With headquarters in Smithville, KOZ groups meet in Bastrop and Smithville. A third Bastrop group is on the way.
Today, the program is present in 35 U.S. states and well as Canada and Eastern Europe, founder TJ Greaney said.
How it started
The program was started to help young boys without male role models learn outdoor skills.
“What we recognized was that the lack of men in the home—a lot of boys being raised without a dad in the home—and a lot of kids were not going outside,” Greaney said. “We kind of took it on ourselves to do a little bit of that in our community, to get some boys from the neighborhood and from church, and do some outdoor activities with them once a month.”
The program became popular with church groups in the Austin area, Greaney said.
“It became so popular that we started writing down what we were doing, and created a training manual and curriculum around it,” Greaney said.
What to expect
Different skills, such as archery, hiking survival or sports shooting, are taught each month. Lessons also include moral values, Greaney said.
“They're doing something that they really understand and really enjoy, which is teaching outdoor skills,” Greaney said.
The program has helped prepare young men for outdoor-focused jobs, such as in the Coast Guard or construction.
“We've seen some, just some incredible stories of boys whose lives have changed who’ve felt like they've been given direction and clarity on who they are and what they wanted to do,” Greaney said.
