CREATIVE KIDS INC

Creative Kids Inc. is a 24-year-old nationally recognized 501(c)(3) creative youth development agency that positively impacts under-resourced populations in the border community of El Paso, Texas helping young people to thrive through the transformative power of the arts. Creative Kids' 16,000 sq. ft. headquarters, known as the oLo Gallery (Other Learning Opportunities), is located in the Union Plaza District in downtown El Paso. This facility is the permanent home to Creative Kids' art studios, cooking facility, art gallery, multimedia skills development center, and administrative offices. Creative Kids is able to reach over 1,100 youth throughout the year, which includes disconnected youth through Project ABLE (Art Brokers Learning Experiences), at-risk youth in the Boys and Girls Club of El Paso through Project MAP (Making the Arts Possible), and children battling cancer in its Project AIM (Arts in Motion). Creative Kids recently launched an art program for the children and families that were directly affected by the August 3rd Wal-Mart tragedy called Project RAP (Resiliency Art Program). The majority of children participating in Creative Kids' programs come from broken homes, families of very modest socio-economic means, and most have limited formal schooling and are largely of Hispanic ancestry. The Creative Kids programs represent a strategic and pivotal set of opportunities for the students so they can realize their aspirations for adult life, refine their talents and strengths and, in the process, encourage these youths to pursue lifelong learning and other higher education goals.