Kid Launch provides lifelong opportunities
Kid Launch is an empowerment and leadership-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, advocacy, outreach and support to children in highly impoverished regions.
Mission
Kid Launch is an empowerment and leadership-based non-profit organization dedicated to providing education, advocacy, outreach and support to children in highly impoverished regions. We are building projects in communities that are proactive and highly involved in the project – the end result being that they assume control and remain committed to a self-sustained effort. Kid Launch merely provides a spark where one may not otherwise be found – the flame must ultimately burn with the children and the community which must support them and accept final responsibility for their success.
Our activities include:
Communitywide vocational training and occupational education
Provision of Thai and foreign volunteers
Integration of a child rights violation prevention training program
Vision
We will one day see a world in which every child has unlimited access to the world of knowledge through equal education opportunities, is able to maximize his or her capacity to aspire, and is free from poverty, slave labor, commercial prostitution, and all violations against the rights of the child. The ultimate goal of Kid Launch is to become irrelevant – to arrive at a time where its services are no longer needed.
About Us
The Kid Launch program was founded in the summer of 2008 in response to the widespread educational hurdle faced by thousands of children every year in one of the world’s poorest regions. It is an effort to bring support where other programs have not yet reached or, in many cases, have thus far failed. Education is our children’s doorway to the world. It is the hinge upon which their futures rest and their lives depend.
Kid Launch is part of a collaborative effort to put children back in school and return hope where once it was lost. For those that do not attend school, there are few remaining choices. Many children, male and female alike, will be forced to continue living well below the poverty line, join the country’s lucrative sex trade as prostitutes, or enter into various forms of slave labor.
The future of a child without education in Thailand is impoverished and subject to prostitution, slave labor and human trafficking. Kid Launch is a Thailand-based program providing community education and outreach in support of children that may not otherwise have access to schooling. The recipients of our services have sought out our help and are selected based on a variety of criteria. Specialists conduct community evaluations to determine the potential significance of our support and if future development can be sustained by the community subsequent to an initial effort.
Every attempt is made to ensure long-term sustainability through local empowerment and leadership development rather than oversight and management.
Who We Serve
We are working for the hill tribe communities and their children in Northern Thailand. The Thai border in search of safety and economic opportunity, Most of the hill tribe people are agriculture and lives are in poor conditions. They are working hard but without any opportunities or access to a better life. Here, living and working conditions are harsh, local health care is denied, and integration into Thai society is rare. They seek education for their children as a way out of poverty and into opportunity. As have countless families around the globe before them, they seek a better future for future generations.
100% of your donations, energy, motication and creativity goes directly to improving the lives of children through the development of sustainable grassroots projects. 100% you.
Want to get involved with Kid launch?
Kid Launch recognizes and values the vital role volunteers play in many varied areas of its work, and in pursuing our organizational aims and objectives. Volunteers complement and support the work of paid staff, and bring a host of important qualities to the organization, including skills and expertise, life experience, and time and enthusiasm. Kid Launch appreciates volunteering is a two-way process which benefits both the organization and volunteers and we are keen to encourage flexibility and choice for those who volunteer with us, and most importantly to emphasize that volunteering should, among other things, be fun!
Education is our focus
Since its creation in later part of 2008, Kid Launch has worked to provide and improve education worldwide
believing
it to be a key tool for social and 533369_10151216262024488_1385949076_neconomic development. The Organization aims to contribute toward the building of a sustainable world where societies that value knowledge, promote peace, celebrate diversity and defend human rights may flourish.
Build a School
Kid launch continuously builds schools & Learning centers for various communities. During the construction period, our volunteers from different countries help to assist the villagers who are working to complete the building. The time to complete learning center will depend on location, logistics & how large the Project is.
Support a Child
The problems facing many countries in the developing world today are varied and at times seem overwhelming. But it is possible to make a difference to individual lives through child sponsorship.
As a small grass roots charity organization, it is possible for our volunteers and donor’s to meet most of the children and follow their progress closely. Your support for their school fees will transform not just a child’s life, but the lives and hopes of a whole family. We will keep you informed by email of how our work is progressing, including an annual report of your sponsored child’s progress.
Summer Camp
During the many school holidays and public holidays, we at Travel to Teach and try to arrange either summer camps for the local children to take part in where they can learn English in an informal way along with playing games, sports and other activities.
The Demand
For many children in Thailand, attending school is either not an option or they are enrolling much too late. Despite positive changes made in Thai education policy over recent years, the prospect of seeing the inside of a classroom remains a distant dream for many inhabitants of the country’s rural Northern provinces.
The resultant poverty too often makes the fulfillment of child rights logistically cumbersome. Along the fringes of poverty exists a lack of social support and scarce socioeconomic opportunities. It is a place in which children are at the most risk and likelihood to be swept into abusive sectors of work shielded from law-based wage regulations and safety conditions. It is ultimately where they are most likely to fall into the hands of slave labor and/or sexual exploitation.
