KidSpirit is an amazing outreach program, which offers year-round activities for youth
ages two through 18 in sports, arts, science and cooking. Pretty much anything the Oregon
State campus has to offer, we can, and we do, turn into educational activities.
What makes KidSpirit and my job truly so fun and unique is the college students we work
with. KidSpirit college students gain real life professional skills that cover all aspects
of operating a positive youth development program, and really a business.
These students gain experience not only as educators where they’re completely responsible
for creating and implementing their own lessons, but also the business side such as marketing,
accounting, program development, hiring, performance evaluations, leadership and so much more!
Because we invest so much in staff development, training, continual feedback, the result is
a program that is high-energy and engaged in learning environment for both the participants
and the student workers.
It’s really all about building skills, increasing self-esteem, fostering personal talents, creating
friendships in a safe and positive environment and having a lot of fun! I have the greatest
job ever.
My name is Lauren Stoddard and I am a KidSpirit Camp Counselor. I love working for KidSpirit.
Seeing the way the campers’ faces light up every day while they’re at camp is my
favorite part of working here. I love that the program is a fun and safe environment
for the campers to learn new things every day.
Since working at KidSpirit, I have been able to work on leadership skills such as working
well within a team. Working together with my peers is such a great opportunity that
I can use later on in future jobs. And it’s been such a good, helpful learning environment
that is safe.
KidSpirit is more than a job to me, it is a life experience that has shaped me, and
will continue to shape me through both my personal and professional ventures. I am so
thankful that I was given the opportunity to work for this amazing organization that’s
making a difference in our community.
Hi my name is Slade Thackeray and I am a former KidSpirit employee. KidSpirit took everything
I had and honed it.
I am really kind of "fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants" kind of person, and KidSpirit helped me understand
the purpose of lesson planning, using your tools such as counselors, resources and teaching
materials.
At KidSpirit, we are encouraged to live by a very high level of social standards. My
favorite principle is to "make someone's day." I try to live by that principle each and every
day, and I work really hard to infuse that into the arts program I created.
While at KidSpirit, I realized that I wanted to do something very similar to it. I just
wanted to focus on the arts and confidence building, specifically. I’m now in the third
year of running my very own arts program called Young Artists Playtrium up in Dallas, Oregon,
and so much of the structure and vision is what I took away from KidSpirit.
And even though I only got to work at KidSpirit for a year and half, it really shaped my career
and my personal life, and I am so thankful for the opportunity I was given.
Hi, my name is Donna Keim, I’m the proud mother of four children – three of whom
worked for KidSpirit during their time at Oregon State. My twins, Hannah and JJ, are
KidSpirit camp leaders – and I support their involvement because of the well-rounded skills
they build, the flexibility it provides and that they can share their love for sports
and physical activity.
I’m so passionate about it is because I see the positive difference it makes in their
confidence and their communication skills, as well as the close-knit relationships they
develop with other staff members. All of the KidSpirit staff members are very positive,
they’re excellent role models for the kids they are in charge of each day. As a career
counselor at Corvallis High School, I have also referred many of our students to KidSpirit
as well.
My daughter, Hannah, has always been strong in communication skills, and has improved
greatly in her office management skills while she’s been working at KidSpirit.
My son, JJ, has always been great with kids, and KidSpirit has helped him maintain that
love of working with children, while learning the technical aspects of promoting and running
a business.
My twins are not only KidSpirit camp counselors now, but they participated starting from kindergarten.
Activities such as the gymnastic classes helped them build their balance, their coordination,
their strength, and I know that that contributed to them being first team all league in their
high school sports.
It’s been so much fun to see my children come full circle and to now watch them impact
future paths of the kids at the camp now. It’s a win-win for both sides!