KU honored among ‘friends’ of Medford City Parks, Recreation

Lupita Vargas, left, Kids Unlimited Director of Educational Services, accepts a city award from Medford Mayor Randy Sparacino.

More than being a “friend,” Kids Unlimited has helped to hone the focus of Medford Parks, Recreation and Facilities.

That’s how Rich Rosenthal, department director, described the relationship that led to KU’s acknowledgement as a “Friend of Medford Parks and Recreation.” Medford City Council and Mayor Randy Sparacino on July 20 bestowed the award, accepted on behalf of KU by Director of Educational Services Lupita Vargas.

“In my opinion, (it’s) long overdue,” said Rosenthal of the 19th annual award presented to KU, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

In its early years, the nonprofit relied more heavily on city parks and other facilities for its programming. But strong partnerships continue between KU and the city, including low-cost swimming lessons at Jackson Pool.

“As a KU kid, one of my favorite field trips was going to Bear Creek Park,” said Vargas. “I still remember the wooden playground that felt like a huge magical castle. My friends and I would play the best games of freeze tag.”

“We’ve had a lot of interactions with Tom (Cole) and Kids Unlimited over the years,” said Rosenthal. “Their mission is consistent with ours.”

But sometimes the missions were best served when the City stepped aside so KU could do what it does best, said Rosenthal. Specifically, KU’s afterschool programs have been so well-received and effective that Medford Parks and Rec avoided developing similar programs that would duplicate efforts and services, he said.

“Sometimes the best thing we can do is make sure Tom has the bandwidth to accomplish what he wants to accomplish,” said Rosenthal of KU’s founder and executive director.

“We are honored by the recognition,” said Cole. “The City of Medford parks department has provided some great experiences for our kids and families over the decades, and we are truly grateful for their partnership and commitment to our kids.”

Other youth organizations that previously received the award include Logos Public Charter School, Kid Time Children’s Museum, Rogue Valley BMX, Spartan Boxing and others. The Council also designated as Parks and Rec “friends”: Jim Hutchins for lifetime service, Dr. Alan Frierson for his work in Prescott Park, youth soccer coaches Jorge Ruiz, Marco Cortez and Eduardo “Lalo” Ibarra and business sponsor Jamba/Auntie Anne’s.

Parks and Rec commissioners vote on the award recipients. Nominations come from various city staff and managers.

KU afterschool golfers get in the swing with NFL star

A professional look at golf culminated for Kids Unlimited youth in face time with a football pro.

Baltimore Ravens wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr. recognized the efforts of KU youth golfers while hosting a benefit golf tournament for the organization. The Royal Cup is a two-person scramble at Eagle Point Golf Club that complements KU’s annual fundraising auction and gala every June.    

“The opportunity from Odell Beckham Jr. was amazing for these kids,” said KU student services coordinator Andrea Gee. “Even though he is a NFL player, he plays golf, too, and enjoys it. These students understood you can love or do more than one sport.

“Odell met with all these students and gave them signed merchandise — that was a highlight in itself.”

KU’s afterschool enrichment enrolled about 40 students for the 2022-23 in a golf program sponsored by Tribal 1. Learning the basics of the sport from two PGA Professional instructors, most of the kids had never before played golf, said Gee.

“It gave them an insight to a new sport they may — or may not — ever have had the opportunity to play before this program,” said Gee.

The program also provided jerseys. And the host course, Bear Creek Golf Course in Medford, extended the opportunity to return anytime to hit balls with their families — for free.

“Most of the kids wanted to continue playing after our program was over,” said Gee.

To find out more about supporting sports at KU, go to kuoregon.org/donate

Camp signifies summer for many KU families

Summer is synonymous with Kids Unlimited camp for hundreds of Southern Oregon families.

Water play, field trips, outdoor games and creative projects have been KU mainstays for the past 25 years. Designed to meet working families’ schedules from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., KU camps are based at Medford’s Oak Grove, Roosevelt and Washington elementary schools.

“There’s so many things that you could do,” said Program Director Judy Patterson of this year’s “around-the-world theme.”

For eight weeks, campers explored the globe’s continents, countries, cultures and cuisines. Campers particularly enjoyed preparing international recipes, including crepes, tortillas and Italian sodas, said Patterson.

STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities ranged from painting and origami to building catapults and launching bottle rockets. Field trips to Wildlife Images, Cole Rivers Fish Hatchery, Willow-Witt Ranch and Rogue Valley Family Fun Center were weekly highlights, along with a final summer at Medford’s now-closed Jackson Pool, said Patterson.

“Our water days are popular,” she said. “The amount of activities that we do — it’s not free time all the time.”

KU summer camp serves about 275 kindergarten through fifth graders from Phoenix, Talent, Medford and Central Point, said Patterson. Registration starts in the spring, and there’s often a waiting list, with many families who rely upon camp returning year after year, she said. Camp costs $150 per week, and donations to KU support scholarships for participants.

