A rock n roll story

Check out this fantastic story about overcoming stage fright written by Richard Wolff, a PS 191 student and Kids Creative camper. Rockin guitars, great performances, confidence building and the Dirty Sock Funtime Band. Click on the images to read the story.

Kids Creative Happenings at PS 102 and PS 145?

UPDATES FROM PS 102 and PS 145

WHAT'S HAPPENING AT KIDS CREATIVE at PS 102 in EAST HARLEM?
by Rege Lewis, Site Director
As we reach Spring Break, the Kids Creative after school program at PS 102 is amazing! We are welcoming new students and after spring break, the Kids Creative high school apprentices will join the program. In Create-A-Play on Fridays, we are working on our scenes for the end of the year final performance. Group 1 will be telling the story of the Monkey and his helpful friends and Group 2 is creating scenes for American Teen Idol and an all American Girls only Sweet 16 Bash!In Create-A-Groove, we are working on the soundtrack and score for the Create-A-Play pieces and learning to play all sorts of coollllll instruments. In Create-An-Art Exhibit, we are working on African Dance and creating backdrops for the end of year final performance. Here are some of the artistic creations:



In other words, "EVERYTHING IS EVERYTHING AT PS 102...BECAUSE OUR KIDS ARE CREATIVE AND WE CREATE TRUTH"


THINGS ARE ROCKIN AT OASIS/KIDS CREATIVE at PS 145
by Aaren McKen, Site Director
On Tuesday April 7th & Wednesday April 8th, we will be having our first “Spring Reviews”. On Tuesday, the students will be performing their Create-A-Move dance pieces (Groups A, B, C, and E) and on Wednesday they will be performing their Create-A-Groove songs (Groups D and E). Our second set of previews will be Thursday May 7th. At this preview, the students will be performing their Create-A-Play drama pieces (Groups A, B, C, and E) and displaying their art work (Groups A, C, and E).

On Friday, the 12th of June, which will be our last day of after school, we will be having our “End of Year Show”. Stay tuned, we will have more details about the show when we get closer to the date!

Every other Friday is club day at Oasis/Kids Creative! We have 5 clubs: football, dance, chess, basketball, and adventure. The clubs are run by group leaders and instructors and the kids look forward to it every other Friday. On the Fridays when we don't have clubs each group works on their long term group projects. Group A is producing a puppet show that they will film and show at the end of year show. Group B is make a documentary "real world" style of the going ons in their group. Group C is building and filling a time capsule. Group D is making a slide show/ documentary. Finally, the kids of Group E are writing and illustrating a book about their lives.

Can't wait to see all of these creations!

In the meantime, check out these pictures for Catalog for Giving's Holiday Card contest:

Kids Creative Students Help Ring the NASDAQ Closing Bell

Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 3:50 PM. Kids Creative students, Kaydee and Manley, joined KC Executive Director Adam Jacobs and the Catalog for Giving at the closing bell of the NASDAQ Stock Exchange in Times Square. Both Kaydee and Manley have been in Kids Creative at PS 191 for 4 years and are now in the Kids Creative/Oasis after school program. Yesterday, they made their debut on National TV. Stay tuned to read Kaydee and Manley's perspective on the experience. Here are some pictures that we took. You can also see images and watch the video on the NASDAQ website by clicking here.

Outside NASDAQ with Kaydee, Manley, Catalog ED Sue Wyant and Adam

Manley and Kaydee outside NASDAQ. We were 40 feet tall on that amazing LCD screen!

The students from Kids Creative and the other Catalog for Giving groups
(visit www.cfgnyc.org to read about the other amazing groups the Catalog is supporting)

Manley, Kaydee and Adam in the TV studio.

Arriving at NASDAQ.

Before the event with PS 191 Parent Coordinator Damaris Carrion.

Before the event with Ms. Revron.

A little help with the tie.

Waiting to go into the studio.

