A Letter From Our New Executive Director

Dear Extreme Kids & Crew community,

I am thrilled to join Extreme Kids & Crew as the organization’s new Executive Director. As a longtime educator and arts program strategist, I am passionate about connecting communities and youth. I am honored to become part of an organization making a difference in the lives of neurodivergent youth and their families. I want to take this opportunity to introduce myself and tell you why I’m so excited.

For the last two decades, I have worked in museums in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond, developing programs that link art, community, and the lived experiences of marginalized youth, most recently as the Senior Director of Education at the Museum of the African Diaspora and then as an art consultant in NYC. As a result, I have seen firsthand how thoughtful, well-designed programs aimed at marginalized youth can give them self-confidence and a sense of belonging.

In my first two weeks at Extreme Kids, I’ve seen the power of our programs in the laughter of our young people, often misunderstood and marginalized in other places, who feel free to be themselves without fear of judgment or stares. I’ve seen our Extreme Kids staff affirming them, meeting them where they are and gently redirecting them when needed. Through the power of play, our youth develop social-emotional skills, learn about the world around them and create a community free of judgment. Parents have shared how they appreciate our programs as unique spaces for the whole family to play together.

This is a pivotal time for Extreme Kids & Crew. For the past ten years, Extreme Kids has established itself as a cornerstone of the disability community in New York. I am deeply impressed by the resilience and commitment of the staff, board, and community in facing challenges during the pandemic. I look forward to all of us building on that foundation and supporting Extreme Kids and Crew to grow, making us even more of a space to be.

Above all, I hold dear the values of equity and inclusion that guide Extreme Kids & Crew, and I am eager to get to know everyone and work together to bring new programs and initiatives to life.

Thank you for this incredible opportunity. I can’t wait to see what we will become together.

Warmly,
Lovisa Brown
Executive Director, Extreme Kids & Crew

What's coming up:

• Extreme Kids Clubs resume in April! See what clubs we're offering.

• The next Powerful Parents cohort begins on March 9th — sign up now!

Extreme Kids & Crew Announces New Executive Director

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: February 17, 2023
Contact: Alex Bazeley
Phone: (347) 410-6050 
Email: alex@extremekidsandcrew.org

**PRESS RELEASE**

Extreme Kids & Crew Announces New Executive Director

Brooklyn, NY — Extreme Kids & Crew is pleased to announce that Lovisa Brown has been hired as the organization’s next Executive Director. Extreme Kids & Crew offers free and accessible arts and play programming for neurodivergent youth and their families in New York City.

Ms. Brown brings to the role 15 years of experience as an arts educator, igniting underserved youth to seize their narratives and make an impact in their community. She is an expert in bridging the gap between race and art for students through diaspora stories and the skills of visual arts, music, film, and history. In addition, Lovisa is a skilled and tactful communicator who enjoys direct conversation with audiences of all ages and abilities.

“After a competitive and thoughtful interview process, we are very excited to welcome Ms. Brown to our organization,” said Board Chair Christian Bergeron. “She is someone who brings a wealth of expertise and experience to Extreme Kids, and her background in arts and education, along with her passion for building equitable communities, make her the perfect person to lead this team as we enter our next chapter.

As the Senior Director of Education for the Museum of the African Diaspora from 2010 to 2015, Ms. Brown delivered high-impact programs that expanded the museum’s educational capabilities and helped grow her team into a robust, diverse workforce. Since then, she has worked as an arts and education consultant at museums and community-based organizations in San Francisco and New York City, developing strategies to enhance visitor experiences, expand outreach services, and build sustainable, culturally-competent educational curricula. 

She has also held roles at the International Museum of Women and the Children's Creativity Museum, building staff capacity, facilitating programmatic growth, and cultivating community relationships. Ms. Brown succeeds Caitlin Cassaro, Extreme Kids & Crew’s founding Executive Director, who served in the role since 2013 and left the organization in December 2022. 

“Extreme Kids & Crew is a leader in the New York disability space, and I am honored to become part of such an important and impactful organization that is making a difference in the lives of neurodivergent youth and their families,” said Ms. Brown. “I hold dear the values of equity and inclusion that guide Extreme Kids & Crew, and am eager to get to know everyone and work together to bring new programs and initiatives to life.”

Ms. Brown is starting in her role effectively immediately.

About Extreme Kids & Crew

Established in 2010, Extreme Kids & Crew is a welcoming space where neurodivergent youth, their friends, and their families socialize, create, and play on their own terms. By establishing and maintaining creative community centers for the disability community, Extreme Kids seeks to show people that disability is not to be feared, pitied or mindlessly exalted, but understood to be an inherent part of life. For more information, visit https://www.extremekidsandcrew.org/.

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Video: Ice Skating With the Crew on News 12 Brooklyn

News 12 Brooklyn paid a visit to Extreme Kids & Crew in Prospect Park for the third annual Ice Skating With the Crew event, talking to kids about their experience on the ice. Transcript below.

Kristie Reeter (anchor): A nonprofit here in our borough is giving all kids a chance to participate in a fun winter activity. That's with Extreme Kids & Crew’s third annual Ice Skating With the Crew event at the LeFrak Center at Lakeside Prospect Park. News 12 Brooklyn’s Emily Lorsch spoke with some of the kids who had a blast at the event and tells us more.

Emily Lorsch (reporter): Children with disabilities from all over the city coming together to check out ice skating.

Sage C.: I have seen people skating before but I’ve never done it. It was something that I wanted to do because I always watch the people on TV do the ice skating and when they do their competitions and stuff.

Emily Lorsch: These ladies tell me ice skating seems scary, but the adaptive skating equipment, like these penguins and sleds, really help them not only get used to the ice, but have a great time. 

Camille C.: I had so much fun because I got to be on the sled and I got to go really fast.

Leigh Reid: An ice rink if you've never witnessed one is beautiful, it’s fun, but it’s a little bit chaotic. It can definitely be a little intimidating for your first time on the ice. So when you add on disabilities to that, there's a little bit of social stigma worries. There's also costs that can often be an issue.

Emily Lorsch: But this free event is offering up a space for children to feel comfortable and go at their own pace.

Camille C.: If you don't want to go on the ice you could just go on the sled instead of going on the ice. What was so special about it is that you won't fall and hurt yourself.

Leigh Reid: Just so they can get out there and they can have that fun experience that everybody deserves to have.

Emily Lorsch: Many of these kids tell me at first they were scared to get on the ice and now they can't wait to come back next year. In Prospect Park, Emily Lorsch, News 12 Brooklyn.

Autism Awareness PSA on WFUV

Autism Awareness

WFUV is a National Public Radio affiliate station based in New York City. WFUV features a quarterly Public Service Campaign called “Strike a Chord.” Their goal is to spotlight issues important to communities throughout the Tri-State area, from the environment, to health care, to veterans affairs. Their focus this season is "autism awareness." By focusing on a specific issue each quarter, WFUV hopes to make a big difference in raising awareness about important matters, getting people more involved in their communities and simply letting people know help is out there. 

:05 My name is Leigh Reid and I'm the director of development and communications at Extreme Kids & Crew.

:11 At Extreme Kids and Crew we cultivate welcoming, accessible spaces where kids with disabilities and their crew create a supportive community through the arts, play and conversation.

:24 At an average playground there can be a lot of bigotry and fear about disability. When you provide a space that is not just open to having differences, but encourages people to be who they are when they come in, that makes a happier child, and that happier child will become a happier adult and more well-adjusted.