Everything Starts In Elementary School…

by Sabrina Eras

…learning to add and subtract; kissing boys on the playground; developing ideas and beliefs about yourself. 

Thinking back to when you were an impressionable elementary schooler, were you a self-confident, cool kid or nerdy and insecure?  

I was an insecure member of the class of 1978. My immature perception was that, because I was too skinny, had long, stringy blonde hair and wore my sister’s hand-me-downs, I was an ugly outcast. 

I can only imagine what it could be like to be a confident seven year old and know that it doesn’t matter what I look like, where I live, what I have…or if other kids make fun of me. Oh how drastically different my life would be today? 

What if…at 7, 8, 9… 10 years old a child you know could confidently say “I AM CAPABLE OF ANYTHING!” Wouldn’t that be an awesome foundation for their life? 

Today, for many impressionable elementary school kids, the “what if” option is possible thanks to founder Mark Papadas and his I AM 4 Kids program. This exciting program provides young children with a remarkable opportunity to step into the full potential that confidence brings. Then, it teaches them to be socially responsible and create a project that will have a positive impact on others ~ before they’re an adult!  

I AM 4 Kids teaches 2nd through 5th graders how to create an empowering identity that will guide them to achieve whatever they decide throughout the rest of their lives. It teaches them that the greatest gifts come from being so confident in yourself that it’s second nature to choose to make a difference in the world ~ even if you’re only seven. 

As kids graduate from the I AM 4 Kids program they are encouraged to implement a project that creates positive change in the world. With their project in hand, kids are supported by the I AM 4 Kids Foundation which funds their projects and offers opportunities for kids to work together on similar projects ~ no matter where in the world they live. 

“I AM 4 Kids is unique in that it reaches children at a crucial, developmental time in their lives. This program builds a child’s sense of self worth while his/her identity is in such a critical, formative stage,” says Tracy M. Walsh, MSW, LSW ~ Public School Social Worker and  mother of three young children who knows the challenges of being a parent and the effects on children lost and feeling alone. 

I AM 4 Kids awakens the unlimited potential within each child while providing a safe and encouraging place for kids to share their identities, goals and dreams with other like minded children from around the world.  

If you would like to implement the I AM 4 Kids interactive learning program that teaches children to think about their identity in your school, church or youth group click here.