Thank you letters from the students to James Nelson from the Catalog for Giving:

The KC Apprenticeship Program

Calling all Juniors and Seniors in High School

Apply for an apprenticeship with Kids Creative by March 16!!!!

Download an info packet and application here



This Spring, Kids Creative will be joining The After School Corporation (TASC) to facilitate the After-School Apprenticeship Program (ASAP). Kids Creative is looking for high school Juniors and Seniors with a passion for the arts, an aspiration to promote peace, interest in youth development and a desire to learn to take part in our Apprentice Program. Apprentices will receive training and first hand experience in using Kids Creative’s methods of community building through collaborative creation. They will receive a stipend of $280 as well as highly valuable job skills. Qualified Apprentices will be eligible for an opportunity to work as a paid intern at our summer camp. Our deadline for all applications is March 16th. For more information, or an application, please contact Sarah, the Apprenticeship Intern Coordinator, at sarah.pidgeon@kidscreative.org



OUR 8-WEEK TRAINING PROCESS
Saturday Trainings
Every Saturday, you will receive training led by our Director of Education and Apprentice/Intern Coordinator in topics covering:
• The basics of creating safe and peaceful environments for children
• Working with children in a summer camp setting
• Community building, problem solving, and conflict resolution
• Kids Creative’s Summer Safety Plan
• The basics of working in a Kids Creative classroom
• Using Kid’s Creative’s Rock ‘n Roll Curriculum to create a musical play and promote community

Hands-On, On-Site Learning
Each of our apprentices will also be assigned to work with a Teaching Mentor, one of our veteran teachers, during an after-school class once a week. They will get first hand experience working in our program, get a chance to utilize the skills they are learning in their trainings and receive mentoring by one of our master teachers.

Training Timetable
Monday-Friday, March 30th- April 3rd (one day this week) from 3:00-6:00PM
School Tours and Observation Week
• Apprentices take a tour of the school & observe their Teaching Mentor’s class one day this week.

Saturday, April 4th
Program Orientation
• All apprentices will engage in a program orientation

Monday-Friday, (one day each week) April 20th- June 5th from 3:00-6:00PM
Hands-On, On-Site Learning
• Apprentices engage in hands-on learning in their Mentor Teacher’s classroom once a week.

Saturdays, April 25th- June 6th from 10:00 AM - 4: 00 PM
Saturday Trainings
• All apprentices will engage in Kids Creative’s Rock & Roll Theater Teacher Training which will involve working with fellow apprentices to make your own musical play using Kids Creative’s teaching approach.

Monday-Saturday, June 8th -13th
Wrap Up Week
• Apprentices make up any time that they were missed
• Qualified apprentices will be invited to interview for paid summer internships

REQUIREMENTS
Personal Qualities
Apprentices must have the following personal qualities:
Be at least 16 years of age by July 2008
Have experience with supervising children & enjoy working with them
Have interest and experience in one or more forms of art and a love for the creative arts overall
Be responsible and self motivated
Display all of the qualities that we seek to instill within our students, such as confidence, creativity, an ability to resolve conflicts peacefully and a love for art.
Be able to improvise creative solutions in reaction to new developments or new information on the spot
Be confident expressing themselves creatively in front of children and can inspire children with their constant creativity
Be excellent team players
Know how to be silly, have fun with children, & not take themselves too seriously

Commitment
Apprentices must be able to commit to fulfilling the following requirements
• Must work with a Kids Creative Mentor Teacher during one of their after-school classes once a week for 8 weeks
• Must complete eight 6 hour Saturday training sessions
• Must be open-minded and respectful of their peers, mentors and instructors
• Must be a role model for the students at their site

HOW TO APPLY
Download an info packet and application here
To Apply
Fill out our application form
Have a teacher, counselor, supervisor or former employer fill out our Recommendation Form

