“Building Readers and Leaders

K is for Kids® is a grassroots campaign led by Karen Clawson to help give kids in need more books to read and teenagers more opportunities to apply their leadership skills outside of the classroom.

The organization served as a nonprofit 501(c)3 for more than 11 years with Karen serving as its executive director or “Wizard of Oz” behind the scenes. K is for Kids donated thousands of books to children of all ages across Collier and south Lee Counties.

The foundation’s most popular youth leadership program was the annual K is for Kids Teen Fashion Show. The fun’raiser received very popular with students and received widespread community support. The benefited the foundation’s Readers & Leaders program. The teen fashion show was the only charity event held in Naples in season organized by students.  Karen served as the lead mentor for its handful of chairs and student leaders, 60-80 models, dozens of student volunteers, dozens of clothing retailers and donors. Kelly Wilson, a teacher at Barron Collier High School, served as the other mentor and the show was hosted on campus. 

The foundation’s top reading program was K is for Kids Rising Readers that distributed book awards recognizing children’s reading achievements through 31 schools in Collier County plus a handful of schools and nonprofits in south Lee County. K is for Kids’ Young Entrepreneur Scholarship Competition (popular referred to as the YES Comp) was held during the foundation’s last four years. On top of all of these exciting events for students, Karen and the teens held bi-annual book fairs at Barnes & Noble Booksellers in Naples, featuring guest authors and fun’raising activities for children.

In January 2019, Karen announced she had scaled back operations in order to “write the next chapter” for the organization. See the story here – https://www.kisforkids.org/news/k-is-for-kids-writes-new-chapter/

 Today Karen continues to promote K is for Kids’ cause via social media channels, volunteering, and public speaking, while guiding educators and students to alternative sources of funding. She also continues to offer mentoring and internships to high school and college students.

With focused efforts, K is for Kids continues to cultivate the skills kids need to be creative thinkers, adventurous problem solvers and visionary leaders. Reading and dreaming, learning and leading, creating and achieving: That’s K is for Kids!

The Story behind K is for Kids 

SUMMARY: The roots for K is for Kids were planted in 2001 when Karen’s children, Erin and Patrick, began second grade and Kindergarten at Laurel Oak Elementary School in Naples, Florida. Read the story here: https://www.kisforkids.org/news/k-is-for-kids-how-a-young-sister-and-brother-teamed-up-to-help-other-children-at-their-school/

The three soon began dreaming up ways to help other students at their school. Working closely with teachers, staff, families and the community, the Clawsons began to focus efforts on their annual Bring a Book, Bring a Friend Fun’raiser.

In 2007, with mounting requests from other schools and nonprofits for a fun’raiser benefiting their students too, the family expanded their efforts countywide. In 2007 Karen created K is for Kids Foundation and quickly gained nonprofit status. For the following eleven-plus years, K is for Kids donated thousands of books to children of all ages and helped thousands of students earn their community service hours critical for college scholarship, boost their resumes, and gain employment.

RETROSPECTIVE: K IS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION 2007-18

K is for Kids gives kids in need more books to read.  The foundation promotes literacy and fosters a love of reading in children of all ages, from toddlers to teens, by enriching their libraries at school and at home.

Partnering with media specialists and in collaboration with teachers and principals, book awards are distributed throughout the year through K is for Kids’ Rising Readers program to help encourage and recognize students’ reading achievements.

Members of Operation:Outreach also organize special story time and book giveaways at local nonprofits, like the Boys & Girls Club of Collier County.

Each spring, the foundation helps schools recognize their most avid readers with our end-of-year Top (Rising) Reader Book Awards. This community building program is popular with principals, teachers, media specialists, parents and, most of all, the young honorees themselves! At the end of the 2014-15 school year, K is for Kids honored more than 1,100 students in 29 schools across Collier County (with more in south Lee County) for being readers and leaders!

 

KIDS ARE LEADING:

Teens may serve in a variety of leadership roles, in internships, and as student spokespersons. Members of K is for Kids’ highest student leadership council, DOSA-Directorate of Student Agenda, may propose, create and manage programs to help spread our cause. DOSA is comprised of student presidents for Operation: Outreach or O2.

Operation: Outreach was launched by DOSA co-founders as a “ladder for leaders” program on high school campuses, with the motto “Climb higher. Help others.” Members are guided in in project and people management, giving them the chance to boost their resumes and build their portfolios while exploring their own personal mission in life.

College students have joined our cause to pitch in with helping hands, and/or serve as interns and advisors to the younger leaders.

Read more here or click on video below – http://www.kisforkids.org/news/fgcu-student-releases-video-teens-mission/

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K is for Kids gives high school students (as well as a handful of college students) nearing graduation more opportunities to earn community service hours, boost resumes, build portfolios and apply their skills outside of the classroom in a real-world setting while helping younger students have more books to read and more dreams to dream.

Student leaders wrap up their annual Teen Fashion Show with a preview of prom tuxedos and gowns. Seventy-eight models from 18 Collier County public schools and a handful from Lee joined dozens of volunteers. Student leaders organize and manage all aspects of the fun’raising event that promotes literacy and leadership amongst students of all ages.

All student volunteers have the opportunity to manage projects from concept to completion, developing skills in leadership and communication, utilizing entrepreneurial principles to reach their goals and creatively approaching challenges.

 

BRING A BOOK, BRING A FRIEND MONTH: Celebrate sharing books with friends during February’s “Bring a Book, Bring a Friend®” for Children’s Literacy Month when teen leaders host fun’raisers* to inspire kids to read more & dream more.

*Fun’raisers – Teens create fun with their friends “raising” books for children, while creating fun for the kids who will receive them!

 

Milestones

Students in over 56 schools and nonprofits benefited from K is for Kids’ readers and leaders programs!

College Student Advisory Council Established

K is for Kids top student leaders who have graduated and entered college may continue to serve in advisory roles to the foundation’s rising teen leaders, a testament to their passion for helping other students succeed in school and in life.  The students attend multiple universities across the States.

DOSA-Directorate of Student Agenda

 In 2013-14, student leaders revived the original Teen Advisory Team and Council under the new name DOSA or Directorate of Student Agenda.  These students may serve in full interships, focusing on business administration and communication. The students govern the mission and activities of ALL high school volunteers, serve as presidents of Operation:Outreach at their high schools, and as the event co-chairs of their signature fun’raising event, the annual Teen Fashion Show, the highlight event during the Bring a Book, Bring a Friend for Children’s Literacy Month in February.

Operation: Outreach – Ladder for Leaders program

“Climb Higher. Help Others”

Our student leaders never cease to amaze us: In 2013-14, they launched Operation:Outreach, offering a “Ladder for Leaders” for high school classmates. As the officers near graduation, they give a helping hand to the students who to take the lead the next year. In 2014-15, the club conservatively expanded to four high schools.  Click here for more:  http://www.kisforkids.org/about/o2-operation-outreach-officers/