Inner city kids and children with disabilities dream of a better world




CAPTAIN ADVENTURE—Jonathan Dunker turns a simple walk into a learning opportunity during one of the outings he hosts for underprivileged  and  disabled  children.  Dunker's  organization, Learning Through Doing Adventures, provides eight camp days each summer, but the tough economy has hindered his efforts.

CAPTAIN ADVENTURE—Jonathan Dunker turns a simple walk into a learning opportunity during one of the outings he hosts for underprivileged and disabled children. Dunker’s organization, Learning Through Doing Adventures, provides eight camp days each summer, but the tough economy has hindered his efforts.


Agoura Hills resident Jonathan Dunker makes summertime a little happier for underprivileged kids and children with disabilities.

Dunker is the founder of Learning Through Doing Adventures (LTDA), an organization which benefits homeless children. Dunker works with the School on Wheels Downtown Learning Center in Los Angeles to offer field trips, outdoor education and other learning opportunities to homeless children and teens living in Skid Row and other areas of Los Angeles. Programs for socioeconomically disadvantaged kids in the Conejo Valley and for children with disabilities are also offered through the group.

Dunker said participants in this year’s program included children living in Many Mansions’ transitional housing in Thousand Oaks and families struggling to stay financially afloat in their homes at Seminole Springs Mobile Home Park in Agoura, as well as youths from Skid Row.

LTDA’s summer program offered eight camp days in June and July, Dunker said. On July 17, youths were treated to Vocational Awareness Day and a trip to the beach. Thirty children went to Geoffrey’s restaurant in Malibu to learn about the restaurant business, then to Leo Carrillo State Beach.

Jeff Peterson, owner of Geoffrey’s, and Dunker launched Vocational Awareness Day several years ago, giving kids the chance to eat “in a fancy restaurant,” while learning about the various job opportunities available.

Dunker said one of the most memorable moments of that day came when a sixth-grade student asked Chef Bijan Shackleford what he liked most about his job.

“What better job can you have than being able to play with food, knives and fire,” Shackleford said, which apparently thrilled the young guests.

During Vocational Awareness Day, Geoffrey’s staff members, including maitre d’s, chefs, event coordinators, waiters, busboys and Peterson himself, speak to the children about different aspects of their jobs. Dunker said the idea is to show children that there are a variety of jobs in every industry.

The weak economy has hampered Dunker’s plans for young campers. The charity has been operating on onesixth of the proposed $300,000 yearly budget, he said. Over the year, the charity operated through volunteer efforts only, he said.

“Our goal was to have a large camp this summer and provide scholarships to the majority of campers,” he said. “That was not possible since we did not receive grant or individual donations to cover costs. Nonetheless, we wanted to volunteer time and effort to provide something fun and memorable for youth this summer, especially with summer school being cut in the Los Angeles Unified School District.”

Over the past year, his organization has developed and implemented a “life experience and athletics program for youth without permanent homes,” he said. Dunker and his volunteer force have taught children to swim and surf in the summer and ice skate in the winter. He also leads nature hikes in the Santa Monica Mountains, something children living in the inner city often can’t experience.

Dunker’s organization partnered with Heart in Education and Barry’s Tickets, charities that help children, to treat kids to a Los Angeles Clippers basketball game. Later in the year the Clippers hosted a clinic for kids in the LTDA programs and surprised them with another basketball game.

The sports program also brought children to a U.S. Men’s Olympic Water Polo Tournament.

“Coach Terry Schroeder of Westlake spoke . . . and then played a game with the kids and Olympic coaches (and) players,” Dunker said.

The organization offers programs for children with disabilities. Malibu resident Darbe Nokes said she has two children participating in the summer programs. While her autistic child has enjoyed a variety of camp experiences, she said the biggest benefit of the camp is for children with no particular learning problems or physical ailments. Her 9-year-old son, Joe, attends Mariposa Elementary School, an alternative school in the Las Virgenes Unified School District, and has learned to accept children with disabilities, a philosophy that carries over into summer camp.

“The beautiful thing about working with Jonathan is that he doesn’t see (people) as having disabilities,” Nokes said. “He sees their hearts.”

Dunker believes his camps help children and families alike.

“These kids have enough adversity in their lives. . . . To offer hope and (the) opportunity to enjoy childhood is priceless,” he said.

For more information on LTDA, visit the website www.learningthroughdoing adventures .org.

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