Submitting Applications and Recommendation Forms
e-mail to: Sarah Pidgeon at sarah.pidgeon@kidscreative.org
OR
mail to: Kids Creative
25 Washington Street, Suite #411
Brooklyn NY 11201
OR
fax to: Sarah Pidgeon at (347) 487-3914

Application Time Table
Applications Due: March 16th
Acceptance Notification: March 20th
Program Enrollment Paperwork Due: March 30th

For more information please visit our website at kidscreative.org
Questions? Please contact our Apprentice and Intern Coordinator, Sarah Pidgeon at sarah.pidgeon@kidscreative.org




ABOUT KIDS CREATIVE
Kids Creative’s mission is to provide arts education programs in which children collaborate to create original works of art based on their own ideas. Our programs are designed to foster our 6 C’s of peacemaking in youth: Confidence, Creativity, Conflict Resolution, Community, Collaboration and Cookies (our “C” word to represent a fun experience). Our child centered, collaborative approach to arts education helps children realize their own individual creative potential and the power of a peaceful community working together to achieve common goals.

Kids Creative promotes peacemaking skills and values in a uniquely fun and engaging way. We offer unique programming that empowers youth to use their own ideas to create original artistic productions. This encourages creativity, bolsters confidence and allows them to take ownership over the process, providing intrinsic motivation for engagement in the collaborative process.

Working with our highly qualified teaching artists, our students find or create common threads that bind all of their ideas together, and turn their shared vision into a group project. Their experience working together to reach a common goal serves as the basis for community building.

Wow, these were some fun plays

Kids Creative's Fall/Winter Performance Season is coming to a close. Congrats to all of the participants and their amazing plays that took place over the last few weeks. Ohh, the intriguing stories, the absolute cuteness, the profound (sometimes hidden) messages that came out of the groups when they combined ideas. It was all there.
Thanks to the kids, families, and staff of PS 11, PS 87, PS 102, PS 145, PS 191/Hudson Honors Middle School, MSC and The Heschel School.
To read summaries of their plays, click here:
Below are pictures and a couple of videos. If you have any pictures you'd like to send us, please mail them to info@kidscreative.org.

CREATE-A-PLAY EXPRESS, A BRAND NEW SUMMER EXPERIENCE!!!

You asked for it, so here it is:
Create-A-Play Express (1st-5th Grades)--C-A-P Express is a 2-week C-A-P program where students work together to write and produce a short musical. We take the best parts of the Create-A-Play and condense them into a 2-week curriculum.

Session 1: July 6-17

Session 2: July 20-31

Session 3: August 3-16

For registration info, click here

Fall/Winter Final Peformances are HERE!!!!!

We know...the anticipation is almost too much to bear. But have no fear, the Fall/Winter 2008-2009 Kids Creative Production season is finally here.

Phewwww...

The plays began yesterday and run all the way through the second week of February. Scroll down to see the entire list of original plays, each with an entertaining story summary.


Each play listed below is written and performed by participants in Kids Creative after school classes,who range from Pre-Kindergarten through Eighth grade. ADMISSION IS FREE (though donations are always appreciated). RSVP to info@kidscreative.org and bring a picture ID for admission into the schools.
Special thanks to our program partners: Oasis, PS 11, PS 87 After School, MSC, PS 102, PS 145, PS 191/Hudson Honors MS, and Heschel

"THE TWILIGHT RESCUE FROM THE TV ZONE"
Wednesday, January 21, 4 PM
(Yes, this one already happened. It was awesome!)
The Heschel School,
89th Street between Broadway and West End

When TV GARAGE opens it's doors for business, some customers who will end up using their TV's for very unusual purposes. "Bob" loves TV so much that his friends and family decide to teach him a thing or two by forcing him into the TV, right into their favorite show "HEE HAW" starring a mischievous Donkey and a gang of troublemakers. When the TV show's plot centers around a wedding with no Groom, (sorry, "BROOM") Bob finds himself having to play the part himself. However, he's already married, and his wife wastes no time in spearheading a plot to get him out of TV land for good.

