KoKo NYC Podcast project

Dear friends and family, 

As you know, I am the board chair for Open Source Gallery,  the not-for-profit organization that founded KoKo.  Since the pandemic and the subsequent lockdown started, we have been brainstorming about what we can do to keep kids engaged and not on a screen while they are home with their boring parents all the time.  

Our dedicated staff at KoKo NYC came up with the idea to  launch an interactive podcast where kids are engaged through storytelling and building prompts to explore their imaginations and design cool projects. 

While we’re social distancing, kids need a way to connect that goes beyond the screen, so we’re inviting them to roll up their sleeves and become makers using recycled materials and objects found around the home to design inventions and kinetic sculptures. Our free podcast hybrid will have listening, building and sharing components, allowing kids to share their creations and collaborate with kids across the US and around the world through our online platform. But that’s not all! The podcast is the beginning of a new branch of KoKo NYC that will create interactive creative and building curricula for STEAM teachers to use in their classrooms long after schools re-open.

As a small arts-based non-profit, KoKo and Open Source are committed to supporting the artist community. Your donation will allow us to hire a team of teaching artists to develop innovative programming during a time when many artists are struggling to make a living. If you are in a position to give, please consider making a donation to KoKo NYC’s Podcasting Project.  I would be so grateful!   You can consider it my birthday gift for this year since it is unlikely we will have a party.  

And please, if you have kids or know people who have kids,  spread the word on this project.  We will be providing the podcast for free for anyone who wants to use it.  It can be a godsend for those parents who are overwhelmed by no school and most likely no full-time camp this summer. 

Hope you are well and in good health!   

Who do we want to reach?
We want to reach ALL MAKERS ages 6-14 with specific efforts to reach kids in underserved neighborhoods.

What will kids do?
Teaching Artists challenge the listeners to think and act like inventors, take risks and try out complicated ideas using their home as their lab. It will be no cost to participants, very accessible and demand no physical resources, but recyclables, scissors and tape.

Why does it cost money?
Teaching Artists, Musicians, Editors are working as a team to produce a series of episodes.  KoKo Staff are working hard to meet kids at every intersection which requires developed research for all ages and backgrounds.
Sharing their creations online is integral. Collaborating with kids across the US and around the world requires maintenance.