Join Kids Korps for unique events

HOT PANCAKES AT THE FIREHOUSE

By Christopher Burdick

4th grader at Roger Rowe School

For Rancho Days each year, one of the best events is the Pancake Breakfast at the Rancho Santa Fe Firehouse. On Sunday, Sept. 26, Kids Korps RSF Chapter helped by clearing the tables and keeping the syrup station neat and clean. On our time off, we also got to have fun shooting the fire hose, looking at the helicopter on the school field, and riding the fire truck around the neighborhood. I like this project because we get to help the firemen who are always there for us.

PAWS’ITIVE TEAMS & KIDS KORPS TRAIN SERVICE DOGS

By Melissa Clark

Cardiff Elementary Kids Korps parent

On Oct. 9, six members of the Cardiff School District Kids Korps spent the morning volunteering with the Paws’itive Teams Therapy Program. Paws’itive Teams trains service dogs to assist mobility-limited people achieve greater independence, and through educational presentations and animal assisted therapy, enhance the lives of people living in San Diego County. Kids Korps volunteers ranged in age from 7 to 11 years old. The children were each assigned a therapy dog to work with along with its owner. By working with the kids, the dogs learn how to work with other individuals besides their owners. The children learned about how their therapy dog helps individuals with limited mobility. At the end of the session, each child led their dog in a demonstration of a trick or talent that their dog had. The Cardiff District Kids Korps group had a great morning helping the Paws’itive Teams Training Center.

JOIN KIDS KORPS & SDG&E IN A SERIES OF PROJECTS THAT WILL COMBINE ART & POWER FOR THE BENEFIT OF ENERGY EFFICIENCY QUARTERLY PROJECT OPPORTUNITY

Thanks to funding and support from SDG&E, Kids Korps is pleased to offer a special opportunity for Kids Korps chapters and members to make art out of repurposed and recycled items while learning about and becoming advocates for energy efficiency and environmental stewardship. The SmART Meter project is a two to three-hour experience matching youth volunteers with artists and Kids Korps staff to paint and add mixed media art elements to repurposed home power meters now being replaced countywide with new Smart Meters. The “SmART” meters created in our projects will then be showcased in a variety of public locations including select Starbucks. Note that we may have opportunities to add volunteers to planned events and that we will also offer SmART Meters for display at your schools, community centers and events.

The smart meter program being implemented by SDG&E provides business, government and consumers throughout our region the opportunity to; 1) save energy and money by placing energy use more directly in the control of meter users, 2) more privacy as meter readers will no longer need property access, 3) immediate reporting of outages or other problems, 4) delay or eliminate the need for new power plants thanks to natural resource savings, and 5) creating future smart homes and businesses that can monitor and adjust energy use. You can learn more about these meters by visiting

www.sdge.com/smartmeter

.

The SmART Meter projects will be scheduled on a quarterly basis through the end of 2011. December, February and April events have already been tentatively scheduled leaving options for summer and fall of 2011, please contact

Brian@kidskorps.org

for further information, to schedule an event and to showcase meters at your school or community center.

CALLING ALL TEENS: KIDS KORPS YOUTH LEADERSHIP COUNCIL

Kids Korps Youth Leadership Council offers a select number of Kids Korps teens the opportunity to 1) Make a Difference, 2) Learn Leadership Skills, 3) Earn Valuable Volunteer Hours, and 4) Add to Their Resume and College Applications.

The Youth Leadership Council is made possible through support by the Sempra Energy Foundation and is designed to support Kids Korps’ mission “to instill in America’s youth the spirit of giving while providing valuable education in leadership and responsibility.” The council will be a one-year commitment, with an opportunity to extend to 24 months.

Benefits & Responsibilities include:

• Work with other teens from throughout San Diego
• Develop entrepreneurial leadership skills
• Serve as an inspiration to other young people
• Assist in the design and running of service projects
• Develop volunteer programs
• Work with companies such as Starbucks and SDG&E
• Plan, develop and produce social media campaigns

To place your teen’s name on our initial interest list, please email
brian@kidskorps.org