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When she was five years old, Julie (Juliana) Villanueva first stepped into a KidWorks’ classroom as a preschool student. Now a freshman business major at Orange Coast College, Julie overflows… Continue Reading
KidWorks summer theme is “Celebrate” in conjunction with KidWorks 30th anniversary and Rexford Industrial brought the party to a whole new level.
Their energetic employees from the Rex for Good program decorated our centers in time for the start of summer. The colorful decorations set the tone for a party-like atmosphere.
KidWorks summer programs provide students with fun and meaningful experiences designed to expand their worldview and build their confidence. Students look forward to summer programs all year.
“The team from Rexford was fun and engaging. Their service provided huge time savings to KidWorks program staff and their work set the tone for an amazing summer.” said Abigail Moore, Donor Relations & Outreach Manager at KidWorks.
KidWorks provides meaningful opportunities for corporations, churches and civic groups of all sizes to partner with our students. Volunteering together will make a positive impact on employee morale while meeting your company’s corporate social responsibility goals.
Engage your corporation with KidWorks :
abigail.moore@kidworksoc.org
Phone: (714) 834-9400 x129
Engage your corporation with KidWorks :
abigail.moore@kidworksoc.org
Phone: (714) 834-9400 x129
| 1902 W. Chestnut Ave, Santa Ana, CA 92703 | |
It may be summer, but KidWorks is busy preparing for the start of the school year. KidWorks School Supply Drive is designed to equip local youth with the needed resources to help them succeed at school.
Whether you purchase supplies from a local store or purchase them directly from Amazon, you can make a huge difference in a student’s academic success.
Thank you to for walking alongside KidWorks students in support of their academic school year.
Questions:
abigail.moore@kidworksoc.org
Phone: (714) 834-9400 x129
Over six hundred people joined together on June 1 in Santa Ana to celebrate KidWorks’ 30th anniversary—remembering what began as a small summer Bible study class in 1994 and grew into the KidWorks of today.
Three decades later, KidWorks now welcomes 1,000 students from preschool through high school each week to three centers operating in central Santa Ana.
The June 1 celebration was held at Jerome Park, located a few blocks from our main Dan Donahue Center.
The free event featured elected officials and their representatives, special guests, live music, refreshments, food trucks, carnival games, a bounce house, a Zumba exercise session and more.
Especially poignant was the presence Larry and Jayme Acosta, who launched KidWorks from what began as that Bible study class for children and youth so many years ago.
“We parachuted into low-income, high-density apartment neighborhoods where we really had no community connections at all,” Larry recalled in an interview last year. “We knew we needed to have roots in these neighborhoods in order to be accepted and trusted, especially since at the time these areas were plagued by gangs, violence and drug dealing.”
He recalls, “In 1993 there was no way Jayme and I could ever have dreamed that an eight-week pilot program would have grown into the KidWorks we see today.”
In his remarks to attendees at Jerome Park, Larry said, “Jayme and I could have never imagined what God had in store for KidWorks. He is still at work blessing the organization. We continue to boldly and confidently pray for a bright KidWorks future.”
David Benavides, KidWorks’ Chief Executive Officer, expressed his gratitude to all who have supported KidWorks over the decades.
“Thank you to the community for allowing us to walk with you for 30 years,” David said. “Today, we acknowledge the many community pillars joining us who have shown their love for KidWorks and our mission. Together we’ve done so much, but we’re just getting started. Imagine what we can accomplish together over the next 30 years.”
Among those joining family, friends and alumni at the June 1 celebration were Richard Santana, representing Orange County Supervisor Vincente Sarmiento; Gabriella Lemus, representing U.S. Representative Lou Correa; and Tina Arias Miller, representing Assemblymember Avelino Valencia.
Also attending were KidWorks Board of Directors members Marco Angulo, Scott Homan, Steven Miranda and Erika Sanchez, plus Ava Steaffens, former KidWorks senior leader.
We also thank In-N-Out Burger for providing a free meal to the first 100 guests.
Please enjoy these photos and videos from the event.
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
Celebrate KidWorks Class of 2024 at our annual Night of the Stars. We will provide more details as the event draws closer.
For more information, contact:
analisa.camacho@kidworksoc.org
Leslie never viewed herself as creative, until enrolling in a digital photography class at KidWorks through KidWorks University. “Every assignment is a fun challenge,” she shared, “I love experimenting with my camera. Not every photo is perfect, but I keep playing.”
