Just About Kids

Posted by Roycelyn Bastian-Spencer 
on Jul 25, 2012
 

Just About Kids makes a difference in the lives of others

Kids helping Kids and learning, giving and learning to give are the core mission and principles of Just About Kids (JAK), a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization. Deborah Cesarek, a board member, spoke at the Humble Intercontinental Rotary meeting on July 25, telling about the good things being done by JAK..

JAK’s idea started 14 years ago by a dedicated 9-year-old boy who started collecting pennies for The Kempe Foundation for the Prevention and Treatment of Child Abuse and Neglect in Denver, Colo. In two years, Derek Cesarek raised $15,000 for the foundation. When his family moved to Wichita, Kan., the young man along with four other high school students founded JAK. Now in Texas, the organization is currently working to raise funds for academic programs at Kingwood High School (KHS).

 

 

 

 
The students are learning the entrepreneurial, financial, marketing and organizational skills necessary to build their organization. In addition, they are learning about children in need in our community, learning how important it is to give back to our community,” said Deborah Cesarek, JAK board member.

Celebrating one year at KHS, JAK’s accomplishments include awarding 60 teacher grants and three scholarships, developing a district-wide opportunity to partner with Waste Management to secure wood for the technology departments, adopting a Lakeland Elementary second grade class, building an outdoor classroom, and starting two school businesses, JAKats and JAKars.

Just About Kids Foundation - JAK is a nonprofit 501c3 organization formed by a group of district patrons for the purpose of providing financial support to KHS to preserve and increase the value of the public school education. The goal is to ensure the tradition of excellence that has made Kingwood High School a top-rated sought after school. Our goal is to teach entrepreneurial and leadership skills while inspiring a sense of philanthropic service. We want our students to be able to become Social Entrepreneurs. For more information, visit www.justaboutkids.org.

Students participating in JAK will speak about their experience and lessons learned at a Rotary meeting in the near future.