Honestly, what I am about to talk about deserves separate posts, but the way my life is set up right now, I am lucky to bang out this one post, wew!
First, a hearty welcome to anyone who is new to the Kidogo Family. Welcome! We are glad that you are here!! That reminds me of a song the Kidogo content team created a while ago!
There are TWO summer events coming up (and they're both FREE)!
Last year, we hosted a Read n' Win in collaboration with the Frugal Bookstore. The Frugal Bookstore is a special place! Husband and wife duo, Â Leonard and Clarissa, along with staff like Kyara make collaborating with them a breeze!
This year proved difficult to re-do the reading marathon, but lo and behold in comes Ivy Njeri Ngugi to the rescue! She didn't even know I needed help. She's an angel like that :-) She reached out saying that she wanted to do a reading program, which entailed crafting. Love it! Frugal will once again host this reading event with us!
Note from Ivy:
Hi, I’m Ivy Njeri Ngugi! I am an artist & arts educator and community storyteller. My experience in youth activation, arts education, and presenting spans The Greater Lowell, Suffolk County, & California’s Bay Area. My passion behind children's advocacy and creating intergenerational spaces has led me into education as a middle-school and early childhood assistant teacher as well as program writer & facilitator for students ranging from elementary to high school. UMOJA MILELE is my organization that honors & celebrates the continuity of Black & Indigenous creativity jana leo na kesho [yesterday, today, tomorrow] through publishing, community engagements, and intergenerational restoration. I can't wait to see you on July 31st!
Being a part of a supportive community is everything! For example, I approached someone at my church who is the co-founder of a successful biotech enterprise for advice and direction. We had a wonderful and encouraging conversation, which ended in him wondering out loud whether his daughter Katheryn Prather would be interested in having a summer internship with Kidogo who can offer her phenomenal creative writing skills. Fast forward a few months later, she is indeed! Here's her mini bio:
Katheryn Prather is a rising third-year at Emory University studying creative writing and linguistics. Her interest in language extends to Spanish, which she wants to be fluent in by graduation. Her writing spans genres from songs and short stories to full young adult fantasy novels, with the aim to increase the presence of underrepresented voices in literature, especially youth lit. In her free time, she’s usually writing and revising, reading, or watching the NFL.Â
We're co-facilitating a virtual writing workshop to brainstorm Kidogoville's backstory. As we develop the Kidogoville app, we also need to develop a narrative about what Kidogoville is like and who the Kidogovillagers are. Please join us!!!
We also have another summer intern! Salma is 14-year-old coding phenom! We're protecting a lot of her personal details since she's a minor :-) She approached us during a Power Up networking event with the City of Boston. She impressed us immediately with her focus, knowledge, and experience. She hopes to work with us beyond the Summer so we're beyond excited!
So there you have it! DOUBLE events and DOUBLE interns!!! Now here's my SINGLE triumph!!!
Kidogo Productions is now a semi-finalist in the Black Ambition Prize Competition founded by hip hop artist and composer Pharrell Williams. Out of over 2,000 applicants, 250 were selected. Here is what this means: Kidogo is still in the running to win a financial award from Black Ambition and now has the opportunity to participate in the 2024 Black Ambitionst Mentorship Program, a 3-month cohort-based mentorship program that unlocks relationships, programming, and tools that promote company growth, resilient relationships, and founder well-being. Let's goooooooo!
The ultimate prize is a $1M check y'all!!!!!! I am thrilled not just because of the chance to win capital, but also because it affirms that we are indeed going in the right direction, that we are beginning to be recognized by wider communities for our work, and that we have the chance to improve Kidogo's operations and offerings. Opportunities abound 💗
WISH US LUCK!!!!!
For the Kids, for the Culture,
Keeana
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