), nonprofit affiliate of the Compton Cowboys, is directed by an integrated management team, who bring the dynamic set of skills and, experience required to operate their vibrant and scalable business model, which requires a revenue mixture that includes revenue generating activities and as well as non-profit fundraising efforts needed to support operation and and management activations and programming.
The expertise of the group, which covers all crucial aspects of the program needs, is led by Randall Hook, CEO of the Compton Cowboys and a leading trailblazer in the equestrian world today.
CJE Program Coordinators and Directors
We’re hiring!
The CJE is always looking for good team members. Our primary staffing resources are for volunteer positions. You can see those offerings or inquire about volunteering at this link. We do provide some employment opportunities, and endeavor to get them posted here.
