Harlem4Kids

A Cooperative Effort in the Harlem Community . . . Get Involved!

The Mission
The mission of Harlem4Kids is to promote fun, creative and culturally diverse activities for our children while energizing Harlem families to create a dynamic, supportive network to enrich life in our community.

The History

The history of Harlem4Kids began in January of 2006 with the formation of the Harlem Parents Co-op (“HPC”) by two Harlem parents who wanted their young children to have an opportunity to connect with other young children in the community. The HPC group met every Saturday with their children and enjoyed a wonderful storytime hour led by Miss Mellie Rainbow, with whom the group had established a temporary partnership. As the group’s membership grew, so did the need to establish a definitive mission and focus for HPC. A team of five active parents was formed to chart a new direction for the group. In May of 2006, the group’s temporary partnership with Miss Mellie Rainbow came to an end as she moved on to other projects. In June of 2006, HPC's name was changed to Harlem4Kids to mark the group’s new direction. With a new name, new mission, new website, new team members and plans for additional programming, we’re very excited about the possibilities!

Programs & Events

The programs offered at Harlem4Kids are for young children – newborn to 4 years old. Currently, the core of our programming is our “Storytime Saturdays” (circle time) series. This weekly program includes stories, lively sing-a-longs, movement, making music together with small instruments, and counting in different languages. Our multi-lingual counting has been preserved as a tribute to Miss Mellie Rainbow who first introduced us to this concept. This program is offered every Saturday morning (except for major holidays) and generally runs for about 45 minutes. You don't have to sign up in advance. Feel free to join us every week or whenever you like.

Parent involvement is what makes Harlem4Kids possible – it’s also fun! With the help of parent volunteers, Harlem4Kids is able to produce diverse special events. Visit out Photo Gallery to see pictures from past events.

The Parents

Join the "Harlem4Kids Network" e-mail group. Exchange ideas & information with other H4K parents. You'll also receive the latest H4K news and information about upcoming events. [Click here]

The H4K Team
A team of dedicated moms is the driving force behind Harlem4Kids. The team members are: Christine Kang-Hui, Cynthia Eytina, Erika Thomas-Yuille, Hillary Strong, Joycelyn McGeachy, Karen Greene, Lisa Jones Brown, Satrina Boyce, Remeise Chandler, Tia Dole Pezon and Tiffany Dufu. The H4K Team is always looking for parent volunteers to help implement the programs & events of Harlem4Kids.

Get Involved
Parent volunteerism is at the heart of Harlem4Kids. It's how we keep our programs operating. As a cooperative effort in the Harlem community, we encourage all of our H4K families to help out in some way. If you'd like to volunteer your time, skills or talents in any of the specified areas below (or for a particular upcoming event), just click on one of the links to send an e-mail to the committee chair. Thanks!

Membership.............................. [send e-mail]

Programming............................. [send e-mail]

Special Events......................... [send e-mail]

Business Affairs..................... [send e-mail]

[Click here] to join the Mailing List.

Your Support

We really appreciate your donations! A modest suggested donation (or whatever you can give) makes Harlem4Kids’ activities affordable to everyone. Your contributions go towards expenses related to our programs and events. We’d like to thank all of the parents for their continued interest and support. We wouldn't be able to do this without you!

[Click here] to send us an e-mail.

Community Partners

We'd like to thank L-Hostels for generously donating their space for our weekly storytime program. We'd also like to thank Emmanuel Presbyterian Church in Morningside Heights for recognizing the value of Harlem4Kids in the community and providing us with a much-appreciated grant to cover our insurance expenses this year.

We are grateful for all of our partnerships. Thank you!

L-Hostels
1961 7th Avenue
New York, NY 10026
Tel. 212-222-3103
www.L-Hostels.com

Emmanuel Presbyterian Church
475 Riverside Drive, Suite 1942
New York, NY 10115
Tel: 212-870-3185
www.emmanuelnyc.org

Legal Counsel:
The Law Offices of Joycelyn McGeachy Kuls, LLC
641 Lexington Avenue, Suite 1500
New York, NY 10022
Tel: 646-373-8489
Fax: 212-678-0004
joycelyn@jmkuls.com

Graphic Design and Production by Jessica Honikman.

Our Children Are the Future

Ongoing Classes

Recent Photos