Gang life abounds in South Central Los Angeles, but Romy Vasquez’s leadership calls boys in the area to a different kind of gang. That’s the khaki-clad group of do-gooders known as the Boy Scouts.

Scoutmaster Romualdo Vasquez Peña III (Romy, to his Scouts) is instilling Scouting pride in young people who have a lot at stake. Their choices to don Boy Scout uniforms mark their deviation from the paths many boys in the city traverse.

Romy’s dedication to helping the boys raise money for Scouting activities, find pride in their uniforms, reach for the Eagle Scout rank, and avoid trouble in South Central has been recognized before in an Esquire feature on BSA National President Dr. Robert M. Gates. Most recently, however, NPR’s “All Things Considered” featured Romy’s quest to help youth as part of its series “50 Great Teachers.”

Listen to the story below or check it out on NPR.