Change+for+Kids+-+A+Web+Site+Review

Change for Kids is a non-profit organization in New York City (NYC) that has partnered with NYC Schools to provide resources and learning opportunities that otherwise would not be available to the students. The organization was started in 1994 when a trust was set up to help provide school supplies for the students of Public School 243 in Brooklyn, New York. This nonprofit organization has since grown and expanded its services to provide guidance, instruction, and activities in literacy through tutoring programs, workshops, and early reading skills. It offers the fine arts through music instruction, visual arts workshops, and field trips. Change for Kids has also partnered with another nonprofit organization, FAN4Kids, to offer education in healthy living, which covers fitness and nutrition education. In addition, Change for Kids has expanded its partnerships to four public schools in the New York City area.

The purpose of the web site is to share their message with others and to offer opportunities for new volunteers to get involved, either through donations or service. The name of the organization and the website, Change for Kids, reflects their goal of making positive changes in the lives of children. The web site is very organized, focused, easy to navigate, and the links are clearly defined and related to the purpose and mission of the site. The web site targets several audiences, from volunteers in the community to organizations that can help meet specific needs, to corporations that might be interest in sponsoring or partnering with Change for Kids.

The web site development and maintenance appear to be a team effort as well. Several different contributors, such as team members and student interns have contributed information to this site.A specific author or web site developer has not been identified. The background information and qualifications of the team members, the management team and the junior council members are provided. Contact information such as phone number, address, and email are also available.

The information provided on this web site is well written and very professional. It centers on what the organization has been able to offer the students in their partner schools. A few references, such as census records, have been provided to validate the limited number of statistics mention

As expressed earlier in this review, changeforkids.org was created to share information about the organization and to find volunteers who are willing to work toward common goals. The information contained on the web site is intended to entice readers to donate to or volunteer for the organization. While I did not notice any advertising that was in conflict with the message, there were references to alcohol consumption in some of the adult activities such as volunteer outings and events. Which again, I believe is intended to persuade people to volunteer.

The web site appears to be current and continuously updated with information and events. The links are up to date and the Change for Kids blog site has current entries. The date the web site was created, and the last revision date are not provided.

I really enjoyed reviewing this website and seeing all of the ways this organization is working with others to meet the needs of underprivileged children and schools with limited resources. The collaboration and teamwork required to accomplish the goals of this organization and the goals of the participating schools is evident in the activities shown. For true collaboration to work, it must be voluntary, have parity among the participants, be based on mutual goals, have shared responsibility, shared resources and shared accountability, (Friend & Cook, 2010). This website and the many events and activities described within are working examples of how collaboration, when done correctly, can have a positive impact on the lives of students. There are many wonderful examples of how people can and have worked together to accomplish their shared goal of creating “inspiring learning environments, rich with educational opportunities,” (changeforkids.org). The site is not very detailed or informative about how collaboration works, but it is evident in the material that collaboration takes place on many levels; between volunteers and the organization, volunteers and school staff, the organization and the school staff, and between corporations and the organization. I would recommend this web site as resource for ideas in partnering with the community to meet the needs of students. It is not necessarily a lesson on how to collaborate with others, but an excellent example of how good collaboration can make a difference in the lives of children, one school at a time.

Friend, M., & Cook, L. (2010). Interactions, collaboration skills for school professionals. Sixth edition. Boston: Pearson

Change for Kids. (2011). Change for Kids. Retrieved from http://www.changeforkids.org.