The Gilbert Days Rodeo 2016 proudly partners with Cowboys and Kids. This program is a national non-profit organization based in Payson, Arizona. The Organization, founded by Penny Conway, has been providing outreach services to school aged children since inception in 1991, 25 years ago.
Working across the country, in elementary schools and at various western events, Cowboys & Kids has reached over 3.0 million youth in 36 states with the belief that good character and wise choices provide for a moral and respectable future.
Our country’s western heritage epitomizes the qualities Americans hold in high regard: rugged individualism, freedom, honesty, patriotism and the pride of achievement. Today’s Cowboy is anyone, rural and urban, regardless of race, creed, color, sex or background, who believes that character counts. The American Cowboy not only portrays the American lifestyle he represents the western way of life and practices these qualities.
Using a western theme and highlighting the American Cowboy’s traits 
Cowboys & Kids has developed two 45-minute assemblies, under the name of REACh (Rodeo Education and Character) Cowboy-Up (K-8 grades) and Code of the West (3-8 grades). Both REACh assemblies are designed to be age appropriate, and engage students through a variety of interactive teaching methodologies, including a mock game show. Read more about the REACh Assemblies at www.reachkids.com.
Cowboy-Up Assembly – Featuring patriotism, western heritage and the cowboy lifestyles, this assembly teaches students to Cowboy-Up; a term popular in the western arenas encouraging people to be strong and tough. In this case it is used to teach students to stick to the cowboy ideals and to make good life choices-how to deal with risk factors such as peer pressure and drug and 
alcohol use, and focuses on strengthening protective factors of a positive self-image. This assembly is designed for students in grades K-8.
Cowboys & Kids proposes to continue this character building approach by providing a colorful 20 page teaching supplemental booklet for each child to take home and/or use in the classroom. The booklet continues the messages presented at the assembly and provides students with a tangible reminder. The Cowboys & Kids Booklet has over 130 teachable curriculum points, highlighting again the Ways of the West and its’ morals and values.
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