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History
The Inspiration
Like most mothers, Utah
mother Ann Whittaker wanted nothing more than for her children to grow
into confident, self-reliant adults.
When her son, Chase, began exhibiting speech problems at age three, Ann
was told that he might be developmentally delayed in other areas. As
Chase grew, Ann saw how his daily struggles developed into a lack of
confidence that affected everything he did. School was difficult as he
constantly compared himself with the “smart,” “popular,” or “athletic”
students in his class. Extra curricular activities were a struggle as
his talents were not those that could be shown on a stage or on a
sports field. Ann could see that Chase was growing up without a sense
of how special he really was—and it broke her heart.
After years of struggling, Chase came home one day and said the words
that changed Ann’s perspective forever. “Mom,” he said, “how come I’ll
never be good at anything?” Though heartbreaking for any mother to
hear, Ann realized that Chase had been looking for happiness on someone
else’s path. “If Chase is ever going to be able to take care of himself
in this world,” Ann thought, “more than anything else, he needs
confidence in his abilities. If I can find a way to give him that, he
will be able to face any challenge in his future.”
Since Chase’s experiences in school thus far had done little to boost
his confidence, Ann searched every school in the area looking for a
safe place where children didn’t have to worry about labels and could
feel accepted for who they really were. What she discovered was that
many children just like Chase were languishing in their current
schools. To Ann, it seemed that education was missing something. The
children she saw had a desperate need for more one-on-one attention and
programs that would not just teach them to learn, but teach them to
love to learn.
Bit by bit, Ann’s beliefs began to evolve into an all-new approach to education that ultimately resulted in Kids Village.
Through many miracles and through the help of many inspired people Kids
Village opened it’s doors in June of 2003 to children looking for a
unique, hands-on learning experience in a place made just for them.
Just as Ann had hoped, Kids Village has given hundreds of children the
opportunity to discover their unique talents and abilities, and
ultimately, their self-confidence.
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