Copper Boyz Ranch, a Kansas City nonprofit founded by four men with ranching backgrounds, aims to connect urban youth with agriculture and horsemanship. The organization provides horseback riding, animal care, and lassoing lessons as a form of therapy and violence prevention amid rising youth violence in the city. Founders Your’Majesty Elbey and Lyndell Woodward, who found healing through reconnecting with their rural roots, now strive to offer similar opportunities to local kids, fostering social development and lifelong skills.

One participant, 9-year-old Khiyar Allen, overcame initial fears to gain confidence through the program, inspiring his family who value outdoor, hands-on experiences over screen time. Looking ahead, Copper Boyz Ranch envisions expanding into a community garden and horse sanctuary to further nurture urban youth’s connection to nature and agriculture, encouraging them to dream big and explore new possibilities beyond their urban environment.