07/15/2026
Explorer Academy – Day 4 Recap!
Day 4 took our Explorers beyond the academy walls and out into the field for a full day of hands-on training at several outstanding law enforcement training facilities throughout the region.
Our Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 Explorers rotated through crime scene investigations, defensive tactics, and fi****ms training, gaining valuable experience and building the foundational skills that every future law enforcement professional needs. It was an action-packed day filled with learning, teamwork, and plenty of opportunities to challenge themselves.
Our Level 4 Explorers also spent time on the fi****ms range, but they had an extra opportunity to look ahead at what's next in their journey. They visited the Eastern Missouri Police Academy, where they were able to sit in on an actual academy lesson block and experience firsthand what awaits them when they take the next step into a real police academy. It was an invaluable glimpse into their future and an experience they won't soon forget.
A huge THANK YOU goes out to our incredible partners who welcomed our Explorers and made today's training possible:
* Eastern Missouri Police Academy
* O'Fallon (Missouri) Police Department
* St. Louis County Municipal Police and Fire Academy
* The future Center for Advanced Skills Training in Law Enforcement (CASTLE) in St. Charles, where our Explorers got an exciting look at this impressive new facility that is still under construction.
We truly appreciate each of these agencies and academies for investing their time, expertise, and resources into helping develop the next generation of public safety professionals.
Of course, no day at Explorer Academy would be complete without room inspections! Today's surprise guest was everyone's favorite rule-following (or maybe not-so-rule-following) roommate... Teddy Bear. Inspectors found him completely tuned out, wearing headphones and apparently hosting his own private concert while the rest of the room should have been inspection-ready. Unfortunately, Teddy's musical performance couldn't distract from several rooms that were absolutely tossed after rule violations were discovered. Hopefully tomorrow everyone remembers that clean rooms—and maybe fewer teddy bear dance parties—make for much happier inspectors!
Another outstanding day is in the books, and our Explorers continue to learn, grow, and prepare themselves for careers in law enforcement. We can't wait to see what Day 5 has in store!
