By Ryan Kirk, Senior Program Director
I hope that this letter finds you all doing well. As 2011 is coming to a close, it is hard to believe that we have almost completed another calendar year at Kaleidoscope. Earlier today I was talking with a volunteer about how much has happened and changed around Kaleidoscope in the past twelve months. It’s particularly difficult for me to believe because I have only been at Kaleidoscope for a little over a year now, but it feels like much longer.
Perhaps the biggest change that we’ve undergone in the past couple of months is the change to our space. For those of you who haven’t had the opportunity to visit lately, Kaleidoscope has given up two of its rooms to an incoming day-care, Southside Neighborhood Services. It hasn’t always been an easy transition with moving our office, losing a classroom, and other adjustments, but it has been an incredible experience to meet and work with another excellent agency focused on youth development. With Southside and Kaleidoscope in the same wing of the Center for Changing Lives, students can now receive services from birth through high school.
There is so much going on; it’s hard to sum up in one letter. Over the past year Kaleidoscope has seen many new students, new staff, new board members, and new volunteers. We’ve also brought in new partners to work with, and have become a United Way organization. This year, our After School Kids program is bringing in a host of new opportunities for our students. We have partnered with Free Arts of Minnesota to bring high-quality arts education to our students, and have tied that into many of our themes. We will be working with Hennepin County to educate our students about the importance of recycling and use of natural resources. We have started a mentoring partnership with Augsburg Fairview Academy, a charter high school. Together with Ebenezer and MacPhail we are working on a multi-generational music project. And these are just a couple of the projects that are enhancing our students’ experiences at Kaleidoscope.
Even with all of the changes, though, there are many aspects of Kaleidoscope that remain constant. Students still come first. I am consistently impressed by the great example they are capable of setting for others. And even though the faces may change, the staff at Kaleidoscope will always be around to create a safe and caring environment for our students to grow and thrive in. We still offer excellent academic programming and homework assistance to our students. It’s still our goal to provide every student with the tools they need to be successful in a changing world.
Looking back, it has been a very successful year. Since I came to Kaleidoscope just over a year ago, we have served 212 students, completed yet another successful school year and summer program, and have made a significant difference in the lives of our students and families. Although we are a small organization, we are making a huge impact in south Minneapolis. It’s been one of my greatest pleasures to get to know not just the students, but the families, friends, donors, and volunteers of Kaleidoscope. As always, it is all about the students, and our students here are truly amazing.
