Kid Power-DC
| WISH LIST
$100: 150 copies of
the Citizenship Workbook;
$500:
costumes and props for a student
theatre production;
$1000: supplies
for nutrition and fitness-based civics
project for 75 students at 3 schools
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According to the Civic Health Index, a steep decline in community
involvement – one indicator of a community’s health or lack thereof – is a
worrisome sign. And it is perhaps no surprise that at-risk kids, who know less than
they should about local history and have few contacts with the civic life of their
communities, are among the least engaged. Poor reading and critical thinking
skills, and lack of access to rich historical materials, all contribute to the problem.
Kid Power-DC works to close the gap, teaching fundamental skills while introducing students to a serious civics
curriculum. Through case studies, academic and creative exercises, and group activities, students acquire the
necessary tools to become real neighborhood advocates. Students in the KidCorps program operate a micro-finance
agency that makes loans to local youth business projects; aspiring artists use dance, poetry, filmmaking, visual arts,
and theater to tell community stories; and activists use their academic and artistic skills to organize neighborhood
improvement projects and social activities with seniors. Your civic engagement closes the circle!
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