Goals
- Make available schooling to children currently without education in the most impoverished northern Thai provinces.
- Offer community development and support to target locations to ensure sustainability and self-sufficiency of educational programs.
- Emphasize leadership development qualities among children, reinforce creativity, and create group cohesion and support.
- Build child protection mechanisms and reinforce supporting values and attitudes within the communities.
- Create self-awareness with respect to job skills and occupational opportunities to ensure that children throughout the communities are able to make the appropriate decisions regarding their future prospects.
- Begin to alleviate strain on impoverished communities and provide tools and expertise for sustainable development to support educational initiatives.
- Prevent children at risk from entering any form of slave labor, the commercial sex industry, or any other form of exploitation.
- Raise awareness of children’s rights and prevent the violation thereof.
- Strengthen the target areas’ cultures, values and beliefs with the express intent of securing the children’s future and maximizing their capacities to aspire.
Building Schools, Building Hope
Since 2009, we have built a new school every two years in northern Thailand. Currently only about 60% of the impoverished hill tribe children can attend school due to a lack of access. Explore our website to learn more about the schools and how you can help us build more!
Schools we’ve built
Encouraged by the success of the first building project, Kid Launch’s goal is to continue fund-raising to build more schools in northern Thailand with our community partners.
Your contribution will make a difference.
Here are just few of the items your donation can provide:
$30,000
A new middle school for 220 students.
$10,000
A wind machine for the whole village. ( Solar power wind generator )
$500
A desktop computer for school.
$250
Art materials for art activities.
$50
Shutters for one window.
$35
A teacher’s desk.
$25
Anti-rust paint for all the metal doors and windows.
$20,000
A new primary school for four class rooms.
$1,250
A Bio-Active reforming system for drinking water, will be useful for the whole community.
$300
Sport materials for all students.
$100
A classroom door or a cabinet for classroom materials.
$40
A student desk & bench that seats 3-4 children.
$30
A 30 kg. pail of interior paint.
$10
2 kg of black slate paint for a classroom chalkboard.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
General
What is the background of Kid Launch? Why was it set up?
Kid Launch is a small private organization focusing on the needs of children living in
remote hill tribe communities in Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Mae Hong Son and
Kanchanaburi provinces. These communities are currently unrecognized by other
humanitarian .it was determined that help is definitely needed.
How do you know that these villages and these children really do need your help?
A formal request for the assistance and educational support of the children living in
these communities was made during the initial visits made by Kid Launch. The
educational background of the villages was also assessed, i.e. on what kind of
educational provision had already been made by the Government or other
humanitarian organizations, and it was found that provision had been limited or
inconsistent.
What about preserving the culture and traditions of these villages? Has careful consideration been made towards this issue?
Kid Launch’s education program focuses initially on bringing education to the
children, in the form of a formal learning center, educational equipment and supplies,
and volunteer teachers of various subjects. By staying in their own communities and
with their families, the children will not be able to forget their own culture and
traditions. In addition to this, as part of the education program that Kid Launch wishes
to bring to these communities, the students will be encouraged to participate in
cultural exploration activities to give them the means to find out more about their own
culture and be able to explain it to others. These activities will involve joint
demonstrations of dance, art work, clothing, history etc. One of the goals of Kid
Launch is not only to provide opportunities for the children to learn but also to
provide a foundation on which the children can be proud of where they come from.
Volunteering
What are the qualifications needed for teaching?
Volunteer teachers need to be high school graduates at least, although graduates from
further education institutions are desirable. Teachers also need to be dynamic,
flexible, energetic and good with children. They will be required to be not only
valuable sources of information and knowledge for the students, but also to be role
models. As a result, volunteer teachers need to recognize that there are certain codes
of behaviour to observe while living in the community and maintaining an element of
discretion is a very important quality. Further explanation about the codes of conduct
to be followed while volunteering is given in the ‘Volunteer Survival Kit’ which is
provided after the application process is complete. Or visit Kid Launch website to see
our Volunteer Survival Kit.
If I’ve never spent a long time abroad or in a remote location, how difficult will a volunteer position with Kid Launch be?
If you’ve never spent time in Asia before, be prepared for the vast differences
between your own culture and that of Asia and that of South-East Asia. It is also
important to be prepared to be in an environment that may be completely alien to one
in which you are used to.
Similarly, if you’ve spent time in Thailand but have rarely been off the beaten track,
you should be ready to live in environment that will only provide you with the bare
necessities for living. If you are a person who can adapt to any kind of environment
and enjoy a rustic lifestyle or living frugally, then volunteering with Kid Launch will
be a thoroughly tremendous experience.
Can I volunteer for just one week?
The term of commitment for volunteering as an English teacher can be a minimum of
ten days. The term of commitment for volunteering as either an outreach worker, Kids
Ministry volunteer or a Youth Ministry, volunteer can be a minimum of one week.
