We want to thank Brooklyn Community Foundation for their generous grant from the Brooklyn COVID-19 Response Fund. Their support, in partnership with the Office of the Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams, keeps our virtual programs going and ensures that children with disabilities in New York and beyond have a space where they feel supported.
Board member Christian Bergeron and his kids Xavier, Theo and Trilliane started the Tomato Box as a way to deliver healthy, organic tomato plants in a self-watering container, making it easy to grow your own sustainable food at home. All proceeds go to Extreme Kids & Crew and Brooklyn Community Services.
We reached out to LaTanya Lemon-Cumper and asked her to share her experiences to help us spotlight what our community is going through. As a frontline healthcare provider, resident of Queens, Extreme Kids marathoner (yes!), and mother to a great Extreme Kid, Tanya was a fantastic interviewee and we're only sorry we couldn't show you more.
Extreme Kids families are more isolated than ever before and we're working hard to make sure that our community's needs are being seen and heard. If you can, please donate and help us reduce feelings of isolation for kids with disabilities and their families.
Interview: Extreme Kids on adapting programs to meet the needs of our quarantined community.
Just because our spaces are closed doesn't mean our work is over. In the coming weeks we'll be rolling out various offerings of our programs that you can access from the comfort of your home. Read on to find out what you can look forward to, and keep an eye on our website for regular updates and resources that may be useful to you.
Join us every evening for an Extreme Kids & Crew bedtime story. We'll feature a rotating cast of characters, from the staff you know, to well-known and not so well-known people in our community.
Geared for kids of all ages
Nightly, 7 p.m.
Our head teacher and the rest of our program staff are facilitating activities via Zoom that follow the Circle Time structure students are familiar with.
For our children enrolled in after-school at P.S. 15
Monday-Friday, 3:00-4:15 p.m.
A continuation of our in-person parent support group, facilitated via Zoom, to provide caregivers with resources available to them in these trying times.
For parents and caregivers raising children with disabilities
Weekly at 4pm, beginning on Wednesday, April 1st
Our founder Eliza Factor will be leading a monthly book club focused on engaging with works from writers within the Extreme Kids community.
Anyone is welcome!
Monthly, day and time TBD
Interested in joining? Email Eliza at elizafactor@extremekidsandcrew.org to learn more.
Coming soon...
The above programs are just a starting point for us, and we're working to translate the rest of our programming into the online world — and do things we've never done before. Here's a taste of what to expect:
Parent Seminars — guest speaker series presented via online an platform on important topics concerning Extreme Kids families including issues such as self-advocacy, rights, resources, and navigating the transition into adulthood.
Interactive Music Corner — virtual music get-togethers geared towards different age groups. Our musicians will feature Extreme Kids favorites, such as Jasper Lewis, our Music as Therapy partner from Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.
Interactive Play Time — an interactive play session incorporating the locations facilitators have available to them to inspire different forms of creative play.
Teens and Girls Crew — virtual get-togethers for members of Girls Crew and Teens Crew. Extreme Kids will host these now more frequently in order to provide a chance for these kids to see each other, take part in age-appropriate play, and socialize through an online platform.
And much more! Stay tuned for updates, and stay safe!
Students will not report to school buildings for instruction until Monday April 20, 2020 or longer if necessary. Source
Extreme Kids programs will follow this time frame as well for in-school programs: open play, Girls Crew, Teens Crew, Powerful Parents, and after school.
