Creative Kids Programs
Art Therapy and Arts Programs
Creative Kids was traditionally founded as a way for children who might be going through a difficult time to express themselves in a fun, creative atmosphere. Over the years, youth volunteers have taught art to children at various shelters, orphanages, latch-key programs, hospitals, cancer centers, schools and rec centers. Recently, the program has been expanded to reach children who are undergoing physical, speech or food therapy, as part of their therapy experience. Children may be given parts of a project for completing portions of their therapy, and can assemble the project at the end of a successful session.
Creative Kids was traditionally founded as a way for children who might be going through a difficult time to express themselves in a fun, creative atmosphere. Over the years, youth volunteers have taught art to children at various shelters, orphanages, latch-key programs, hospitals, cancer centers, schools and rec centers. Recently, the program has been expanded to reach children who are undergoing physical, speech or food therapy, as part of their therapy experience. Children may be given parts of a project for completing portions of their therapy, and can assemble the project at the end of a successful session.
Art Kits
Many of the children that Creative Kids reaches out to are unable to work with volunteers due to sickness or other circumstances. Since 1999, Creative Kids has provided art kits -- individually packaged art projects, containing the supplies necessary to make one craft -- to children's hospitals all throughout Florida, as well as many across the country, and to children's cancer centers and other organizations. These kits are most often created by Creative Kids' youngest volunteers. Many Girl Scout troops, elementary school classes, and youth chapters of Creative Kids have worked hard to create interesting projects, find the supplies, adhere to a small project budget, and assemble the kits for delivery.
Many of the children that Creative Kids reaches out to are unable to work with volunteers due to sickness or other circumstances. Since 1999, Creative Kids has provided art kits -- individually packaged art projects, containing the supplies necessary to make one craft -- to children's hospitals all throughout Florida, as well as many across the country, and to children's cancer centers and other organizations. These kits are most often created by Creative Kids' youngest volunteers. Many Girl Scout troops, elementary school classes, and youth chapters of Creative Kids have worked hard to create interesting projects, find the supplies, adhere to a small project budget, and assemble the kits for delivery.
Headbands from the Heart
(Taylor-made for you)
Board member Kelly Diaz and her daughter Taylor have started this new project, creating bright and beautiful flower headbands for young girls fighting cancer. The Diaz family and Creative Kids volunteers are hand-crafting each headband and will take them to Bay area children's cancer centers for girls undergoing treatment. We are so excited for this special program.
(Taylor-made for you)
Board member Kelly Diaz and her daughter Taylor have started this new project, creating bright and beautiful flower headbands for young girls fighting cancer. The Diaz family and Creative Kids volunteers are hand-crafting each headband and will take them to Bay area children's cancer centers for girls undergoing treatment. We are so excited for this special program.
Confidence for Communicating
Emily Sasso started this program that is designed to help young people gain or improve their self-confidence through mastering the art of public speaking. The curriculum is designed to teach participants the basic components of an effective speech through various speech exercises, art projects, and vocabulary lessons. Students learn how to give impromptu (unplanned) speeches, as well as longer prepared speeches. They also learn how speech and confidence can play a huge role in their lives. Many of the Confidence students also participate in giving back to the community by helping to create art kits for Creative Kids. Confidence for Communicating is partnered with the Boys & Girls Club and is being expanded through the state of Florida. Recently, we created a manual for graduates of the course to learn how to then teach the course to other students.
Other Empowerment & Outreach
Creative Kids has led the charge on a large number of programs and outreach efforts over the years. Some youth leaders have taught empowerment workshops designed to help young people learn how they can make a difference in their community. For a number of years, Allison Sasso ran the Backpack Project, collecting hundreds of backpacks and working with at-risk juveniles to fill them with important necessities, basic toiletries and letters of support. The backpacks were then delivered monthly to emergency youth shelters for children who had been removed from their homes for reasons of abuse or neglect and had not been given the time to collect their belongings.
Other youth leaders have taught theater workshops, cheerleading and sports camps, and have done extensive "drives" to collect gently used clothing, school supplies, canned goods, and even pennies (enough to make a mile of pennies) for charity. Some children at one shelter worked on a chair-painting project; some of the chairs were auctioned off for charity and others were placed in kids' hospitals to bring cheer. Because Creative Kids is in the hands of its youth leaders, the outreach efforts are endlessly giving, unique and truly heartfelt. Creative Kids volunteers have spanned generations of siblings, elementary to high school groups, and every corner of the community.
Other youth leaders have taught theater workshops, cheerleading and sports camps, and have done extensive "drives" to collect gently used clothing, school supplies, canned goods, and even pennies (enough to make a mile of pennies) for charity. Some children at one shelter worked on a chair-painting project; some of the chairs were auctioned off for charity and others were placed in kids' hospitals to bring cheer. Because Creative Kids is in the hands of its youth leaders, the outreach efforts are endlessly giving, unique and truly heartfelt. Creative Kids volunteers have spanned generations of siblings, elementary to high school groups, and every corner of the community.