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SoCal Connected

Call to Adventure: Helping Young Men Reach Their Full Potential

Call to Adventure has helped transform the lives of young inner city boys in Los Angeles through rigorous outdoor training and support from male role models. These mentors help encourage young boys to succeed and ultimately reach their full potential by creating a safe space for dialogue and physical activity.

Through Call to Adventure, Artwan Green took on a leadership role and found the tools needed to succeed and avoid a life behind bars. Through the program, Green is now back on track attending college with the hopes of becoming a pediatrician someday.

Young males in the inner city are faced with challenges that can keep them from choosing the right path. But Call to Adventure hopes to challenge that statistic by giving young males the opportunity to be heard and valued.

"These kids live in a world that's really black and gray. They live in a dark place. They scurry to school, they try to get home without getting shot, and up here they see that they can feel safe with strangers," said Richard Biren, a sponsor of Call to Adventure. "Not only with strangers, but people with other ethnicities. Basically feel safe with white men," he added.

Featuring Interviews With:

  • Artwan Green, participant, Call to Adventure
  • Stephen J. Johnson, founder/director, Call to Adventure
  • Richard Biren, sponsor, Call to Adventure
  • Levar Burton, participant, Call to Adventure
  • Steve Branker, associate director, Call to Adventure
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