Inspiring Conversations with Kristy Schena of Kids On The Go

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kristy Schena.

Hi Kristy, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story. 

I began my career as a speech pathologist in 1996. I was working at a local hospital, and part of my job included completing insurance verifications for children who needed outpatient speech therapy. I quickly discovered that many insurance companies do not have benefits for these children and that private therapy at that time would cost a family $45 for only 15 minutes of therapy. I explored the option of a summer camp and found that many families had so many other medical expenses that even a discounted rate for camp was too costly. I had the idea to reach out to local businesses and see if they would sponsor a child for camp. Our very first summer camp, Kids On The Go (KOTG) took place in the basement of Bi-County Hospital in 1999. Our team spent some time working with Macomb Intermediate School district to create a program for children with special needs (ages 3-6) that would provide carryover skills during the summer months so a child would not fall behind and experience what many call the “summer slide.” Our very first year we hosted a six-week multidisciplinary camp for thirteen children funded by five sponsors.

The program continued to grow and expand within the community. Programs eventually took place at Mount Clemens General Hospital and then moved to Saint John Oakland Hospital in 2001 where we expanded services for children up to age 12 and added classes that included Better Letters (fine motor development) and Gymnastics (Gross Motor development). In 2007 we moved our programs to Assumption Cultural Center in Saint Clair Shores where we had additional classroom space to increase our programs (music therapy, movie makers, storytellers, yoga, social skills) and established our first Advisory Board. At that time, we were under the supervision and the 501C3 status of Saint John Hospital. With the direction of our Advisory Board and due to our growth, in 2012, KOTG became an independent 501C3. In 2018, the opportunity for KOTG to provide year-round programs and the dream to have a permanent home became a reality. We moved into the former Pare Elementary School in Saint Clair Shores (recreated to be a Nonprofit Center in 2017). We renovated 4 classrooms to hold our array of programs. It was also in 2018 that we celebrated our 20th Anniversary of providing free therapy for children with special needs and expanded our programming to include teens and provide services for children 3-17. This same year, KOTG was recognized by the Grosse Pointe Chamber of Commerce with the Excellence In Nonprofit Activity Award, and I was awarded an Outstanding Alumni Award by the College of Communication Arts and Sciences at Michigan State University, where I continue to serve today on the Executive Board as the Development Chair of the Alumni Board.

Kids On The Go celebrated our 25th Anniversary this year and are proud to say that we have provided nearly 5000 scholarships and host more than 50 programs throughout the calendar year at no cost to a child’s family. Kids On The Go operates programs in Macomb, Oakland, Wayne Counties, and in Traverse City (started in 2000 and today hosts 4 summer programs at Northwestern Michigan College). Our programs include the Multidisciplinary Camp, Better Letters, Letters Together, Summer Sounds, Storytellers, Art Therapy, Music Therapy, Bucket Drumming, Adaptive Dance, Adaptive Theater, Social Skills, Going Social, Klub 16, Teens To Work, Independent Living, Tennis, Golf- Learn to Golf and 3 Hole League, Basketball, Baseball, Cheerleading, Flag Football, Boxing, Circuit Training, Empowered Too!, Cooking Adventures, Toddlers at the Table, Socially Snacky, Communication in a Digital World (Podcast/Broadcasting), Robotics, Gardening, Bike Riding – Try & Ready to Ride, Hiking, Yoga, and Literacy.

I started KOTG because I recognized the need for these children to keep their therapies going even when school ended for the year. I was frustrated for parents that wanted the best for their children, but their insurance would not cover the therapies, and private therapy was too costly (in 1999, it was $45 for 15 min of therapy, and today it is on average $115 for 15 min of therapy). My approach was to get the support of local businesses and private donors to sponsor a child. Today KOTG still relies on local businesses, private donors; however, also seeks grants for program support and holds annual events with sponsorships to secure funding to “keep us going”.

A personal side of this story was in 2007 when I had three children, a three-year-old and one-year-old twins. I was still working part-time as a speech pathologist and running KOTG. My husband approached me about the amount of time KOTG was taking away from our family. I asked for one more year to allow me to get to my 10th year and find a way to “wrap it all up.” Within three months of that conversation one of my twins was diagnosed with hypotonia, low muscle tone from head to toe. We began our journey as parents of a child with special needs. Our son’s therapy was not covered by insurance and the braces he required to strengthen his legs were also an out-of-pocket expense for us. It never became a question of IF I was going to keep KOTG going but HOW I was going to do it. When he turned 3, he became a camper and would attend for two summers. It was five years later that my oldest son was diagnosed with a rare form of epilepsy. KOTG, again, was a blessing to our family. There were families that I could reach out to for resources and direction and at times, just to share a good cry. Another beautiful gift that has come out of KOTG is the parents’ finding friendships and support from each other.

In the past 25 years, we have been able to maintain contact with so many of our families. Many will come to see us at our annual Summer Celebration where we personally recognize our Sponsors/Donors and provide a fun setting to celebrate these campers’ accomplishments. Some of our outstanding alumni stories include: CJ now in his 3rd year of law school at MSU and hoping to specialize in-laws for those with Disabilities, Ethan who has Autism on the national archery team, Will who has autism and learned to golf through our program and was crowned his club junior champion, Sophie who was in our Teens To Work program and discovered her passion for baking and is now enrolled at Rising Star Academy post high school graduation, and Griffin (also TTW program) who is now employed by Corewell Health in their launch program working as a transport for Radiology.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Like most things in life there are challenges. The biggest challenges I have faced over the past twenty-five years include: balancing my career as an Speech Pathologist and being a mom of 3 young children (2 whom would have medical issues); as the health care systems began to change I recognized the need for KOTG to become an independent 501c3 and it meant taking on more organizational/administrative responsibilities; the Pandemic and finding ways to prevent these children from falling back when they had been making so much progress (we did not stop- we held 42 virtual sessions the summer of 2020, 9 in person with social distancing outside and modifications, and one in person);
and like most nonprofits, always making sure we have enough funding to “Keep Going!”

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
We are a nonprofit organization that provides free therapy for children with special needs ages 3-17. We work with children with diagnoses that include autism, cerebral palsy, down syndrome, developmental delays, hearing impaired. We are unique and set apart from others because nothing in the special needs world is free!

The mission of Kids On The Go is to recognize and facilitate the goals of children with special needs and to further develop their current skills through therapeutic and wellness programs for the children and their families.

Our vision is to provide a safe environment that will foster opportunities for growth, inclusion and provides valuable resources for our community.

How do you think about luck?
I don’t believe in luck. I believe that God put me on this journey 26 years ago- I was not married and did not have children at the time. The program has blessed by family and my children. I have been blessed to work with the very best professionals who are experts in their fields and have been inspired by the families we serve.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.kidsonthegocamp.com
• Instagram: https://www.facebook.com/kidsonthegocamp
• Facebook: https://www.instagram.com/kidsonthegocamp/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristy-schena-1b21b18/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1-W4OPjWRYv21T92XPeiVA
• Other: https://www.linkedin.com/company/65499377/admin/feed/posts/

Image Credits
Kristy Schena