Kid Channel Project C.L.E.A.N.

The Kid's Channel began two years ago as a dream of the Hendrix family to provide a place for children to safely surf the Internet, become computer literate and environmentally aware. The project has grown from a home page to an organization in the state of Kansas. Samantha Hendrix, age 11, is the Youth Executive Officer, her sisters Nicole, age 7, and Bethany, age 5, participate along with their mother and father.

Individuals from 91 countries have participated in the project and the site has been accessed approximately 51,000 times. The site provides activities suitable for preschoolers to learn simple mouse movements such as the appearing and disappearing picture, although the site is geared toward preteens. Incentives, in the form of prizes are sent to all children globally who wish to participate in the Coloring Contest, which encourages youth to be involved in the arts and computing. Environmental awareness activities are available including stories, games and ideas for activities to stimulate thought about the limited global resources and responsible stewardship. The site is free to all world citizens.

In addition to making a strong contribution to the global community, youth are involved in service projects such as "All About Our Earth," a fourth place winning web project at the Global Schoolhouse International Cyberfair. The project shows youth strategies to impact local communities such as building backyard wildlife habitats, putting environmental or community service posters in public places and contacting public officials to express ideas. Governor Bill Graves responded to the youth's concerns and signed a Proclamation declaring January 1, 2000 as One Day in Peace. Dr. Robert Mueller placed the signed proclamation in the U.N. University for Peace Studies in Costa Rica.

Additional projects include the Lake Adoption Project that was showcased at the Global Schoolhouse Community Shareweb and a cleanup that was listed as an Earth Day activity by the EPA Region 7. The Fifth Place winning International Cyberfair Project – The Friends of the Animal Shelter was a Kid Channel project. Youth built a Web site for the local animal shelter and went to the shelter weekly to take pictures of the homeless animals. Three children raised $300 in one month through the use of donation cans in the small rural community. This money was used for paint and improvements to the deteriorating shelter facility.

Currently, the group is developing a site that combines all of their service projects. The local projects benefit the local community while the web projects benefit the greater global community.