Chattanooga's Kids on the Block

Chattanooga, TN (8/11/10). Chattanooga's Kids on the Block recently announced that it will add Bradley and Polk counties to its current 12 county service area in Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia. Now serving 14 counties in the area makes Chattanooga's Kids on the Block one of the largest and most active troupes in the United States.

Over the past 25 years, Bradley and Polk counties were served by the Cleveland Kids on the Block troupe; however with severe budget cuts Cleveland Kids on the Block has announced that it can no longer serve the two counties. "We have great respect for the Cleveland troupe and have always worked together to provide our vital services for the children of our region," said Kelly Williams, Executive Director of Chattanooga's Kids on the Block.

Both troupes rely on public and private funding to provide the educational puppetry programs free of charge to area public and private elementary and secondary schools. "While each troupe is affiliated with the National Kids on the Block, each troupe is independent in providing programs, services and raising funds," said Ms. Williams.

Cleveland's Kids on the Block was funded solely through United Way of Bradley County and while Chattanooga's Kids on the Block receives approximately 22 percent of its budget from the United Way of Greater Chattanooga, it also relies on funding through grants, fundraising events such as the Southern Brewers Festival presented by Big River Grille & Brewing Works and private donations. Through these funding sources, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block is able to provide the programs to elementary schools at no charge.

For the past 31 years, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block, one of the oldest and most respected troupes, has used the art of puppetry to help educate children about social concerns and differences, giving them skills to stay safe and healthy. The educational programs present sensitive and often difficult information to elementary school-aged children in a non-threatening manner. Chattanooga's Kids on the Block currently is licensed to perform 23 of the 41 nationally developed programs. These programs include: Accepting Differences, Multiculturalism, Physical and Sexual Child Abuse Prevention, Childhood Obesity, HIV/AIDS, Organ Donation Awareness, Dental Hygiene, Brain Injury Awareness, Autism, Asthma, Stranger Danger, Divorce from a Child's Perspective, Bullying, Anger Management and Bereavement among other topics when there is a need in the community.

The puppeteer/educators wear black from head to toe – black gloves, black shirts, black pants and even a black hood over their heads. They become the shadow behind the puppet. You see their arms move, their heads move and even their mouths move, they are not ventriloquists.

Kids on the Block puppets are tall and colorful and you soon forget there is an artist behind the puppets. This form of puppetry is Bunraku, a traditional Japanese style of puppetry and it is explained to the children before each performance.

Kids on the Block puppets consist of characters that are three to four feet tall. They dress in real kids' clothes, have distinctive personalities and portray real-life situations, through carefully researched and scripted material and follow up resources.

In addition to the nationally scripted material presented during the program performance, children Pre-K through First grade interact with the puppets by responding as a group and children in grades 2 and up have the opportunity to ask questions to the puppets.

These questions range from: ‘Where do you go to school?' to ‘What's it like to be in a wheelchair?'; ‘How did you feel when your parents got divorced?'; and ‘What do you do if someone makes you feel unsafe or uncomfortable?' The puppets respond with clarity and candor to the hundreds of questions asked by the audience of children.

Classroom presentations for elementary school aged children are the main focus of Chattanooga's Kids on the Block. Ms. Williams said, "Research indicates that children in this age group are developmentally able to react to characters that are peer role models and are able to retain more knowledge."

This year alone, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block performed over 400 programs and served over 56,000 children and adults in the 12 county area of Southeast Tennessee and Northwest Georgia on a very modest budget. Each child is asked to send a letter to Chattanooga's Kids on the Block following the performance to help evaluate the impact of presented information. Educators evaluate each educational puppetry performance.

CKOB receives letters from children that include: "I learned that sometimes it's ok to feel sad…"; "Chattanooga's Kids on the Block helped me to stand up to bullies…"; "I learned child abuse is not a kid's fault…".

"When one child has the courage to raise their hand and share their personal experience openly and can say that happened to me, I know that we have done our job," said Sue Ivey, Chattanooga's Kids on the Block Bunraku Specialist & Program Director.

In a recent survey of high school freshmen, 77 percent said the Kids on the Block programs they saw as elementary school students had a positive change in their attitude about the topics performed. Seventy-seven percent said Kids on the Block taught them skills to stay safe and healthy and 75 percent said that seeing Kids on the Block programs helped them make responsible decisions and make positive and healthy lifestyle choices.

Each puppeteer/educator is nationally certified as a Bunraku Specialist in educational performance. Each puppeteer/educator also hold degrees in education, psychology, early childhood development and art. "Sounds like an easy and fun job," said Ms. Williams, "but, in reality it takes a very special, talented and dedicated individual to become a Bunraku Educator for Kids on the Block."

"I am always amazed at the impact CKOB performances have on an audience, young or old," said Ms. Williams. "We are fortunate to have CKOB in our community, a vital resource to help educate our children."

For more information or to book a performance, please call Chattanooga's Kids on the Block at (423) 757-5259, or Contact Us here.