Annual report available online

As we celebrate 25 years of youth development, we reflected back on the struggles and triumphs of this past year. Following the pandemic, new challenges tested our core identity like never before. Our 2022 report demonstrates how in the face of massive societal shifts, we expanded our services, provided stability and hope for kids and stayed true to our foundational mission.
Read the report at kuoregon.org/2022report

Building a better bridge from pre-K to kindergarten was a recent focus of early childhood educators at Kids Unlimited Academy.

Using guidelines developed by Oregon Department of Education, the KUA group of teachers, instructional assistants and administrators confirmed kindergarten readiness largely is determined by social-emotional skills. These include children’s sense of identity and belonging, healthy emotional functioning, social awareness, self-management, relationships with trusted adults and other children and basic conflict resolution with their peers.

“And parents don’t really realize that,” said Betty Goodson, a KUA program manager who works with pre-K students. “Parents are like: ‘They need to write their name.’”

While holding a pencil is a key indicator of kindergarten readiness, the KUA group acknowledged it’s a skill built over time through myriad fine motor activities. Constructing with Legos, squeezing Play-Doh and even the age-old craft of knitting all build the muscle strength needed to grip and manipulate a writing implement, educators said.   

“If you want your child to write their name … we’re gonna do some beading, any of those things that you use your fingers for,” said KUA pre-K teacher Ami Hines.

Teachers referenced building “stamina throughout the year” for certain kindergarten skills, even sitting in one place for a prescribed period of time. Designated seating areas, such as carpets and cushions, help to define spaces where students are expected to focus on lessons. Routines and structure in the school day are paramount for preparing students for kindergarten, teachers said.

Parents aren’t always attuned to their children’s social skills because kids often don’t behave at home the way they do in large peer groups, teachers said. Some pre-K students can’t even start school within the entire class group, they said, because the environment can be too overwhelming.

“Now they have 17 other brothers and sisters all day long,” said Goodson of the classroom experience.

“We know that in many homes, talking is not encouraged,” said now retired KUA Principal Jani Hale, adding that some kids simply stare during conversations.

Yet nearly 74% of KUA students meet ODE’s language expectations with almost 10% exceeding, according to a 2022-23 report. More than 68% met the expectations for cognitive functioning and nearly 64% for social-emotional skills.

As teachers mapped out their timelines for instruction to identify yearlong goals for kindergarten readiness, most agreed they loop back to certain skills, especially after the three-week winter break. Hale dispelled the notion that teacher and student timelines are straight and characterized them more like “treasure maps.”

“All of the standards are just taught continuously throughout the year,” said Crystal Hidde, KUA Director of Early Learning.

KU’s first scholarship fund to benefit recent graduates

As many as 40 alumni of Kids Unlimited Academy could benefit from the charter school’s first scholarship fund.

Named for longtime KU board chair Chuck Martinez, the “Charlie’s Angels” fund was instituted at the organization’s 25th anniversary gala auction. Donors attending the June 23 event raised their auction paddles to pledge amounts ranging from several hundred to several thousand dollars toward the first scholarships.

The awards are open not only to students who are college-bound but also continuing their education through trade schools and apprenticeships, said KU CEO Tom Cole. Ranging in dollar amounts, awards will be based on need, he said, and take into account any other resources that prospective recipients may have.

KU alumni at the gala attested to Martinez’s influence on their career pursuits and successes. Instrumental in the charter school’s creation, said Cole, Martinez was a model of generosity, not only with his money, but his time and mentorship of KU youth.

“We are so grateful for the generosity of our donors to create Chuck’s ‘angels fund’ to help scholarships for graduates of KU Academy. To know that they can be supported to take the next steps in college and career goals is really humbling.”

KUA school garden sows seeds of success

Harvesting the fruits of their summer labors, students at Kids Unlimited Academy simultaneously planned the school’s winter garden.

Students from pre-K to fifth grade attend twice-weekly garden classes at the KUA’s on-site garden. In addition to picking and planting, kids learn about cycles and seasons, saving seeds and even identifying insect life while on “bug safari.”

“We have been harvesting lots of zucchini, cherry tomatoes and cucumbers; fresh herbs, corn, kale; and have been enjoying the blackberries, strawberries, plums and grapes,” said Alyssa Buswell, KUA garden educator and coordinator.

“We have made several delicious meals already, including zucchini with butter and Parmesan, tomato-cucumber-herb salad and have taste-tested lemon cucumbers versus slicing cucumbers.”

A different fresh fruit or vegetable is featured in each month’s KUA cafeteria tastings — tomatoes in September, followed by apples in October. Students sample a recipe made with produce from a local farm and delve into the “harvest of the month” food in KUA’s garden classes, said Buswell.

“They have had introductions to plant needs — cool weather versus warm weather crops — and will continue to work hard to create and enjoy a fall garden,” said Buswell. “We have started planting seeds for our fall garden, including beets, carrots, lettuce, broccoli, bok choy and more basil.

“Fall is a great time to learn about cycles and seasons.”

Celebrity chef gives rave review of KU culinary program

A Haitian celebrity chef inspired Kids Unlimited culinary students while preparing the organization’s annual benefit banquet.

