The Kids' Table Presents at University of Michigan Class about Social Change

We were honored to be presenters at a University of Michigan class about social change this spring. Our presentation was about social change at the local level and we discussed the reasons for founding The Kids’ Table, our programs and partnerships, and our impact. The class “Coaching and Consulting for Social Change” is taught by Professor Mike Weiskopf and offered through UM’s School of Education for undergraduate students.  

During our presentation, we had an open dialogue with the students who asked great questions and had many comments about their own experiences with working with nonprofits. The main points of our presentation were:

Addressing a Critical Need: Helping Kids

We started The Kids’ Table as a way to help kids who were missing out on important experiences that many of us take for granted. We wanted to provide help and resources that would make a difference now. And by starting our own nonprofit, we could write our own playbook and focus on achievable outcomes. This led to our first partnership with Northville Public Schools with The Kids’ Table Food Pantry at Cooke School. 

Collaboration and Building Community Engagement

Once we had identified our mission to overcome the developmental, social and emotional issues caused by food insecurity, we then looked at forming partnerships to maximize our impact. Our partnerships are with First Step Shelter, Cromie Elementary Backpacks, Summer Camp Scholarships with 3 area camps, and Guiding Harbor. In each of these partnerships, we are helping kids facing different challenges.

Communicating Impact

A key to social change is informing and educating people about what The Kids’ Table is accomplishing. We measure our impact in categories such as food donated, people helped, volunteer hours, funds raised, and percentage of funds spent directly on programs. Then, we communicate our impact through an annual impact report, our website, community presentations and social media to name a few. We hope that our impact communication efforts inspire people to help others, take action and support The Kids’ Table.

We really enjoyed the opportunity to present to the class. We look forward to staying in touch with the students and to possible future presentations.