Draft:Kids in the Spotlight

Kids in the Spotlight, Inc. (KITS) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides filmmaking and vocational training opportunities for foster care-impacted and underserved youth aged 12-24 in Los Angeles County.

KITS also serves as a foster care-to-career pipeline by offering internships and job opportunities. KITS’ youth receive personalized support for system navigation and case management services based on their individual needs. These services include assistance with education, housing, 24/7 access to counseling 24/7, and other essential resources.

Since its establishment, KITS has created over 100 films with over 1,000 foster youth aged 12-24 through its Script-to-Screen program, and over 100 paid work opportunities for alum aged 18-24 at KITS’ workforce development center, Production Studio with Purpose, which opened on March 31, 2023.

In addition, KITS serves as a foster care-to-career pipeline by offering internships and job opportunities for youth aged 18-24. offerIn addition to its film pror youth aged 18-24, KITS KITS’ youth receive personalized support for system navigation and case management services based on their individual needs. These services include assistance with education, housing, 24/7 access to counseling 24/7, and other essential resources.

History

Kids in the Spotlight was founded on May 6, 2009, by social entrepreneur, author, and TEDx speaker Tige Charity.

Founder Tige Charity founded Kids in the Spotlight to provide youth in foster care with an outlet and platform for storytelling and filmmaking as a means of healing. Charity has been recognized by Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Washington Post, The Hollywood Reporter, Rolling Stone, Variety, and more.

Beginning with zero funding, her public outreach and leadership as CEO has built a significant pipeline of opportunity and support between Hollywood’s film industry and LA County’s system-impacted youth, growing the operating budget to over $2,000,000. In 2021, to expand KITS’ services to include opportunities for youth aging out of the foster care system, Charity raised $150,000 in 50 days for the KITS Production Studio with a Purpose.

She is a member of the Women Presidents Organization, a fellow in the City Scholars Fellowship Foundation’s CEO Leadership Program, and a recipient of the David Lieber Leadership Award, African American Channel Ubuntu Award, Black Women Lawyers Foundation Community Service Award, Whispers from Children’s Heart Foundation Legacy Award, The Multicultural International Motion Picture Associations Community Service Award, The Golden Heart L.O.V.E. Award, Unsung Hero Leadership Award, and Vessels of Honor C.O.D.E. of Honor Award

A TEDx speaker, Tige Charity uses her platform to shed light on the realities of youth in foster care. She has appeared on the Golden Globes, The Kelly Clarkson Show, Entertainment Tonight, The Insider, The Jim Jefferies Show, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Fox 11 News, ABC 7 News, Telemundo News, and more.

Programs

Script-to-Screen KITS’ flagship Script-to-Screen program offers foster youth hands-on filmmaking training experience. This 10–15-week program encourages participants to tell their stories authentically as they write, cast, and star in their own short films under the mentorship of industry professionals–from directors and screenwriters to lighting and set designers.

Among KITS’ award-winning productions, one film entitled “Time for Change” brought 3 KITS filmmakers to the White House at the invitation of former President Obama’s White House Student Film Festival after being selected as one of 15 films selected out of 700 submissions for the first-ever South by South Lawn on October 2, 2016.

KITS Production Studio with Purpose KITS Production Studio with Purpose (PSWP) opened in 2024. Located in Van Nuys, CA, the 5,300-square-foot full-service production facility operates as a workforce development center to prepare foster youth and underserved youth for entry-level jobs and media arts internships through hands-on training, career exploration, and paid work opportunities, and offers multiple production sets designed to support a vast array of projects from small independent productions to large TV and film productions. Efforts to establish the program began in 2021 after raising $150,000 in 50 days and continued with a surprise a $350,000 donation from Zach King. Sets for the studio donated by WB Encore, HBO’s Westworld, Disney, ABC Signature, and others.

