Anytime school was out, Chuy Carrasco’s feet inevitably pointed toward Kids Unlimited.

Carrasco recalls walking from his neighborhood near Medford’s McLoughlin Middle School to KU on North Riverside Avenue. If he saw Executive Director Tom Cole’s car in the parking lot, he would knock on the windows — sometimes for 20 minutes — until Cole opened the door so Carrasco could play in the arcade or computer lab.

“I feel like I was always there, especially in middle school or high school — all day basically.”

Carrasco attended KU Afterschool programs beginning in 2005, when he was a fourth grader at Medford’s Washington Elementary. Also a student at Jackson and Oak Grove elementaries, two of KU’s original program sites, Carrasco was a fixture at KU summer camps and Rotary basketball leagues before working for KU, mentoring kids like himself.

KU’s basketball program kept Carrasco and other players his age physically active and mentally engaged — both on and off the court. In between games Carrasco sold concessions or operated the scoreboards.

“There was always something going on, and my parents were always working — they worked opposite shifts,” Carrasco recalls.

Now a working parent, Carrasco said he knew he wanted his own kids to attend KU Academy public charter school, despite driving each school day last year from their Talent home to Medford. Twins Chuy Jr. and Josiah are in third grade; Jovanni is in second; and DeLuca is in kindergarten.

“I loved it, so I feel my kids would love it, too,” said Carrasco.

Like their dad, all four want to stay at KUA as long as possible, even if Carrasco could pick them up from Afterschool before 4:30 p.m. They love KU’s freshly prepared food, arts and crafts and other enrichments, Carrasco said. His wife, Aniesha, agrees.

“I really value the parent involvement … I value the structure,” said Aniesha, who also worked in KU Afterschool programs.

When she was growing up, Aniesha recalls, KU summer camp was the only option for her grandmother to ensure the four kids in her care were entertained. She said she first met Chuy in sixth grade at camp, although she didn’t remember him until they reconnected years later through friends.

“It’s really nice that we know a lot of people in the program, and everyone’s so kind and friendly.”

Charter school volunteering confirms college student’s career choice

A summer stint volunteering at Kids Unlimited Academy has put Reese Andersen ahead of her class.

The University of Oregon junior spent about a month in August and September assisting KUA families with school registration, followed by work each school day as a first-grade instructional assistant.

“I like the young grades,” said Andersen. “I like where they’re at in their learning. I love the reading.”

Majoring in elementary education, Andersen won’t start her program’s required field study until later this year. Her time at KUA gives Andersen a head start on matching with a Eugene school where she can fulfill her degree requirements.

“I definitely think this opened my eyes to charter schools — how cool they are.”

The Medford native heard about KUA through her younger sister, Payton Andersen, a senior at South Medford High School. The younger Andersen is a forward on the Lady Panthers varsity team, coached by KU founder Tom Cole.

“I loved this school’s mission,” said Reese Andersen, explaining that Cole paved the way for her volunteer work.

Andersen also got the chance at KUA to observe first-hand the challenges and successes of a first-year teacher. Lucy Newell, a recent graduate of Southern Oregon University, leads a class of 23 students who helped to confirm Andersen’s chosen career path.

“Reese was an absolutely amazing addition to our classroom!” exclaimed Newell. “We are so lucky for her to have volunteered her time to be with us. She is quick on her feet, an amazing problem solver and develops deep-rooted connections with children.”

Attendance Matters!

Each student matters to ALL of us at Kids Unlimited Academy. Our charter school is a community, and community depends on everyone showing up each day.

The loss of learning that takes place students are absent cannot be replaced. Chronic absenteeism in kindergarten can predict lower test scores, poor attendance and retention in later grades. If you need help getting your child to school on time, please reach out to us!

Always notify KUA, by calling the office at 541-774-3900 between 7:30 a.m. and 9 a.m., when your child is absent or going to be absent for any reason. Please provide the student’s full name, grade and reason for absence. A doctor’s note is required for absences of longer than 3 days.

Who we are

We believe educational opportunities are for everyone — regardless of economics, background, race, gender or zip code.

This belief shaped Kids Unlimited, a grassroots program that took hold in 1998 at a low-income elementary school in Medford. Our organization upholds education and opportunity as the keys to overcoming barriers of language, culture and poverty.

KU’s values, 28 years later, have become a community norm. We know the community cares about its children, but we are challenged every day to serve kids whose needs surpass available resources.

• Poverty, hunger and family instability are widespread among KU participants.
• Kids’ adverse experiences and social-emotional delays require mental health treatment.
• KU families need wrap-around support, including job, housing and health care referrals.
• Nearly 70% of KU Academy families are Latino, about half of those non-English speaking.

What we do

A nonprofit organization, Kids Unlimited relies on government and foundation grants, private donations, business sponsorships, community partnerships and fees for service. We also need you! Our community’s generosity ensures KU can provide these educational opportunities and social supports:

• Afterschool programs at nine of the highest poverty elementary schools in our region;
• Math and reading assistance that supplements students’ regular school day with 20% more instruction;
• Enrichment activities in supervised, safe environments during out-of-school time, including after school, summer, winter and spring breaks;
• A year-round public charter school providing 30% more instructional time than Medford district schools;
• 10-hour structured school days that embed enrichments in arts, music, culinary, sports and other programs often economically out of reach for KU families;
• Highly qualified, diverse teaching staff, many bilingual, who offer culturally competent programming;
• Thousands of meals each day, all cooked from scratch, often incorporating locally sourced produce and proteins;
• “Free” services to remove participants’ economic and cultural barriers and ensure their access and equity.