Community Begins Here
Community Begins Here is the cornerstone of values we teach our Kiddie Academy students. We begin to lay a foundation of understanding for the children by concentrating on specific actions they can take to instill character.
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– Compassion begins to develop in the first years of life and evolves over their lifetime. We help children begin their journey by focusing on the emotions of others and the feelings they themselves are experiencing.
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– Cooperation occurs when we combine our energies to work with others toward a common goal. With cooperation we can accomplish tasks more quickly than by ourselves. It also gives us a chance to get to know one another and build friendships. As children discover ways to cooperate with one another, they will find that working together can be exciting and rewarding.
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– Generosity is the act of giving or sharing what you have with others. It is not just about tangible objects, like toys. People can also be generous with their time and attention. Giving is a selfless act that benefits others and makes us feel good about ourselves.
Our family of academies put these values into action through many shared activities over the course of 2017 with a number of meaningful collection drives, giving campaigns, support for our troops and the communities affected by hurricanes.
Food, Coats and Toys
Our students, parents, teachers and corporate staff collected thousands of items to donate to food banks, shelters,community centers and Toys for Tots.
Natural Disaster Support
With support through out the Kiddie Academy community, we surpassed our goal of $75,000 to support the members of the Kiddie Academy community that was most affected by Hurricane Harvey. We achieved the goal with the final donation of $5,000 from Kiddie Academy of Cupertino, CA who raised money from their families and the Franchisee who matched those funds. We cannot express enough how generous our community had been during this difficult time and wish to thank everyone for their supportive words and donations.
Hurricane Maria Relief
Kiddie Academy of Brightwaters, NY collected donations for the Empire State Relief and Recovery Effort for Puerto Rico. Donations were dropped off at the Happauge Long Island drop off center. The academy also collected food items for Suburban Housing.
“Kiddie Academy has always supported Suburban Housing and it is so appreciated. No one should not have enough food, especially at Thanksgiving. Thank you everyone that contributed to Suburban Housing,” said Michele Beecher, education liaison at Suburban Housing Development & Research, Inc.
The Jared Box Project | John’s Hopkins Children’s Center
Kiddie Academy of Abingdon, MD dropped off 14 Jared Boxes at John’s Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore, Maryland. A Jared Box is a plastic storage box filled with gifts, toys, games and activities. Jared Boxes are given to children in the hospital to lift their spirits.
“Our 3 year old classroom chose this charity to focus on. They worked very hard to decorate and collect toys for the boxes,” said Jessica Brown, a teacher at Kiddie Academy of Abingdon.
Art Show for Save the Children
Kiddie Academy of Gaithersburg’s 2nd Annual Children’s Art Show and Charity Auction was a tremendous success. The Gaithersburg, MD academy raised over $900 at the charity auction for Save the Children!
“Our students had the opportunity to explore a variety of tools beyond the paint brush: spaghetti, dancing feet, ice cube letters, toys cars and so much more. They were introduced to a wide array of mediums as well, such as inks on Yupo, cooking oils mixed with acrylic paint, Kool-Aid and water, molding clay with wooden boxes, vinegar interacting with baking soda paint and glitter….the list goes on! Watching the children immerse themselves in each experience was a true joy for our staff and educators. We were all thrilled with the end results, where each work was unique and one-of-a-kind! Most important, highlighting details about the process and techniques made viewing the exhibits a true joy for all. We are grateful to our team of staff and parent volunteers, and our generous community who helped make this event possible,” noted Academy Director Stephanie Bradshaw.
Letters to our Troops
Dozens of local troops stationed abroad for the holidays received warm wishes from home and an extra dose of compassion thanks to the children at Kiddie Academy of Delran, NJ. Aligning with Kiddie Academy’s Character theme for the month of December, students learned about generosity and compassion by decorating greeting cards for American soldiers. Many students at this academy have a parent or family member in the military.
“I think the earlier they know to give back is best because it will help them to grow into better people,” said Teacher Elizabeth Biggs. 100 students dropped their messages into this mailbox throughout the day and the academy’s local postal carrier made a special pick-up for the cards mailed overseas.
200 Acts of Kindness, Giving Hands and 200 Hearts
From hugs, to helping friends build, to sharing toys and reading a story together, Kiddie Academy of Millersville, MD students practiced being kind and generous at the same time! Especially popular were the many smiles shared by all.
Kiddie Academy of Lewis Center spread holiday cheer by sponsoring children within our school for the holidays. Children built a helping hands tree as a a visual reminder of support for each other and visitors.
