CORE VALUES
As indispensable to Kids Growing Strong’s success as our unifying mission, vision and goals are our core values—the distinguishing attributes that characterize how we conduct ourselves as leaders committed to delivering tangible, lasting results. We embrace the following core values that together reflect the way we work toward our mission, with each other, and our communities.
Honesty & Integrity Beyond Reproach:
We commit to the highest standards of conduct and ethical practice in all of our endeavors. We continually strive to exercise integrity beyond reproach and to operate openly and transparently as we pursue our mission.
Volunteerism:
Volunteerism is the heart and soul of our organization. We appreciate the myriad contributions of our volunteers, and recognize the power of “thank you.” We value the power of good that volunteers can achieve. We seek to promote and encourage volunteerism among our stakeholders and the youth we serve.
Respect for Youth:
We believe that children and youth are our most precious resources. We believe in an approach to youth development that builds assets and empowers individuals. We foster leadership, engaging children and youth to give service and make decisions in a democratic society.
Community:
We believe the greatest influence on a child is the family and the greatest influence on the family is the community. We recognize the importance of working with a wide range of community organizations to better serve our children. We are committed to forging partnerships that combine diverse strengths, skills and resources. We value the input we receive from our community partners. We know that lasting success depends upon working together cooperatively and constructively.
Family & Friends:
We believe that the support of family and friends is crucial. We aim to enrich parents’ and other adults’ lives by expanding their skills and knowledge set and encouraging them to share their talents and build relationships with kids. We believe that the best youth development occurs where kids are actively involved in creating their own learning experience with their friends and family.
Accountability & Responsibility:
We believe that organizational integrity forms the foundation of our organization. We demand the highest level of ethics and grow our organization based on interactions that promote mutual trust and respect with our stakeholders. We strive to ensure the highest level of organizational effectiveness by continually reviewing our programs and processes to
improve quality and efficiency.
Patience:
We truly believe that patience is a virtue. We believe kids should be given time to uncover the joys and secrets to be found in nature. We believe that by moving too quickly, much of the magic and beauty of life can be missed. In this hectic world, we strive to slow things down to help children to grow fully rather than quickly.
Giving Back:
We believe that we are very lucky to be living in this time and place with people who care for us. We believe that the joy of giving is even greater than the joy of receiving and strive to foster this joy in children.
Excellence:
Excellence defines who we are and how we conduct our programs. We pro-actively examine our performance and strive to improve in a never ending quest to continually raise our programs to new levels of excellence. We pursue excellence with a passion in all we do.
Innovative Thinking:
Our organization grows through innovative thinking. We are not constrained by fixed ideas. We learn from the past, but are not limited by it. We pro-actively approach challenges and opportunities with innovative thinking to develop creative solutions while managing risk. We value innovative thinking that has the potential to expand our programs and better serve our stakeholders.
Diversity & Balance:
We are inclusive and supportive, both internally and externally emphasizing collaborative effort. We respect and build upon individual differences and perspectives. We are sensitive to diverse backgrounds and beliefs, and we value the unique contributions that each person can make to our cause. We give all individuals an opportunity to be heard and to benefit from our programs.
Commitment to the Future:
We commit ourselves, individually and collectively, to draw on the best available science and most effective methods of communication to have brighter, healthier children and a better world
We commit ourselves, individually and collectively, to draw on the best available science and most effective methods of communication to have brighter, healthier children and a better world
