Here’s what Ishaan Agarwal knows: “Leadership is not about control but about helping people work together to achieve a goal.”
It’s a lesson the Issaquah High School senior learned through his participation in Kids Coming Together (KCT), a Sammamish-based nonprofit that connects kids in grades three through eight with teen leaders in grades nine through 12 around shared interests and community service projects.
As participants describe the experience, KCT is a social organization with a volunteer component as well as a volunteer organization with a social component. Its events are a great way for kids of all ages to make a difference in their community and build friendships.
Deb Carmichael, KCT executive director sums up the mission this way: “If kids get into the car after one of our events, and they have something bubbling out of them they just can’t wait to share with a parent or family member, then it’s been a success.”
What causes that sort of enthusiasm? Each KCT event offers the chance to make a connection with real people or places.
“Maybe it’s learning that the books they are packaging will travel halfway around the world to other kids who are learning to read English,” says Carmichael. “Or maybe it’s just learning that they like the same movies as one of their teen leaders.”
The organization shoots for hosting multiple events each month. They have packaged donated books and toys and pulled together hygiene bags for those in need, including personal notes to recipients in the region and abroad. They have also facilitated pen pal letter-writing events and led cleanup efforts in area parks.
Kids Coming Together was founded in 2016. Carmichael came on board in 2019 and has worked with the organization’s Board of Directors and Youth Board to grow and expand the program’s reach. Teen board members devote their time helping expand KCT and in doing so develop critical leadership, teamwork, and decision-making skills. Last year, nearly 950 youth participants and more than 500 teen volunteers participated in events.
“The events team really tries to find new and interesting events that are both feasible and cater to the different interests of the kids,” says Shreya Ambekar, a senior at Eastlake High School and president of the KCT Youth Board. “We want a good balance between continuing past events that have been really popular and new opportunities to impact the community.”
All KCT events are free and are open to youth and teens from throughout the region. The group relies on donations and sponsorships to ensure that there are no barriers to participation.
Tanya Nair, also an Eastlake High School senior and the fundraising chairperson for KCT, has been involved with the nonprofit since she was in sixth grade.
“I found out about KCT through my mom, who saw a post on Facebook, and I attended off and on up until COVID,” Nair says. “When events started back up again, KCT’s role changed for me. I wasn’t just coming to have fun or fulfill volunteer requirements for high school, but to rebuild my social skills and reconnect with people in-person.
“The connections were so valuable to me because they were confidence building at a time I really needed it,” Nair adds. That — coming together and connecting — is the heart of KCT.
Events are structured to welcome everyone and create a low-risk environment for making new friends while working toward a common goal. Youth participants are organized into small pods, each with a set of teen leaders. As they work, teens and younger volunteers discover common interests and ideas. Carmichael says that about half of all youth and teen volunteers return to participate in other events after their initial experience. Seeing those repeat attendees become more comfortable interacting with each other and excited about their work helping others motivates Carmichael to keep growing the program.
Ishaan Agarwal, the Issaquah High student and KCT’s vice president of marketing, says he loves the recurring events and that he especially looks forward to LEGO Gifting. That’s when participants come together to build with and then bag up donated LEGOS, which are then sent to KidVantage and distributed to children in need.
Ishaan says he believes his experience with Kids Coming Together will benefit him far beyond his time with the organization.
“Being able to connect and interact with different ages and personalities will be important when I get to college and into the workforce,” he says.
Volunteer activities typically last 60 to 90 minutes and teen leaders are asked to arrive 30 minutes prior to an event. Volunteer opportunities in March will include a cookie decorating and poster making event to benefit the women in need at The Sophia Way.
