|
February 2009 News
Chameleon reaching new levels!
Chameleon has reached a new level of stability and professionalism. It has been just over one year since Chameleon installed a new board, and the changes have been rewarding and tangible. For the first time Chameleon’s finances and budget process are first-rate, transparent and up to date. Thanks to the hard work of the new Board and Cheryl Kimmi, our Administrative Director, all of Chameleon’s finances have been transferred to Quick Books Not-For-Profit. We are now able to chart more clearly every dollar of every grant we receive. For the first time in Chameleon’s history we are making a small profit that is reinvested back into programming and operations. Working with McAully & Crandall accounting firm, we have completed our 2006 and 07 audits and have turned in all financial information for the 2008 audit.
The new Chameleon Board of Directors has done a remarkable and highly professional job of guiding the agency over the past year. They have conducted monthly board meetings with clear minutes and motions, rewritten Chameleon’s bi-laws, approved our annual budget and business/strategic plan, held a successful fund raiser, helped Chameleon erase its prior debt, purchased board insurance and worked with the Attorney General of Missouri to insure Chameleon is meeting all its legal obligations and responsibilities. All of us working with Chameleon extend our thanks to the honesty and commitment of the new Board.
Chameleon has reached new levels in programming quality. We are employing a curriculum developed by the Institute for Children and Poverty (ICP) titled ArtWorks, a structured academic curriculum designed to improve the reading and language skills of homeless students. Each of the ArtWorks curriculum units includes 25-45 minute lessons, follow-up activities, final project ideas, assessment questions and annotated references. The units can be geared for students from K-12th grade, and reflect the demands of national curriculum standards. The curriculum was designed by ICP, an independent research and development organization based in New York City. ICP focuses on action-oriented research designed to create evidence based interventions for homeless students.
Working with the Office of Homeless Liaison of KCKS schools, we have developed excellent assessment tools to measure the progress of young people in Chameleon programs. We employ an internet-based assessment tool, known as Study Island, to assess the academic progress of students in the summer program. Study Island provides assessments based on Kansas and Missouri academic standards for individual users. We are committed to improving the reading and language skills of arts camp participants. Study Island categorizes a student’s academic skills based on classifications reflective of state assessment standards (such as meeting standards, some improvement shown, etc). We are committed to improving student’s performance by one standard classification level. Notably, Study Island primarily functions as a tool for assessing students in third through eighth grade.
For the rest of the students, we also plan to improve their sense of engagement in the academic process. Engagement amounts to a demonstrated precursor to academic achievement. A survey instrument developed by DERA, a data gathering and analysis department associated with the Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools, will be utilized to assess this progress.
StoneLion and Chameleon Green Day Festivals 2009
The Office of Homeless Liaison of KCKS schools and Chameleon have begun Winter Saturday and after-school programming. Feb 7 and 21 12:00 to 4:00 StoneLion Puppet Theatre will be providing environmental puppet workshops for the KCKS students. The workshops will lead into our partnership to facilitate Green Day Festivals in Spring 2009.
Plans are underway to expand our Green Day Festivals this year. These FREE festivals in area communities celebrate the planet, teach environmental awareness and engage our audiences in ART in a very hands-on way. Mark your calendar for these amazing events:
March 21, 10a-4p: Tony Aguirre Community Center
April 18, 10a-4p: Lakeside Nature Center
May 1, 6-9p: Line Creek Elem.
May 2: Wyandotte High School
May 9, 11a-4 p: EarthFest, Theis Mall
Last year’s activities reached out to over 4,000 metro area residents and culminated in a giant puppet pageant on the lawn of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. We want to double that this year and we need your help!
If you are interested in being a volunteer at one or more of these events please contact us at 816-221-5351 for more information.
We are pleased to partner with the following organizations to make these events possible:
 |
 |
 |
 |
Please consider joining our Wiz Liz support group
We need your support to continue to offer life-changing support and programming for perhaps the most vulnerable young people in Kansas City. Chameleon is working with the Office of Homeless Liaison of Kansas City Kansas and the other homeless of the greater metropolitan area to provide after-school and summer arts and academic programming to these especially at-risk youth. These kids need a safe, secure haven and caring mentoring to help them overcome the burden of homelessness. Chameleon provides this support-building community for these children that allows them to succeed in life.
In this period of tough economic times we know that there are many, many causes and agencies that need and deserve your support. Please consider a tax deductible gift to Chameleon to help us fund winter spring and summer programming.
Your support also helps the Chameleon Arts Consortium, small arts agencies supported by Chameleon,use the arts to build community and change lives. Consortium members include StoneLion Puppet Theatre; Lewis Scenic Design; Hip Hop Academy; Esoke African Drumming; Gospilunifics and I am U Entertainment.
To become a Wizard Lizard and donate to Chameleon, download this PDF form, fill it out and mail with your contribution to:
Chameleon Arts & Youth Development
2025 Tracy Ave.
Kansas City, MO 64108