On October 4, the Kids to Kids club had their first meeting of the year in the theatre. The club at the Academy is run by co-presidents Katie Acken and Alexa McCarus, and moderated by Ms. Ameres. Kids to Kids is an organization where children with special needs are able to incorporate a multitude of activities into their lives and develop lifelong skills. It promotes inclusivity and helps the parents of the children in the program. This organization was originally founded 10 years ago by Mackenzie and Ryan May. She was deeply impacted by her brother’s struggle and success despite his autism and started the organization. The organization and variety of programs have grown rapidly since then. The programs in Kids to Kids are maintained by mentors and volunteers who dedicate their time to helping these kids. “It allows friendships to be formed between the mentors and the kids along with their families,” mentions co-president, Katie. There are many programs in the organization; some examples include art, taekwon-do, yoga, golf. The list goes on to a total of eleven programs in the organization. There is an estimate of about 5-20 kids in each program. Alexa McCarus shares her experience in the organization, “I was in the swimming program and I was partnered with a girl with cerebral palsy and by the end of the six months we were together, she could swim.” The volunteers are able to choose the amount of hours and what program they want to participate in every week. There is no set amount of hours you must complete, but the organization does track your hours. If you obtain enough hours you can be rewarded with a volunteer certificate from the President of the United States and a medal of honor. “You don’t have to be great at anything to help these kids,” says Alexa, “you just need to be positive and happy.” 

Works Cited

“Mentoring Special Needs Kids.” Kids To Kids, https://www.kidstokids.us/.