K IS FOR KIDS FOUNDATION, INC.
NAPLES, FLORIDA

Our goals are to help feed students’ passion for reading by placing new books into the hands of children who need them most, and to give students nearing graduation from high schools more opportunities to apply their leadership skills outside of the classroom in a real world setting. With focused efforts, K is for Kids helps 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! 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. 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! 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/ 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. During its seventh fun’raising* season in 2014-15, our foundation’s cornerstones have been firmly set: Reading and dreaming, learning and leading, creating and achieving: That’s K is for Kids! 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.  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. “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:   Kids of all ages, from toddlers to teens, benefit from our programs throughout Collier County and in south Lee, too. We help educators encourage students to read more by placing more books into children’s hands – books that they can take home and keep (Rising Readers program), as well as books they can check out from their school libraries (Friends of the School Library).  K is for Kids also helps recognize the achievements of top readers, too, we book awards being given throughout the year. Students at Golden Terrace Elementary-Intermediate won the first Top Reader Book Awards of 2015 and were treated to a field trip to the Waterside Shops in Naples, enjoying lunch at California Pizza Kitchen before ending with a shopping trip to Barnes & Noble Booksellers! K is for Kids’ founder Karen Clawson continues to serve as Executive Director without compensation, saying it is her gift to the children, “The rewards helping kids realize their potential far outweigh any labor involved.” Devoted to the enrichment of children’s education and youth development, Karen’s volunteer efforts began in her children’s classrooms in 2001 and her community outreach helping students of all ages has continued to expand in scope and breadth each year. In 2014, Karen was one of the Women of Initiative by the Community Foundation of Collier County, an award that “honors ten local women leaders who, through their leadership styles, innovation, energy, and dedication of their time and talent, have helped change the face of their community and are an inspiration to all women seeking to make a difference through philanthropy and civic engagement”. CEO and owner of IntroubleZone Productions, a nationally recognized video production company, and SWFL Charity TV, Chuck Ardezzone is a seasoned actor with exceptional movie and television acting, producing and directing credits.