Celebrity chef Ron Duprat was an honored guest at KU’s 25th anniversary fundraising gala and auction. But the chef honored kids working alongside him — and the KU food program — as they all pitched in to create a memorable meal. Chef Duprat praised KU students’ impressive skills and the organization’s commitment to serving breakfast, lunch and dinner — prepared daily from scratch — to every student.

“I think it’s an amazing opportunity for the kids, and a big, big opportunity for myself,” said Chef Duprat, who is affiliated with No Kid Hungry, a nonprofit coalition to end childhood hunger and poverty. 

Among the students who assisted Chef Duprat were eighth grader Andre Alcocer, who took first place in Kids Unlimited Academy’s third annual “Iron Chef” competition with teammate Alexis Williams, a sixth grader. The duo prepared steak tartare, a French dish of finely chopped raw meat, topped with a raw quail egg yolk. Alcocer said he craved the beef dish since hearing about it from his older sister, who attended culinary school in Austin.

Also working in Texas, Chef Duprat mingled his signature Afro-Caribbean flavors with locally produced specialties for the gala menu. Medford’s Fry Family Farm donated its organic mixed greens for the salad course, topped with fresh strawberries, candied walnuts and blue cheese provided by Rogue Creamery in Central Point. Guests sipped Red Lily wines. 

Recognized among the most influential Black chefs, Duprat has cooked for Usher, Beyonce and Jay-Z and President and First Lady Barack and Michelle Obama. A contributor to Mrs. Obama’s “Let’s Move!” campaign, Chef Duprat has supported World Central Kitchen, Black Culinarian Alliance and other nonprofit causes.

Chef Duprat has been a top competitor on Bravo TV and Food Network cooking contests. He has appeared on “The View,” “The Today Show” and “Access Hollywood” and in Bon Appetit, Gourmet, Ebony, Oprah, Essence and other magazines.

From our CEO

Humbled, grateful and proud. Commemorating our 25th anniversary is monumental, and it is a true blessing to have the opportunity to step back and reflect on the journey that has made Kids Unlimited what it is over the past quarter century.

The question I’m constantly asked is: “Did you ever think … (insert one of KU’s countless achievements) would happen?” The answer is always: “Never.”

Since the beginning, I’ve embraced our mission to be a shared journey with those we call our Kids Unlimited family. Over the years, that work has involved thousands of kids and families and the celebration of many “firsts.” Today, it’s incredible to see the generational impact our work has made on transforming our kids, their families and our entire community.

Our story is an unbelievable tale of growth since Kids Unlimited’s inception in 1998 as a grassroots afterschool program with 50 participants. It’s a tale of perseverance and validation of the hope possible when our heroes — volunteers, staff, parents and donors — come together to ensure the Unlimited is possible.

I can’t begin to describe all that the past 25 years of work have meant to me without smiling, laughing and shedding some tears. It’s been inspiring to see what our work could mean to changing the lives of our kids and forever changing the norms of our Southern Oregon community.

— Tom Cole, KU founder and CEO

Who we are

Through empowering educational opportunities, Kids Unlimited prepares and inspires children to better themselves while bettering their communities.

Our focus on achieving equity for youth who face economic and cultural barriers forges their path toward high school graduation, college success and career readiness. We make these goals reasonable for all students — regardless of race, language, ethnicity, gender, economic status or zip code.

The longevity of our relationships with kids not only builds student confidence but also strengthens families. Ours is a comprehensive and holistic approach to programming and services — proven over decades of listening, learning and evolving.

• Nearly all of our participants experience poverty.
• More than 80% are from Latinx households, 56% of those non-English speaking.
• Nearly one-third of students attending KUA academies are designated migrant.

What we do

• Serve kids year-round, bridging school, afterschool and summer services.
• Bring afterschool programs to 10 of the highest poverty elementary schools in our region, which includes the communities of Medford and White City.
• Operate two public charter schools recognized by Oregon Department of Education as two of the most diverse public schools in our state.
• Elevate the region’s pre-K options with our focus on kindergarten readiness, socio-emotional development and hands-on, active learning, as well as wraparound support for families.
• Offer 10-hour structured school days that focus on increased instructional time and embedded enrichments in arts, music, culinary, sports and other programming often economically out of reach for our families.
• Employ highly qualified, diverse teaching staff, many bilingual, who offer culturally competent programming.
• Provide thousands of meals each day, all cooked from scratch, often incorporating locally sourced vegetables, produce and proteins.
  Leverage youth sports programs as incentives for academic achievement, known as “pass to play.”

Why we need you

Kids Unlimited is a nonprofit organization that relies on foundation grants, private donations, business sponsorships, community partnerships and government allocations. We are and always have been committed to cultivating relationships that can financially sustain our programs.

Offering “free” services removes our participants’ economic and cultural barriers to ensure their access and equity. There’s no magic formula for sustaining our model. But we know when we do meaningful work and achieve desired outcomes, we secure a following that generates funding.