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Presenting: Educational programs relating to kids with disabilities or differences. We are waiting and ready to visit - Your School!

Information: Call the Special Needs Support Center of the Upper Valley office at 603-448-6311 or the KOB Coordinator Ann Justice at 603-795-2105 for further information or scheduling.

We offer short amusing skits, usually two or three in a performance, which are both educational and informative. After each skit the audience is invited to ask the puppets questions.

See the "Kids on the Block" in action: (Windows Media) (QuickTime)

Packets of activities to be used in the classroom as preparation and/or follow-up are included:

	The puppets have names, families, and friends just the way you and I do; the only difference is that they also have some challenges that not everyone shares.
	The puppets help to promote understanding and overcome difficulties through their insight and suggestions.

Skits Available

Visual Impairment Cerebral Palsy Spina Bifida Mental Retardation/Down Syndrome Autism Emotional Disburance Tobacco, Alcohol, Drugs Bullies and School Safety Multiculturalism Healthy Snacking

Asthma Childhood Cancer Diabetes ADHD Child of Divorced Parents Learning Disabilities Epilepsy Sexual Abuse Physical Abuse Obesity

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KOB puppeteers: Ann Justice (Coordinator), Merry Converse, Janet Eller, Barbara Payson, Bev Strout, Judy Thrasher, Barbara Whitman. Lilla Willey, Puppeteer Emeritus.

This year has been one of some positive notes but also some discouraging ones. Positive ones included the return of a long-time puppeteer, Judy Thrasher, from a year of medical leave, and the addition of a new puppeteer to the troupe, Janet Eller. A discouraging note for the KOB troupe of puppeteers this year was the small number of presentations given. The number of requests was extremely low - only 14 different locations or presentations. This number was only about 25% of the previous year's numbers. Our publicity about the availability of KOB was the same this year - a mass mailing to all the schools in New Hampshire and the Vermont side of the Upper Valley. And this year we offered KOB free to all schools in the Upper Valley, using our Upper Valley United Way grant to make this possible. In fact, 11 of the 14 presentations made this year were to Upper Valley schools. Five of these 11 presentations were to preschool centers in response to a special publicity effort made to the area's centers through the Child Care Project newsletter and email list. Our assessment through these presentations is that much of the KOB message is lost on the preschool population. The scripts really target an elementary school aged child. But, perhaps, some of the skits directly about disabilities, e.g. the Cerebral Palsy one with Mark Riley, would be more appropriate for the preschool population.

Our speculations for the significant reduction in requests for presentations are twofold: One is that schools (and their auxiliary groups like PTOs) are very limited in financial resources, especially for social education activities, and two, that schools have increasingly limited time (and energy) because of the increasing demands for testing, and "teaching to the test" efforts. In other words, there are decreased money and decreased time for a KOB type of educational activity in schools.

In June the puppeteers, plus Pete Bleyler, SNSC President, and Philip Eller, SNSC Executive Director, had a year-end pot luck luck and debriefing session at Ann's lovely home in Lyme Center. Philip led the group in a SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, Threats) planning session. We identified many items in all of these categories: major strengths are the dedication and enthusiasm of our volunteers plus the educational value of the skits for students. Major weaknesses include the need for more, especially some male, puppeteers - with new blood, and some ways to increase the number of requests for presentations. Also identified were some internal training needs and external marketing to schools. The whole discussion was most valuable for our future planning of the KOB program.

Statistics: 14 presentations given to a total audience of 972 students and staff. 360 miles were traveled for these presentations (not including the short miles traveled within the Upper Valley). The seven puppeteers volunteered a total of 360 hours to KOB this year.

Plans for next year: 1) continue to search for foundation grants in order to be able to offer all KOB presentations at no charge to schools throughout New Hampshire. We hope that this will increase the number of requests from schools by eliminating this factor in their decision-making. 2) Increase our marketing, and also our organizational structure to do more direct follow up with schools to secure presentation requests. 3) Explore ways to make our presentations more effective and efficient. 4) Follow up on the results of the SWOT discussion and implement those most needed and feasible. 5) Research buying another puppet skit.

Visit the National Office of Kids on the Block for infomation on other Kids on the Block programs throughout the nation.

Email: kob@nhsupport.net

Kids on the Block IS supported by United Way and other local organizations and private donors.

Parent to Parent of New Hampshire You are not alone....we have been there.

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The Parent to Parent of New Hampshire homepage address is http://www.parenttoparentnh.org