Mission
The Kiva Center began with a vision…A vision to provide children with learning experiences where they feel at home within their community, revel in the wonders of the outdoors, and be recognized for the unique gifts they carry.
The Kiva Center’s mission is to build inner-strength and compassion in Colorado’s youth through transformational nature-connection experiences.
When we stop to listen to the youth of our community, the underlying tone of hopelessness, loneliness, and fear is often present. They witness what is happening around them, from environmental degradation, people and cultures fighting, human rights subjective to identity, and much more, as well as figuring out who they are. They carry so much on their shoulders, in their bodies and hearts. At The Kiva Center, we see our youth. We see potential, a desire for more inclusion, a longing in them for more hope in the world.
The Kiva Center programs are structured to offer today’s youth hope, connection, and community through a connection with the natural world and all the healing that comes with this connection. We support children ages 5-17 years old to develop authentic relationships with one another. We provide a safer space to practice using their voices and standing up for what matters to them, empowering the next generation of leaders.
More about this organization
Started in the backyard of a picturesque 3.5 acre property in south Boulder, founders Kasey Schelling, Ashley Kulik, and Garrett Braun heard the call of the community to create a space for youth to authentically connect with their self, each other, and the natural world. At The Kiva Center, children are granted the opportunity to enjoy the gifts of this Earth without the interruption of screens, just as their parents did, just as our ancestors have for thousands of years. If we hope for the youth to develop their innate connection to the natural world and to each other, we must provide them with the experiences to fall in love with nature together, just as we did when we were young.
Other ways to help
