Welcome to The HALO Learning Center!

The HALO Learning Center in Kansas City opened its doors in the Spring of 2010. Since then we have been focused on growing our programs and expanding our mission: The HALO Learning Center is committed to improving the lives of youth in need. It serves as a safe haven that fosters educational and emotional growth while equipping at-risk youth with the skills to become contributing members of their communities. We begin this blog today as an attempt to bring The Center and our Members (Kansas City's homeless and foster youth) a little closer to you. The HALO Center Team - Director, Interns and Volunteers - will be maintaining the blog. Each week a member of the team will bring you news from The Center. Take a peek by catching this month's HALO News clip featuring The Center  - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxfEnWfUiWM.

To begin, I would like to give you a quick background into how The Center came about. The HALO Learning Center is a domestic program supported by The HALO Foundation, Helping Art Liberate Orphans. The HALO Foundation currently supports 13 homes and programs in 6 different countries - India, Kenya, Mexico, Nicaragua, Uganda and United States. The HALO Foundation is committed to enhancing the living conditions and providing art therapy for orphans worldwide. Orphans supported by HALO are provided food, water, shelter, clothing, education, and art therapy. To learn more about HALO, visit haloworldwide.org.

HALO Headquarter's are in Kansas City, MO where only where only two full time employees and one part time employee along with hundreds of dedicated HALO volunteers work diligently to serve youth in need worldwide. HALO has been providing outreach based art therapy to youth living in residential homes in Kansas City since it was founded. In the Spring of 2010, a space opened up in the Livestock Exchange Building where HALO was able to begin focusing on growing it's outreach program. This is where The HALO Learning Center was born.

The Center partners with local homeless shelters and residential homes to provide art therapy and life skills workshops to the youth living in these homes. The Center currently works with Big Brothers Big Sisters, Front Porch Alliance, Nile's Home for Children, reStart Inc.'s Family Emergency Shelter, and reStart Inc.'s Youth Emergency Shelter. Just like HALO, The HALO Learning Center is run primarily by volunteers. Local artists, craftsmen and professionals teach workshops based upon their skills set. We will attempt to spotlight the many volunteers, whom help us achieve our mission, through this blog. Look forward to learning more about how they give to our community's at-risk youth.

The HALO Learning Center has been structured to develop all programming around its Dream Campaign. The Dream Campaign is a future-focused campaign designed to guide each Member’s thinking to become more aware of their life dreams. The goal is to challenge the youth to visualize their dreams as well as document their progress toward achieving those dreams. The Dream Campaign is a 5-step process; with each completed step, Members will become closer to creating a sustainable future for themselves.

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The Center is currently in the final stages of creating an apprenticeship program that will connect The Center's Members to professionals within our community where they will work one-on-one together, to help advance the Member's professional horizons. 

In the weeks to come, we will feature The Center's Members, volunteers, upcoming events, and HALO Center news. Stay tuned...