The Arizona Rangers, who played a romantic role in the history of the state, are teaching CC! to young people. The Verde Valley Company, based in Sedona and led by Captain Dee Zenk, has joined with the Yavapai Tobacco-Free Partnership to bring CC! to the fourth graders of West Sedona Elementary School. The partnership is now three years old.

Every week a Ranger in uniform goes into the classroom and teaches one of the Six Pillars. After six weeks, the students write a short essay on an occasion when they demonstrated good character. The writers of the best essays win prizes, such as t-shirts, hats and movie tickets, provided in part by the Arizona Tobacco Education and Prevention Program and Yavapai County Community Health Services. All students receive certificates of completion.

On award day, Captain Zenk and the Company’s mounted patrol unit bring their horses to the school field and demonstrate how they use the Pillars daily in the training and care of mounted police horses, as well as on duty. "Nothing says respect like 1200 pounds of horse," says Captain Zenk. Later, the students point out examples of Pillar behavior they saw in the interactions between Rangers and horses.

After the first year of this program, administrators at West Sedona Elementary School were so pleased that they found funds for teachers to bring CC! to every K-8 classroom.

The Arizona Rangers formed when Arizona was a territory. In the late 1800s they assumed the task of cleaning up banditry in areas without law enforcement, helping Arizona become a state. They received badges and swore to uphold the law, but had to provide their own horses and firearms. Today’s Arizona Rangers are volunteers; they still provide all their own equipment and uniforms, and they carry on the traditions of the Old West with their Stetsons and cowboy boots. They are trained as law enforcement support, and are dedicated to guiding and supporting the youth of their communities.