Empowering Kids To Change The World
The Kids Crew is a national program at the Epilepsy Foundation. Hailey is the Chair of the Leadership Council. The empowerment program helps kids 14 and under learn about epilepsy so they can educate others, advocate to create change, participate in events to help the community, and give back to make a difference. To learn more about the program and to register your kids, visit epilepsy.com/kids-crew.
How you can support Hailey’s efforts:
- Support the Kids Crew financially so the program is funded and can grow
- Become an official sponsor of the Kids Crew
- Spread the word to help find new members
We welcome other ideas and partnership opportunities to help Hailey in her efforts. Please contact us if you would like to get involved.
Kids Crew History
The idea for the Kids Crew began as a Livy’s Hope initiative at our kitchen table. We wanted a way to reinforce the need for imagination and creative thinking. Our goal was to guide children to use their talents to help those in neec. We encouraged them to take it upon themselves to come up with ideas that could impact their community based on what they learned. We brought the kids together to learn about disabilities and organizations that were focused on kids with special needs. We encoured members to work as as a team to reach their goals to reinforce the concept that we are stronger when we work as one.
Hailey said at the time, “The goal of the Kids Crew is to educate the future leaders of our world.” Hailey and Livy learned a great deal about giving back and they wanted to share that with other kids who also wanted to help make a difference. The group met once a month to listen to presentations from organizations or individuals in the community, discuss current and future projects, participate in fun team building activities and games, and work on their current project. It was a wonderful way for kids to build relationships and to learn about making a difference.
A New Direction
When Jon began working at the Epilepsy Foundation, his first trip into the community was to Indiana where he met with a group of volunteers. Upon returning home, he told Hailey about one of the moms he had met. She had lost her son to SUDEP (sudden unexpected death in epilepsy) and it was the first time she had told her story in public. Hailey was moved by what Jon described and asked if she could get more involved in the epilepsy community. Upon describing the conversation to Phil Gattone, the current leader of the Epilepsy Foundation, he asked Hailey to start a Kids Crew program at the foundation to specifically focus on helping those with epilepsy. Hailey enthusiastically accepted and went about creating a framework for the initiative.
Fast forward and the Kids Crew now has over 3,400 members in every state in the US and multiple countries. The program is empowering kids to eliminate stigma and to create acceptance for those who with epilepsy and their families. As Hailey says, “Kids can change the world. So let’s do it now!”
