Karen MacCleary-McVey, President of and Partner in talegence, is currently on the Board of See Kids Dream (SKD) and was the start up President of the Board for two years. As a Board member, Karen has contributed hundreds of hours over the last three years and has influenced the contribution of thousands of dollars of cash and in-kind services.
The founders, Bill and Laura Grindle, started See Kids Dream as a result of a meeting with Teddy Gross, the co-founder of Common Cents. He told them the story of how the organization started and grew from his own dilemma as a father to respond to his four-year-old daughter Nora’s wish to comfort a homeless man in 1991. His quest to provide a meaningful way for his daughter to help that man gave birth to a program called the Penny Harvest that now provides participating children a way to help. He described the program as democracy in action, and told how children work together in teams at their schools to determine how they can address community issues.
For the last three years See Kids Dream has run a service learning program called the Penny Harvest in Worthington and Columbus City Schools. The program puts student’s in-charge of identifying, researching, understanding and helping to address the needs of others in our community. The student’s management and direct control of the process is what makes the Penny Harvest unique.
Research conducted by Columbia University and others has shown positive outcomes for the students who participate in programs like the Penny Harvest. These outcomes include higher academic engagement, increased self-esteem and the development of critical thinking, problem solving, research, organization, and communication and leadership skills.
See Kids Dream is a 501c3 charitable organization with a core purpose of addressing critical needs in our community today and building capacity to meet the needs of our community of tomorrow. We do this by using service learning to empower young people (students K - 8th grade) to achieve their own potential, while creating positive outcomes for both themselves and our community at large.
SKD is experiencing exceptional growth. Over the past three years the organization has grown its programming from a small pilot in 7 schools, to partnerships with nearly 20 schools. During the 2011-2012 school year See Kids Dream will expand the Penny Harvest to a total of 50 schools in Central Ohio.
To learn more about See Kids Dream, click on their logo above.
To support See Kids Dream and help them maintain and expand their programming (perhaps to your community) you can donate online or send your support (Convert the pennies laying around your place into checks, no matter the amount!) to See Kids Dream at:
See Kids Dream
16 Orchard Lane
Columbus, OH 43214
