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!

The Felix Awards: Honoree Video

As a part of the celebration of our founders Eliza & Jason Factor at this year’s Felix Awards, members of our community submitted clips of themselves thanking Eliza & Jason for their years of hard work and dedication to be included in a video shown at the gala. Watch the video below.

Board President Vanessa Connelly on Being A Woman Business Leader in 2020

From Authority Magazine:

Are you working on any exciting new projects now? How do you think that will help people?

My work as board chair at Extreme Kids and Crew has been very exciting and rewarding. We went from having one space in a public school to three sensory gyms in Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx, all in fairly short order. To go from these really physical spaces to a fully virtual footprint after the pandemic closures was a massive change. As an organization that creates community for disabled kids and their people, strategizing about how to most effectively reach out online and create programming and events that interested, served and expanded these connections at such an isolating time- that has been exciting. I am so impressed with our Executive Director Caitlin Cassaro and the whole staff for not only meeting the challenge but thriving in this new world.

Read the whole interview with Vanessa.

In conversation with Nonprofit New York member: Extreme Kids & Crew

Original article posted by Nonprofit New York

Membership Director Taina Sanon spoke with Caitlin Cassaro of Extreme Kids & Crew, a member organization of Nonprofit New York. We will continue to highlight the work of our members, like Extreme Kids & Crew, because we believe when your nonprofit is stronger, all of us are stronger.

Tell me about the organization and what you do.

At Extreme Kids & Crew, we cultivate welcoming, accessible spaces where kids with disabilities and their people create a supportive community through the arts, play and conversation. We play, we create, we follow the children's lead and listen to their parents and caregivers. We work together to advocate for and with people with disabilities, and with families fighting for their and their child's rights. We celebrate the differences disability brings, and recognize much of the hardship felt by those living with disability is due to discrimination rather than the disability itself.

How many are on your team?

With 2 new hires, we have 8 full-time staff and 4 part-time staff.

Servicing how many of the nonprofit population?

We serve approximately 500 families.

Where do you see your organization in the next five years or ten years?

Extreme Kids will expand its after-school and camp program throughout NYC, by partnering with larger, in-school community based organizations not providing this experience to their children with autism and other developmental disabilities. Extreme Kids will have a large home-base location from which school-based programs will be managed. This location will be completely accessible and sensory friendly, with different rooms for different activities, including a performance space.

How has partnering with Nonprofit New York helped you succeed?

Nonprofit New York has been a valuable support to Extreme Kids in assisting the organization in building the necessary skills needed to grow and sustain an organization.

What are you currently working on that you want us to mention to our membership?

We are currently working on piloting the expansion of our popular after-school and summer camp program so that we may serve more children with developmental disabilities throughout NYC. With that we are further developing our program evaluation protocol and front-line staff training module.

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.