"THE ECONOMIC WOES OF KLEBTO AND THE LOVE BIRD FOES OF KLEPTO"

Friday, January 23, 2 PM (a double feature)
THE HESCHEL SCHOOL

A French tourist in New York takes a rotten bite out of the Big Apple when her camera is stolen by a charming local. However, the incident happens within a large crowd, where friends are made out of strangers, and 2 witnesses fall head over heels in love. But later, the loss of the tourist's camera drives her and her amis bien disposés into a fiendish plot of revenge, as they set out to destroy the love that was created at the scene of the crime. With the use of KLEBTO, a failing entertainment company run by mogul Tishonka and her hapless producing partner, Witco, they ALMOST succeed......

"THE TWISTED MYSTERY ADVENTURE OF THE COOL CANDY WIZARD AND THE KEY TO THE UNIVERSE, DUH...WHAT?"
Part 2 of the Heschel double feature

A little boy, teased for having big ears, steals the Key to The Universe. In the future, he uses the key to rule the world, but the Mrs. GnipGnops, who were initially accused of stealing the key, travel to the future to take the key back. They gather the J-Twins to help get the key back, but when they confront the Evil Wizard, he suggests they have a car race and the winner can keep the key. What will happen???? The Key to the Universe is held in the balance.

"THE WATER WAR"
Monday, January 26th, 4 PM
THE MANHATTAN SCHOOL FOR CHILDREN/PS 333
93rd Street between Columbus and Amsterdam

The Mermaids and the Sharks have not been swimming in harmony for a while due to some unfortunate business with a rigged singing competition, an election and stolen money! War is a-brewin. Matters are not helped by Fartals farting and the Statue of Liberty falling in the sea - will war be prevented? Come to the show and find out!!!

"DEMON MAN'S DEMANDS"
Tuesday, January 27, 4 PM
The Manhattan School for Children/PS 333

A group of gymnasts, fresh from the MEDAL STAND at the Olympics, and their friends are transported to Demon Man's dimension because he thinks controlling people is the way to make friends. Will his evil inclinations prevail or will he learn his lesson?

"THE CANINE ZOO"
Wednesday, January 28, 4 PM
PS 87, 78th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam

Once upon a time there was a group of dogs who were charged with protecting a zoo filled with cats, monkeys, parrots, seals, flipping carrots and kangaroos. But the dogs know a secret. There is a group of monsters and Conbons who come to the zoo every winter to eat all the animals (or so the dogs think). The dogs, not wanting to scare the animals, don't tell them why they are leaving, but every winter, they lead the animals from the zoo. However, cats, do not like being led by dogs and what ensues is not to be believed.

"STAR RACERS AND THE DAY VENOM RETIRES"
Thursday, January 29, 4 PM
PS 87 (address above)

For 70 years Venom and his superhero team have been protecting the "Star Race," the most popular and important race in the known universe. This year, however, Venom is retiring, throwing the race and and the entire universe diving into turmoil. WIll the superheroes find their inner confidence and save the day?

"THE DRAGONS AND THE PLOT TO TAKE THE MARSHMALLOWS"
Friday, January 30, 4:30 (another double feature!!!)
PS 102, 113th Street between 1st and 2nd Aves.

There is a surprise party for the Queen with lots of marshmallows. The dragons want the marshmallows so they kidnap a princess. The superheros and princes use superpowers and computers to look for her. Meanwhile the Princess has escaped by tricking the dragon. But she feels bad and decides to invite the dragons to the party and they all eat marshmallows.

"FRIDAY AFTERNOON LIGHTS"
Part 2 of the PS 102 double feature

During a high school football game a nerd asks the cheerleaders if she can join the team. The cheerleaders decide it will be funny to play a prank on the nerd so invite her to a slumber party at their hotel. Meanwhile the footballers are having their own problems. Will everyone be friends in time for the final game?

