Kids to Kids

Our Story

Kids to Kids (K2K) was started by four middle school-aged girls in 2005: Julia and Amelia Haney and Sarah and Emily Nuss. Their goal was to help children in other countries develop their artistic, athletic and educational interests. The plan was simple: gather money and supplies through kids in the United States and ship them to kids in underserved communities abroad. Initially they collected supplies and money in their local town and sent them to the Dominican Republic (DR).

In 2006, they made a trip to the DR to meet the kids they were helping. When they saw the conditions on the ground and realized their ability to create positive changes in the lives of other kids, the girls decided to expand their work. Looking for people integrated into communities worldwide whose judgment they could trust, the girls turned to the Peace Corps. Based on discussions with a number of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) and the local community leaders with whom they were partnered, the plan to extend the reach of K2K was hatched.

Kids to Kids has come a long way in the past several years! We no longer collect supplies; rather, we have learned that the best way to maximize our effect is to provide grants to PCVs who partner with community leaders to implement fun, meaningful and educational projects for youth. In 2009, K2K became a part of World Connect, an international nonprofit organization. Together, K2K and World Connect are improving the health and well-being of kids around the globe by encouraging them to make healthy choices, protect the environment and participate in innovative art, athletic and educational projects.

As of January 2010, Kids to Kids has provided over 180 micro-grants for projects in Belize, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic and El Salvador!