The Kaleidoscope Project is an intermediary of John Rex Endowment. We work with community agencies to improve places and spaces where children live, play, and grow. We focus on capacity building of partner organizations to concentrate on systemic issues that increase vulnerabilities specifically for black and brown children in Wake County.

We seek to: Create racially equitable environments for children to support their social-emotional health and foster relationship building with adults and other children in those spaces.

We seek to: Mobilize a network of organizations and groups working directly with families most challenged with structural racism to create places that strengthen child mental health.

We seek to: increase positive change in Wake County systems that affect racial equity, young child mental health, and the places children spend time.

Together,
We’re turning the places kids go into places, kids grow.

Our Work

For a number of years, The Kaleidoscope Project has been making a difference in the social emotional well-being of children and families in the places where they spend time. We know, structural racism, barriers are created that prevent black and brown children from living their best lives socially, emotionally, and mentally. Building on previous work, the project will use a lens of racial equity to examine its best practices and interventions.

Action through Partnership

Acting as a facilitator and funder, The Kaleidoscope Project is seeking a Partner Organization to connect us to authentic community expertise and leadership. The Partner would not necessarily implement changes; they would help develop the trust they have built over time, help us connect with the right people, and participate in grassroots committee decision making.

Funded by the John Rex Endowment, The Kaleidoscope Project works in partnership with:
CounterPart Consulting, LLC
Partners for Impact

The Need

We are fortunate to live in a community with extensive resources to nourish, support, and enrich our children’s lives. But thousands of our children still need more help.

Many Wake County kids face tough daily realities like poverty and food insecurity. As they get older, many of our children face serious underlying mental, social or behavioral issues, yet only 1 in 3 receive the mental health services they need in Wake County.

According to a Duke psychiatrist, youth mental health crisis is “the next wave of the pandemic.” The pandemic has magnified how fragile mental health is for many children and adolescents. Read the article by Anne Blythe.

Upcoming events

  • 2024 NCAEYC Annual Conference Sept. 20-21

    NAEYC's Annual Conference is the world’s largest gathering of early childhood professionals offering hundreds of engaging and informative sessions, poster displays, and more. We invite you to share your research, content expertise, and experience at the 2024 NAEYC Annual Conference

    Fri, Sep 20 at 9:00am to

    Sat, Sep 21 at 2:00pm EDT

    Raleigh Crabtree Marriott

    4500 Marriott Drive

    Raleigh, NC 27612

  • 21,552

    Children living in poverty
    Kids Count Data Center

  • 13.1%

    Children in food insecure households
    NC Child

  • 5,373

    Child abuse and neglect reports
    Kids Count Data Center

  • 1,895

    Juvenile Justice complaints
    NC Dept. of Public Safety

  • 644

    Students Suspended
    Wake County Public School System

  • 6,500

    Children who are homeless
    Families Together

  • 4,747

    Children who are experiencing homelessness
    Wake County Public School System

  • 70%

    Students bullied at Middle School
    Wake County Public School System