Cool Kids Learn Inc

It started as a 6-week summer program in 1999 by a small group of teachers and professionals who simply wanted to make learning fun for kids. Today, Cool Kids Learn (CKL) has grown to a total of 15 programs, and provides comprehensive summer, after-school and tutoring services to close to 4,000 school children to help them build their academic confidence and passion for learning. CKL emphasizes the connections between classroom learning and the “real world” to compliment, not duplicate, the primary work of schools. Today, children entering the school system will need to prepare themselves for the challenges of the 21st century: the ability to problem-solve, absorb more and more information, communicate effectively with others in a rapidly-changing technological world, and first and foremost, have the ability to think “out-of-the-box”. Children in low-income urban neighborhoods, especially minorities, are struggling to keep up with these changes. CKL aims to even up the playing field for them by providing them with a series of individualized and personalized learning experiences to channel creativity, critical and higher-order thinking. Steps to Success, CKL’s signature program, is a year-long, after-school and weekend program that provides tutoring in collaborative, small group settings in reading/language arts and math. It customizes and personalizes learning, creating a diversity of talent for our communities and equipping children to become successful participants in the dynamic local economy of South Florida. Decision CKL is a critical-thinking/character-building program for elementary school students transitioning to middle school. It helps students build positive character traits and teaches them how to make decisions, based on choices, and what those consequences may be. The newest program, Achievers, meets a growing need amongst talented and gifted children in poorer communities who do not have the same resources and services as their more affluent counterparts. With the cooperation of area schools, CKL defines children who need more challenging curriculum, and provides year-round Saturday and summer academies, hosted on the campus of the University of Miami. The program incorporates pre-algebra, persuasive writing, debate, life and career planning and role-model mentoring. With your help, CKL will be able to serve more children during these critical out-of-school hours, and help develop more successful and rewarding lives for our community!