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3. Unmet Need
<br />KidWorks' three neighborhood -based community centers arc locatod in under-resourced and gong -active neighborhoods in SontftbURM &ices are
<br />most needed. As predicted in the beginning months of the pandomic, "for most students ... COVID-19 raises concerns related to danger, safety, and the
<br />need for protection. For others, the pandemic brings new grief, loss, and trauma, which may include increased risk for violence and abuse in the home.
<br />Many families will experience secondary adversities related to their isolation, economic hardship, and mtmet basic needs." (The National Child Traumatic
<br />Stress Network, 2020)
<br />Young people and parents at KidWorks are living through community trauma in a COVID-19 hotspot. For nearly the past two years, KidWorks staff
<br />members have been talking to families every day about their experiences of loneliness, anxiety, and depression. The pandemic has taken its toll on this
<br />community with countless sick and dying friends, family, neighbors, and co-workers. Parents have been anxious about keeping their families healthy and
<br />how to afford their basic needs. Students have been overwhelmed with keeping up with school work, especially when they had to do it virtually from
<br />crowded apartments with unreliable internet connection.
<br />"It is next -to -impossible to expect teaching and learning to occur in a crisis without attending to our emotions." (Christina Cipriano, Director of Research
<br />at the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence, 2020). Recognizing this, KidWorks has been committed to supporting the overall social -emotional wellness
<br />of young people. The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL), defines social emotional learning as "how children and
<br />adults ]earn to understand and manage emotions, set goals, show empathy for others, establish positive relationships, and make responsible decisions."
<br />The social and emotional wellness of young people is a significant concern for KidWorks, as neglecting the emotional health of young people will likely
<br />lead to deeper trauma that can impact brain development and future bebavlors. During the pandemic, KidWorks maintains a strong focus on helping
<br />young people and families develop their coping and communication skills in order to become more resilient than ever.
<br />4. Collaboration
<br />KidWorks' program model relies heavily on strategic partnerships to increase the breadth and depth of services for the youth and families served. The
<br />After School Program specifically partners with Bloom Foundation (social and emotional learning and peer mentorship for young women), Child
<br />Creativity Lab (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math -- STEAM workshops), Dragon Kim Foundation (music instruction), FranklinCovey
<br />Leader in Me (leadership development curriculum), Girl Scouts of Orange County, Ignite Leadership Program, Love in Music (music instruction), Meter
<br />Del High School (scholarships for private high school), MIND Institute (math promotion), PBS Socal (educational workshops and resources), Pure Game
<br />(soccer and character education), Search Institute (asset -based program assessments), Start Well OC, and Tilly's Life Center (mental health workshops for
<br />teens). KidWorks also partners withbusinesses such as BBVA, Edwards Lifesciences, Taco Bell Corporate, and Kingston Technologies to provide career
<br />exploration workshops, presentations, and job site visits for students.
<br />KidWorks' After School Program also collaborates with the Santa Ana Unified School District (SAUSD) and their new mental health team. This
<br />partnership ensures students receive timely support during a crisis or urgent need within their family. Mental health needs are the second most common
<br />reason for KidWorks to make referrals for additional services, number one is food and number three is for housing.
<br />In partnership with Community Action Partnership of Orange County and the Orange County Food Bank, KidWorks hosts mobile food trolley called
<br />"Clementine," Tbis provides KidWorks the opportunity to serve an average of 30 families each month with healthy foods, including fresh meats, fruits,
<br />vegetables, and dairy products.
<br />Through a collaboration with the Community Health Initiative of Orange County (CHIOC), KidWorks promotes healthcare coverage and other social
<br />services outreach and enrollment. CHIOC's health care navigators provide group and one-on-one education and enrolhnent services for families to help
<br />them access eligible health and social services benefits and programs.
<br />Lastly, Families Together of Orange County has become a new partner with KidWorks throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. This community health
<br />center has provided health information, COVID-19 testing, and vaccination services to the families at KidWorks. In addition, KidWorks has been able to
<br />refer families to the health center for their medical, dental, vision, and behavioral health needs.
<br />5. Innovation
<br />What makes KidWorks innovative is the pledge to walk alongside childrenand families from the time they enroll in preschool to when they finish their
<br />college education, "from Pre-K to B,A."
<br />KidWorks' community centers are located in challenged neighborhoods that, despite many negative statistics, are home to strong and hardworking
<br />families. KidWorks uses an asset -based approach to programminK providing a supportive environment to nurture the positive social and emotional
<br />development of individuals that affirm their identities and strengths, By helping young people develop positive relationships with their peers, parents, and
<br />KidWorks' staff and volunteers, students stay in school and on track for college.
<br />Over the past two years, KidWorks has partnered with leadership training pioneer, FranklinCovey, to bring a new and Innovative program to central Santa
<br />Ana called Leader in Me. KidWorks is the first After School Program in the nation to implement this curriculum. The program is transforming the
<br />approach of staff and parents to best support leadership development in young people. This powerful curriculum is based on the Seven Habits of Highly
<br />Effective People and has been used successfully in thousands of schools around the world. Leader in Me is helping students learn how to become self-
<br />reliant, take initiative, plan ahead, set and track goals, do their homework, prioritize their time, manage their emotions, be considerate of others, express
<br />their viewpoint persuasively, resolve conflicts, find creative solutions, value differences, and live a balanced life.
<br />Along this line of leadership development, KidWorks involves youth and parents in decision -making for the organization through youth and parent
<br />leadership councils. Two of the (homes for KidWorks this past year has been "Youth as Innovators" and "Parents as Partners." In the summer of 2020, the
<br />program staff led a series of Dream Sessions with youth and parents to inform program design and help staff understand the strengths, weaknesses,
<br />opportunities, and threats to the programming. This was particularly important as the organization was pivoting services to meet the new realities of
<br />programming during (tie pandemic.
<br />During these Dream Sessions, youth vocalized needing opportunities to socialize and connect with others outside their households, this provided
<br />necessary feedback to successfully launch KidWorks' virtual Youth Nights series. Parents talked about the importance of continuing to provide tutoring
<br />services to help their children complete school assignments. This inspired the creation of a Homework Hotline which has become the after -school
<br />program's most requested offering. As KidWorks includes youth and parents in the planning of its programming, the organization keeps young people
<br />engaged and further protected from the negative effects of living through a pandemic.
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