Tag: Partners

Digital Photography Provides New Perspective

Posted on by Beckie White

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.

Concordia University’s leadership conference inspires

Posted on by Ryann Smith

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

college & Career
parent resources

30th Anniversary Celebration

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

 

Cupid Carnival

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

Campus Crash

Campus Crash is designed to expose students to a real-life college experience that instills in them the belief and motivation that college can be their reality. Many KidWorks youth are the first in their families to graduate high school and continue on to college.  Learn more at kidworksoc.org

 

To learn more: e-mail brenda.trujillo@kidworksoc.org
To sponsor:  email abigail.moore@kidworksoc.org 

Preschool Tea Party

Preschool students dress in their Sunday best to dance, listen to stories, and learn about table manners during our annual Tea Party.   Volunteers help make this festive and formal celebration a creative and memorable way to learn.

ASP Reading Week

At KidWorks, reading week is a major celebration.  Each year, the KidWorks after-school program team puts together a special program to celebrate National Reading Week,  focusing on Dr. Seuss books and fun activities.

To get involved – contact noemi.juarez@kidworksoc.org