February 3, 2020

KidUnity student journalists ask Senator Joni Ernst (R - Iowa) tough questions.  The New York Times was there to report on our students.

February 3, 2020

KidUnity Journalists covered the 2020 Iowa Caucuses!    Here are a few pieces of reporting:

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Save the Children Action Network - August 2017

Inspiration can come in many forms.

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For one group of sixth graders from a well-respected independent school in Santa Monica, it sparked 80 miles northeast of their school, in an isolated community in California’s barren Antelope Valley.

Many families in this desert town of Lake Los Angeles struggle with poverty day-to-day, but it’s the sense of community here that is most palpable, the Carlthorp School students would discover.

Carlthrop School students donating books

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Members of the school’s service learning group, W.E. Care Kids (World Emergency Care Kids), the students wanted to support Save the Children’s efforts here at home, in their own county, and decided to find out more about the families the global nonprofit was helping in this isolated, rural town on the western tip of the Mojave Desert.

What they learned is that despite not having much to call their own, the Lake Los Angeles families share with each other what little they have. They also come together when one of their own needs help – like when a family of nine was living without furniture, and they pitched in to furnish the family’s home.

Huffington Post, March 2017

The concept of living with intent, with a sense of purpose, can be taught to children at a young age. Parents lead by their own example, but great teachers can have a huge impact.

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Carlthorp School, my daughter’s school in Santa Monica CA, has developed an incredible program with KidUnity, an organization that combines 21st Century learning concepts with service learning to create empathy, empowerment, and skills for children to engage in our world. My daughter is incredibly lucky to have participated in a year long program on civic engagement that culminated with a visit to Washington DC where the students heard from and made presentations to congress, media and organizations on subjects they had studied for during the academic year.

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Here is a a reflection from my 12 year old daughter, Leela, on how the program worked and her experience:  HUFFINGTON POST

February 2016

As the next generation of voters, it’s important that we study the candidates, issues and process. Our classroom is on the front lines.” -Carlthorp Student

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Traveling from Los Angeles to Iowa, a group of 6th graders is learning about the political process in a remarkable and personal way. Today, the day of the Iowa Caucus, where the first votes for the next president of the United States will be cast, these kids are meeting candidates, interviewing political reporters and touring the site of this important event. 

I’ve been following their twitter feed this morning, inspired and hopeful for the future. Here are their impressions and learnings in their own words...

Feb 1, 2016

Service and civics lead the way for a group of dedicated Santa Monica school students in the sixth grade. As part of KidUnity, 19 youngsters are in Iowa to report back on the 2016 Caucuses.

The students, all from Carlthorp School, Santa Monica, are regulars at KidUnity, which fosters civic leadership and community service.  

“Through innovative, fun, and engaging programs, our aim is to inspire and prepare students for a lifetime of service and leadership,” explained David Snow, Co-Founder and Director of KidUnity.

The students are part of the “Civics in Action Workshop: The Iowa Caucuses.” They will travel to Iowa this weekend and report back their findings.

“We believe it is imperative that the next generation has a strong foundation in service and civics,” Snow explained. “It’s been impressive - and inspiring - to watch this group of students engage with the issues surrounding this election.”

Read the full article HERE

December 2015

As part of a KidUnity event delving into sustainability, a group of young “architects of change” visited Montage Beverly Hills’ The Rooftop Grill, where Chef de Cuisine at  Erika Tucker, participated in a very interactive session about utilizing locally sourced organic ingredients and the importance of knowing what is in your food. In the session, Chef Erika taught the children about sustainability and the importance of sourcing and using the best local and organic ingredients whenever possible while giving them a tour of the hotel’s main kitchen at the hotel. For information on the program, visit: http://www.kidunity.us.

November 2015

Students from schools across West Los Angeles toured The Courier’s office on Tuesday as part of the after school program Kid Unity’s Beverly Hills Community Explorer program. The fifth and sixth grade students will tour different organizations and City departments to learn about issues facing their community and provide them with fun, age-appropriate opportunities to address those problems. The students learned how The Courier produces its newspaper each week and visited the City Council Study Session at City Hall, where they heard the agenda item on Phil Savenick’s Beverly Hills Centennial documentary. 

Summer 2015

KidUnity’s mission is to develop in youth a desire for service that is strong, instinctive, and directed by making the community the classroom. “Learn, Do, Give” is the non-profit’s tagline. 

And, David is working on it. KidUnity’s goal is to expand: geographically, age-wise, and in terms of overall scope. David hopes to have multiple hubs of operation with all three points of expansion implemented within the next five to ten years. David’s wife and two kids– the younger aged four, the older age nine–all support his endeavors. The nine-year-old even tells him, “Dad, you really ought to have a program for third graders.” 

Read the complete story HERE

June 2015

"Kid Unity was a wonderful experience for our son.  The program greatly contributed to his development as a well-rounded  individual and responsible and thoughtful citizen.  It was an excellent complement to daily academics."  (Scott - KidUnity Parent)

"Throwing a pizza party for the kids at Upward Bound was a great experience because we knew how much it meant to the kids there. It felt great to be able to help solve a problem." (Will - KidUnity Student)

April 10, 2015

In awarding KidUnity with a $2,000 grant, the Rotary Club noted, “KidUnity on the Westside of Los Angeles is comprised of students from various schools who participate in activities that promote critical thinking, problem solving, communication, and collaboration, while emphasizing cross-cultural skills, global endeavors, teamwork, and certainly, civic leadership,” Menzies said. “It’s very much a service learning club, and I like to think of it as a mini Rotary club.”

One of the fifth-graders present at the meeting explained that the Westside club had recently focused on animal welfare, homelessness, and emergency preparedness.

Read the complete story HERE

Santa Monica, CA

HUMANITAS Executive Director Cathleen Young received KidUnity’s Humanitarian of the Year Award at an event hosted by the Milken Institute in Santa Monica on November 2. The award recognizes an individual who has distinguished his or herself by inspiring young people to serve others.

Read the complete story HERE

Santa Monica, CA

KIDUNITY visited the Santa Monica Mirror to learn about community and the role of the press.

“This was a great opportunity for the kids to do community investigation and exploration,” explained David Snow, co-founder and director of KidUnity, organizers of the event. “They got to ask some great questions: ‘What are some of the big issues?’, ‘What’s the role of the media in the local community?’ and to engage in and learn some really fun behind-the-scenes stuff.”

Read the complete story HERE