Dear Friends,

Welcome to 2020 at KidWorks—which I’m tempted to write as 20/20 since it gives me a chance to share our “20/20 Vision.” We’re always evolving at KidWorks because our community's needs and opportunities are always evolving.  We have such wonderful opportunities in 2020, and KidWorks' 20/20 vision keeps focused on continuing, more strongly than ever, our mission that began in 1993. 

Our 20/20 vision for 2020 (and beyond) includes:

Program Success Strategies:  Everything we do is now focused on our newly announced Program Success Strategies.  The three key components are:

  • Personal development: Develop young people to have the confidence, values, social competencies and self-identity to reach their potential.

  • College and career readiness: Provide young people with a clear path and support toward higher education and a future career.

  • Leadership development: Help young people gain knowledge, compassion, and skills to give back to their community.

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After School Program Enhancements:  Like all of our programs, our after school programs develop learners and leaders who are “life-ready.”  Among the new ways we’re doing this are:

  • “Leadership in Me” curriculum:  KidWorks is the first program in the nation to pilot the Franklin Covey organization’s “Leader in Me” program in our preschool through 12th grade curriculum.  Franklin Covey is well-known for its “7 Habits of Highly Effective People” approach.

  • Literacy Partnership with the Boys & Girls Club of Philadelphia: We recently launched a new literacy program for our students in  grades kindergarten through fifth.  This is through a grant partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Philadelphia.  Each week, students will have a fun and engaging literacy lesson using the Boys and Girls Club curriculum that helps them recognize sight words, improve grammar and develop a love of learning. 

  • Expanded College Success Curriculum:  KidWorks has launched a new college prep curriculum for grades kindergarten through 12th, working with the Kahn Academy.  Each week, our students will have an age-appropriate lesson that introduces the concepts of higher learning. This program is a part of KidWorks College Success Initiative™  and allows us to start preparing for college at an earlier age.

  • Additional Youth Nights:  Our focus on developing youth continues by building on the success of our youth nights programs for middle and high school students.  Youth night activities include team building activities, service projects and developing their faith. 

  • New Classes and Workshops for Families:  We’ve expanded our parent involvement to include a parents’ leadership conference and ongoing "Raising Highly Capable Kids" classes.  These classes address some of the growing areas of interest of our families to provide guidance in the areas of college preparation, technology, substance abuse and mental health. 

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Development Outreach:  Income to fund our many programs and four centers  that serve 1,100 students weekly comes from various sources.  We’re continuing to expand our network of supporters through outreach to corporations, churches, foundations, individuals and other partnerships.

We have two new fundraising events including our Festival of Chefs and a Pickle Ball Tournament.

We see such wonderful opportunities in 2020, and KidWorks’ 20/20 vision keeps us focused on continuing the faith-based mission that began in 1993 and continues more strongly than ever today.  Thanks for walking alongside us on this incredible and ongoing journey as we venture into the next decade! 

With Gratitude,

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David Benavides,

KidWorks CEO/Executive Director