Do I have to bring my own food?
Normally, the villagers in the communities where Kid Launch is running its education
programs make meals using the food that they have harvested and volunteers are
invited to join in with the meal preparation and can eat with the family that they are
staying with. However, don’t expect a huge variety of choice in terms of food
available. If you have any special dietary needs or allergies, please inform Kid
Launch before your period of volunteering begins. Note: it is very important that
you inform Kid Launch of this or that you require extra supplies before you are
taken to the village where you are assigned.
Do I have to bring my own teaching materials?
Anything that you can bring that will make your lessons a valuable experience for the
students is welcomed, although an obvious consideration would be the ease at which
you will be able to carry these materials. Kid Launch will ensure that the learning
centres are equipped with the basic educational equipment and supplies such as
whiteboards, whiteboard markers, pens and pencils, etc.
At the moment, what level of English are the students at?
Currently, the students have little to no English ability so teachers who have the
ability to be creative and communicative will be at an advantage
Can I teach more than one subject?
Of course! If you have the experience, the ability or the qualifications to teach more
than one subject, this would be an advantage. However, Kid Launch reserves the right
to assign a subject to you based on the qualifications given in your application and
your references.
Sponsorship Program
What exactly does the sponsorship money for a child go towards?
The money will be used mainly for the child’s education costs. This includes:
– stationery and books (and other educational supplies, such as artistic equipment),
– transportation, accommodation and food (if the child can continue to study in a
government school in a nearby town etc.),
– school fees (same as above)
Other costs that would be incurred in daily life would include food, clothing and
blankets as well as a small amount for the child’s pocket money.
How do I know that my money is going directly to the child that I’m helping?
Kid Launch will provide sponsors with photos of the children annually and status
updates of the sponsored children monthly. Meanwhile, records of every payment
made will be logged in our financial records as a means of providing accountability
and transparency to our sponsors.
Can I contact or send anything directly to the child that I’m helping?
You can contact the child that you are helping care of Kid Launch at the Kid Launch
contact address provided. At the same time, Kid Launch will encourage regular
correspondence between the children and their respective sponsors.
What is the maximum age of the children eligible for this program?
Kid Launch runs two programs: one is called the Kids Ministry and this provides for
children from the ages of 1 – 12 years. The other is called the Youth Ministry which
provides for children from the ages of 13 – 22 years. Sponsors may choose to support
a child from the age of 1 year throughout their education for example, or they may
choose to support a teenager so that he/she may have the opportunity to graduate from
a government secondary school and then enter into further education. Depending on
the amount provided by the sponsor, the child may eventually be able to study in
order to gain internationally-recognized academic qualifications such as those from
IELTS or GED.
How are the children chosen for eligibility?
Every child in the hill tribe villages in which Kid Launch runs their programs are
eligible to join the program, but of course only with their parent’s consent. Special
consideration is given for children without parents and children with parents without
jobs.
Do the children get separated from their parents while they are on the program?
Initially, while the children are studying at the formal learning centre within their
villages, they will not be separated from their parents. If they are given the
opportunity to live and study at a government school nearby, transportation will be
provided so that children may visit their parents at the weekends.
Get In Touch With Us
Kid Launch
Sangkhlaburi
Kanchanaburi Province, 71240 Thailand
+66.82.188.9131
Terms and Conditions
Once you have sent us an email expressing interest in volunteering with Kid Launch, we will send you an application form or volunteers may download and attachment below. Your application will be taken into consideration only when your completed application form, cover letter CV are received.
Volunteers need to have all their documentation completed before they will be able to work. It is strenuously recommended that volunteers take out health insurance before they start work.
Once your application has been approved and you are assigned to a school, we expect that you will read at our Volunteer Survival Kit. With details of what to expect while you are volunteering with Kid Launch.
Due the Thai immigration, Kid Launch can only accept non-Thai applicants, who have a visa valid for 2 months or more.
Volunteers may only work in the area in which they are assigned by Kid Launch, although it will be possible for them to indicate their preferred area in the application form. If their application is successful, this will be taken into consideration during the post application procedure.
Administration fees:
Kid Launch will charge each successful applicant $100 for administration fees and for room and board. Volunteers are required to cover all their own transportation expenses.
The type of room and board will depend on the area in which volunteer is assigned and the length of time that they will spend there.
Note:
We do NOT provide new volunteers with VISA . If a volunteer wishes to continue their work after the specified period. Future arrangement can be made then.
Together we can enable people to achieve a more just and sustainable world in their school and communities, as well as more widely, in which power and resources are more fairly shared by all. You can support us in many ways or simply make a donation to the program.
100% of contributions go directly toward the children’s education.
Many thanks
To the contributors of the school building project thus far. The villagers have expressed their gratitude and are very happy to know people abroad do care about them. If you are ever in the area, please stop by for a visit with the students and teachers and have a tour of the school.