"PLANET IDOL"

Tuesday, February 3, 5 PM (An unprecedented, grab your hats, world first triple feature)
PS 145, 105th Street between Columbus and Amsterdam

During the Planet Idol final one girl band steals the President's prize money for their mysterious "boss." Meanwhile some Superheros take a vacation to Puerto Rico. Unfortunatley they teleport into a booger burger BBQ being enjoyed by a different team of superheros and they battle. They stop when one of the superheros finds the missing prize money. The President holds a party in their honor and asks the contestants of Planet Idol to sing and the 2 girl bands are reunited - but can they resolve their differences?

"THE ZOMBIES AND THE QUEENS"

Part 2 of the PS 145 Triple Feature

As the Queens are enjoying doing their queenly duties some zombies kidnap them! The superheros try to help but the zombies turn them into bad guys! Luckily the Queens have a magic wand that they use to escape. The bad superheros, tired of being bad, find the queens and ask for their help. The queens make a magic potion and the superheros are good once more. But what happened to the zombies? Come to the show to find out.

"THE ROYAL-MONSTER-SUPER HERO VACATION"
Part 3 of the PS 145 TRIPLE Feature

The Princesses and the Prince go on vacation. The monsters are also on vacation and they are so hungry they try to eat the Princesses and the Prince. Superheros, who are also on vacation, try to help and they battle the monsters. The Princesses ask the Monsters why they were being mean and the monsters told them how they were hungry. The Princesses and the Prince tells the Superheros and Monsters to stop fighting and to go with them to get ice cream instead - cause ice cream is the only food that can fill a monster!

"THE SUPERHERO NINJAS AND THE ROCK STARS"
WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 5 PM (yet again, an awesome double feature)
PS 191, 61st Street between Amsterdam and West End Aves.

The superhero ninjas are rocking out to the rockstars, however, the dragons are trying to play planet tag and are distracted by the music so they crash the party and try to eat everybody! the superhero ninjas teleport to sushi planet and trick the dragon into eating sushi that turns them good so they can all enjoy the rockstrs music!

"THE SUPER HERO FUMES"
Part 2 of the PS 191 double feature

Once upon a time there was a farm, on the farm there was a sick cow. The superheros had made her sick with the fumes from their super speed flying so they decide to help her by making thier magic soup, first they need to go to Rainbow planet, Vegetable Planet and Mars to find all the ingredients!

"THE DOOGS MEET THE CRAZY TURKEY FAMILY"
Monday, February 9, 4 PM
PS 11, 21st Street between 8th and 9th Aves.

When two families with totally different ways of looking at the world move in next to each other, anything can happen, but nobody would expect what happens to happen!!!! The Doog Family, a nice, normal family complete with cats, dogs and Pikachus, live in a normal house, where water comes out of the faucet and there is food in the fridge. The Crazy Turkey Family, a bunch of crazy crazy crazies, live in a wacky house where fire comes out of the faucet and steaks pop out of the plumbing. When the Crazy Turkey Family gives a housewarming gift of a tornado, the houses are switched and nobody feels like they belong where they are. It takes a lot of understanding and singing to get things back to the way they should be and to make lasting friendships between the clans.

"DONUTS, ICE CREAM AND THE WISH FISH"
Monday, February 9, 4 PM
PS 11, 21st Street between 8th and 9th Aves.

An Ice Cream Family trip to the DONUT CITY DONUT SHOP becomes anything but normal when the donuts accidentally turn into fish. The shocked family go to return the strange donuts/fish, but instead meet a magic breakdancer who reveals to them the secret of his magic dancing: HULKBUTTER. This mystic and colorful sandwich spread changes the fish into Magic Wish Fish, and everyone receives their heart's desires, which inevitably center around more donuts.

If you made it this far, congratulations. You have won an imaginary Million $$$.