Avalon Elementary School students smiles light up upon seeing their new books. Photo by Jill Seitz

First graders are thrilled with Golden Books as the looks on their faces show. Photo by Mary Bryan

Thank you to all who donated books, to the teens who are volunteering to make this happen!

K is for Kids is blessed with the BEST collection ever

and we are sharing the books with students of all ages

in over 28 Collier County schools

plus children served by local nonprofits

– in south Lee County too!

Special thanks go to…

Patrons of Barnes & Noble Booksellers at the Waterside Shops,

Students & families of From the Heart Teen Fashion Festival,

Publix at The Strand,

The Herman Agency,

Authors Juliana Howard, Ellen Myer, Lisa Fleming,

Rhonda Brazina and Ida Margolis, and Dottie Withrow,

Rodan & Fields – Mona Matson,

Madisyn Campbell, a seventh grade student who also attends Gulfview Middle, placed first in the multiple word category with her playful interplay of prose and art in “Ladybug.”

Fiery “Love” catapulted Andrezione “Dre” Perry, a 6th-grader at Gulf view Middle School into first place in the “Power of the Word” Art Exhibition’s single word category.

Second place in both categories were two seventh grade Manatee Middle School students, Briana Zacarias, who also won the Teens Choice award for her piece “Color”, and Jessica Mayorcia, for “Dance in the Rain.”

Sponsored by K is for Kids Foundation in partnership with the Fine Arts Department of Collier County Public Schools, the Naples Art Association of the von Liebig Art Center, and Collier County Parks and Recreation, the Power of the Word Traveling Art Exhibition offered middle school students a unique opportunity to visually express the power of words and the importance of reading.

Winners received prize ribbons and art supplies so they may continue to hone their talents at home, while the two top winners also received a $75 Earth and Fire Pottery gift certificate each. For the complete list of students in the show, click here.  

The Vineyards Community Center is located at 6231 Arbor Boulevard in Naples and is open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. and on Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.  For more information call (239) 353-9669 or K is for Kids Foundation at (239) 596-KIDS (5437).

Click here to read:  NewsRelease_FieryLoveWins_ArtContest_Winners_2013

Or you can click the picture at left or here to watch the video on YouTube

Behind the scenes, it is adult mentors like Kelly Wilson, Business Teacher at Barron Collier High; Donna Matthews, show consultant at Southwest Florida Modeling Agency; and Karen Clawson, founder of K is for Kids Foundation, who see the teens’ long hours of volunteering (albeit mixed with healthy doses of fun with friends) and how their efforts have reaped positive rewards for other students: creating a program rich with experience and full of joyful memories for children of all ages.

Link here to read their story, one that will have many parents and grandparents beaming with pride:

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2013/mar/10/k-is-for-kids-puts-together-sophisticated-in/

Below, one of the photos featured in today’s Naples Daily News Neapolitan (page D6).

Jordan Blanke, a local preschooler and the youngest model in the From the Heart Teen Fashion Festival, shows summer fashions from Gigi’s Children’s Boutique at the Mercado. Photo by Gavin Vary, FGCU intern.

http://naples.floridaweekly.com/news/2013-03-07/Opinion/K_is_for_Karen_champion_for_childrens_reading.html

Karen Clawson, Founder and Executive Director of K is for Kids Foundation, a volunteer role she passionately serves. Photo by Madisyn Andrea, Gulf Coast High School student and photographer for K is for Kids 2010-11.

The teens hit several important milestones for the Foundation this year, and brought their signature events under the umbrella of their February fun’raising – the “Bring a Book, Bring a Friend” for Children’s Literacy Month.

Read their story in the Collier Citizen at naplesnews.com.

More beautiful photos – by our student photographers, of course! – can be seen on our Facebook page at www.facebook.com/kisforkids.  Please be sure to click “like” on our Facebook page to show you’re a fan of K is for Kids!

Photos by Caitlin Vaughan, student at Barron Collier High School.  

To see more pictures, go to http://www.kisforkids.org/news/top-stories/big-rig-books-helps-k-is-for-kids-launch-literacy-month/ and our facebook page.

“Those who fought, flew and fired arms amongst men: Joan of Arc, Amelia Earhart and Annie Oakley; each appeared gutsy, fearless and fervent in their mission.”

A video and radio portrait of each MAKER, including Clawson, will be posted at http://news.wgcu.org/programs/women-who-make-southwest-florida starting on Feb. 26.

MAKERS: Women Who Make Southwest Florida was inspired PBS national project makers.com. Twenty-one women were chosen from over 200 nominees.  WGCU HDTV will air the national PBS special MAKERS: Women Who Make America Tuesday, Feb. 26 @ 8 pm.

Read Clawson’s write up here and what the testimonials others have posted about her on WGCU news.

Link here to read more about the behind-the-scenes program at WGCU in the Naples Daily News.

The event is hosted each year by K is for Kids’ student leaders as part of the Foundation’s “Bring a Book, Bring a Friend” for Children’s Literacy Month.