Summer 2016 fun at KidWorks: Our youngsters artworks tells the story

Hundreds of children and youth had a tremendous summer at KidWorks.  From July 5 through Aug. 12, students in grades kindergarten through 12 participated in “The Island”-themed activities that filled those long summer days while also keeping their minds stimulated so they were “ready to go” when school started again.

Our elementary and middle school students engaged in challenging games, faith-building bible lessons, creative craft making, field trips and other fun activities.

The high school students participated in our Leadership Academy, which for years has helped prepare them for higher education after high school and successful careers.  These students experienced mentoring, company site visits to learn about the work world, character development and service opportunities.

We asked a few of your younger students to create crayon drawings so they can share their summer experience with you.  We hope you enjoy their original artwork!

"Summer is the best; summer is a lot of fun!"

"My favorite part of summer was the beach."

"My favorite part of summer was the beach."

"My favorite part of summer was going to the park."

"My favorite part of summer was eating food! YAY food!"

"My favorite part of summer was playing at the beach."

Calvary Church creates a summer to treasure for KidWorks students

One of the most well-known and beloved verses in the bible is Matthew 6:21:  “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

This powerful message was brought to life this summer for our kindergarten through fifth grade students by Calvary Chapel’s Iglesia La Puerta Church.

Pastor Armando Reyes and 15 Iglesia La Puerta church members—including youth and adults—led the vacation bible study that took place the final week of our summer program.  The church also hosted a fun day for neighborhood families on the Sunday following the conclusion of our summer program.

“Our youngsters absolutely loved the volunteers and the way they creatively made this bible verse relevant to their lives,” says Noemi Juarez, KidWorks’ Director of After School Programs.  “The church volunteers told stories to the kids, helped then make crafts and even shared fun snacks that related to our ‘The Island’ summer theme.”

Noemi said that the students learned that treasurers are not just material items, but more importantly the people, faith and values that they hold dear in their hearts.

Noemi also thanked Teen Challenge for leading a similar bible study activity at our Bishop Manor satellite center and the Christ Before You Ministry organization for a fun beach day they hosted for students attending summer programs at our Cedar Evergreen Center.


By Glenn Leibowitz, Volunteer Content Writer

Sails Are Up and Our Kids Are Off!

Summer is coming to a close and what a better way to finish it up than learning how to sail! Our KidWorks youth spent a week in Newport Beach learning to sail; they learned more than how to sail a boat. Sailing empowers youth by teaching them skills like teamwork, leadership, communication, and critical thinking in a fast-paced environment. 

Here are some photos of our week on the sea! Big thank you to our instructors for the week, Debbie and Grace. We learned so much from you!