Notable Projects

Alum • 3 alums hired as Youth Producers for an Elevate Youth California-funded feature length documentary • In a 2021 collaboration with Ringo Starr, KITS’ young filmmakers helped conceptualize Starr’s ‘Let’s Change the World’ video and were able to assist and shadow on production day, where they gained hands-on experience helping with directing, lighting, choreography, wardrobe, photography, and more. • Fallout Boy’s music video “Church” premieres, which was directed by a KITS 2010 alum, dayday • KITS provides internships/paid work opportunities as ICM Partners hires 2 alums as paid summer interns

Partnerships Over half of KITS’ budget is from in-kind contributions of volunteer services and equipment donations from supporters like Disney and Warner Bros., and organizational partners like AmeriCorps and Inner City Arts make it possible to bring KITS’ programs to more youth across LA County.

• 2015 - A partnership with Washington West Film Festival brings KITS’ films and filmmakers to the 2015 festival and proceeds go to KITS from box office sales. • 2018 - KITS expands its Script-to-Screen from a program for youth aged 12-18 to a program including ages 18-24 through a partnership with Black Employee resource group BE@WB that creates a new Script-to-Screen program on the Warner Bros. Discovery lot for youth aging out of the foster care system, ages 18-24. • 2020 - KITS launch their dedicated IndieFlix Streaming channel, Foster Films as a permanent showcase of films written by, produced, and starring KITS’ alumni. • 2021 - The Black Employee Network of NBCUniversal officially chooses KITS as a community partner to support. • 2021 Kids in the Spotlight presented the Best Supporting Actor & Actress Award for the Golden Globes • 2021 - KITS created the KITS National Short Screenplay Competition (KNSSC) to support foster youth from across the nation; the winning script, "Bully”, was produced in 2021 with co-stars Terry Crews of Brooklyn 9-9 and Ariel Winter of Modern Family. • 2023 - KITS x Pictured Head launch new internship • Awards & Recognitions • 2016 - ISF Grant • 2021 - Fox 11 Community Champions selects Kids in The Spotlight as the non-profit Legacy Champion. KITS receives $10,000 grant as the recipient of the award during Super Bowl LVI's festivities • 2021 - KITS received the BRIC Impact Award • 2021 - Golden Globes features KITS in two stories • 2022 - The Jim Jefferies Show airs a segment on KITS for National Foster Care Awareness Day, with a $1 retweet challenge, bringing in over $40,000 in donations for the organization as the host, show, and network, Comedy Central, matched funds for each retweet • 2023 - Kids in the Spotlight is named FosterMorey Awards’ Organization of the Year • 2023 - Awarded 2023 Fire Award by Aging Out Institute

External Links https://kitsinc.org/ About Us | Tige Charity | “The Ordinary doing The Extraordinary” Kids in the Spotlight on iNDIEFLIX KITS Production Studio With Purpose

References

TEDx Talk KITS in the Hollywood Reporter KITS on The Kelly Clarkson Show KITS & Ringo Starr KITS on Jim Jefferies Show Not-Your 9-to-5 Girl

‘Modern Family’ star Ty Burrell talks working with foster kids

Good Fun

How 'Modern Family' star Ty Burrell is helping foster junior filmmakers

https://www.isfoundation.com/news/isf-grants-10000-program-youth-foster-care

https://variety.com/2016/scene/news/ty-burrell-malcom-jamal-warner-kids-in-the-spotlight-1201832128/

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/modern-family-star-ty-burrell-917851

Film by three local foster teens chosen for White House film festival

https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-foster-youth-white-house-film-20161012-snap-story.html

https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/news-2/l-a-foster-youth-shine-at-white-house-film-festival/21983

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http://pdl.warnerbros.com/wbol/us/telepictures/extra/111415_EXEX.mov

http://www.hathaway-sycamores.org/2015/06/kits/ Hathaway-

https://abcnews.go.com/GMA/video/kids-spotlight-entrants-chance-tour-modern-family-set-31923653

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mara-shapshay/the-most-vulerable-kids-i_b_6136882.html

http://eclipsemagazine.com/movies-by-kids-for-kids-5th-annual-film-festival-and-awards-ceremony/ty-burrell-kids-in-the-

https://chronicleofsocialchange.org/los-angeles/film-program-offers-foster-kids-hollywood-experience/7929

https://lasentinel.net/against-the-odds-kids-in-the-spotlight-holds-its-fourth-annual-film-festival.html

https://variety.com/2011/film/news/kids-in-the-spotlight-org-sets-awards-saturday-1118045114/