Photography is providing Leslie with a new outlook. It has also taught her patience and persistence. “I can shoot the same object several different ways, and every camera angle provides a different perspective. Life is a lot like that,” Leslie observes.
This is the first time KidWorks offered a digital photography class and the youth had a blast taking pictures around KidWorks.
Students learned basic digital photography concepts including the rule of 3rds, camera angles, depth perception and editing.
Leslie’s favorite assignment was photographing toys in the preschool classroom. “It made me feel like a big kid” she laughed.
Some students practiced on their phones while others preferred tablets. “There is so much to learn. I never knew my phone could take such amazing pictures,” commented Rodrigo.
The goal of the class was to teach students to help find beauty in the every day and to engage with the world around them.
Digital photography is just one of the KidWorks University workshops KidWorks students can participate in. It allows students to discover new talents and pursue their passions.
Kidworks University classes are led by volunteers and can be in a variety of fields including Arts, STEM, and sports.
The path to college is ever-changing and can be challenging to navigate. Many KidWorks parents are helping their children prepare for college but may not have attended college themselves.
Thanks to our partnership with KidWorks board member Erika Sanchez and the support of Concordia University, we were able to send a group of KidWorks parents and students to attend their seventh annual Hispanic Leadership Conference, a forum focused on preparing 1st generation Latino students for higher education.
Concordia describes the no-cost event as “inspiring community college and high school students to pursue academic goals for a bright future. The purpose of this event is to help attendees navigate the path to college. The conference offers a toolkit of educational resources about college majors, financial aid, as well as inspiring first-generation speakers, industry professionals and a keynote.”
The conference included breakout sessions and an information fair. The university also provided, free transportation to and from the event for our parents and students.
Overall, 245 students and 30 parents attended from throughout Southern California. The conference was open to all high school and community college students, along with parents.
The event aligns perfect with our own College & Career Success Initiative™ (C&CSI). The initiative prepares first generation college students for higher education beyond high school.
KidWorks thanks the staff and leadership at Concordia for producing such an impactful conference. We also express our gratitude to Erika Sanchez, Project Director of Hispanic Serving Institutions at the university. She is a KidWorks alumnus and former team member.
One of the event panelists was David Benavides, KidWorks’ Chief Executive Officer. He spoke about his own journey and the important role education played in his life and career.
The event also featured a discussion that included four KidWorks parents as panelists. They shared their experiences as parents of college students/graduates. Attendees said their comments provided meaningful insight, encouragement and guidance.
Both our parents and students expressed how valuable they found the event to be.
Gloria Servin, parent: “It was helpful having a conference geared towards preparing 1st generation Latino students for college. The workshops left us thinking about our children’s future and well-being. Yasmin is my oldest daughter and I want her to attend college someday. These types of opportunities have really helped me believe that college is part of my children’s future. I thank everybody who made this conference possible.”
Liliana Flores: parent: “I’m very glad I had the opportunity to attend the conference because I learned about ways I can support my children as they get ready to go off to college or a university. These types of talks and opportunities make going to college more attainable and reachable for our children. Thank you very much for these types of events and opportunities.”
KidWorks 10th grader Santiago gave the event high marks: “Attending the Concordia conference helped me see that Latinos can change the world.”
We are confident that many successful higher education careers will be launched thanks to Concordia University’s Hispanic Leadership Conference. KidWorks congratulate them on such a successful and meaningful event.
By Glenn Leibowitz, volunteer writer
To celebrate our 30th anniversary, KidWorks is hosting a community-wide celebration on Saturday, June 1, 2024, from 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, at Jerome Park in Santa Ana. The event will feature live music and performances, inspiring speakers, local food trucks, carnival games, and activities for children.
If you have any questions about the event, please don’t hesitate to contact my associate Jacquelynn Hernandez at jacquelynn.hernandez@kidworksoc.org
Celebrate Valentine’s Day with your favorite K-5 students at Kidworks. We will have games, crafts, dancing and fun for students and volunteers.
To learn more about volunteer opportunities e-mail Vanessa@kidworksoc.org
Celebrate our littlest learners as they graduate from preschool and head off to Kindergarten. Separate celebrations will be held for each class. To learn more e-mail idalia.galdamez@kidworksoc.org.
Join KidWorks parents as they come together to learn leadership skills and plan for the future of KidWorks. For more information please contact sonia.rios@kidworksoc.org for more information.
