Kalyna Kids Society
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Mission Statement
Kalyna Kids provides a Ukrainian bilingual education experience in a play-based child care setting.
About This Cause
We started as St. Martin Ukrainian Bilingual Playschool Society in 1982 to provide a Ukrainian bilingual experience in a playschool setting. In 2016, we expanded our program to include an After School component to offer this same program to additional ages of children; at this time we changed our name to Kalyna Kids Society. We are one of the few Ukrainian bilingual child care programs that operate in the Edmonton, AB area. We operate within St. Martin School, a Ukrainian bilingual elementary school, and we work closely with them to provide a consistent environment for children transferring between our programs. We run a preschool program during school hours and after school programs for students in grades K-6. Although our focus is on Ukrainian bilingual educational programming, enrollment in our programs is open to all, regardless of ethnicity, culture, language, or faith background. Our Program implements a play-based, positive framework to support our children in a nurturing, respectful, and safe environment designed to promote the development, well-being, and engagement of our children. Our Program curriculum has been developed over many years by our lead teachers to create positive experiences that support each child’s learning and development. Teachers nurture our children’s self-confidence by supporting them to overcome challenges and solve problems, make choices, and regulate their emotions and behaviors. Our teachers continually demonstrate and encourage children how to communicate and interact positively with each other through their play and activities. Structured and unstructured play, and Ukrainian bilingual content are central to our daily Programming. Our charitable status drives all our decisions: we believe it’s important to maintain a balance between sustainability for our operations and affordability for our families. Special considerations are given to families with low incomes to ensure they have equal opportunities for their children. We offer flexible schedules and fee discounts for multiple children, in order to accommodate as many families as we can. Families who enroll in the Playschool program have a voice in the operation of the Society and its actions, and they also have volunteer and fundraising responsibilities to the Society. Families who enroll in the After School Program may opt to have a voice in the operation of the Society. The Society currently employs six individuals: five teachers and an Operations Manager. Oversight and guidance is provide by a volunteer executive drawn from our membership. To finance the Society’s activities, Kalyna Kids charges tuition for its Playschool and After School programs. The Society also relies on funds generated from fundraising activities by members, and solicits donations from the local Ukrainian business community. The Society also is the recipient of funding from the Alberta Liquor and Gaming Commission for providing volunteers to work at a casino for two days approximately every two years.