Kids in the Spotlight to Host Three Spring Break Programs Across Canada

-For Immediate Release-

Kids in the Spotlight to Host Three Spring Break Programs Across Canada

The evidence-based performing arts program is celebrating over 30 years of ground-breaking programming with three spring workshops

January 7, 2019

As the organization she founded prepares to offer three spring break workshops, Denise Goldbeck reflects gratefully on the legacy of Kids in the Spotlight (KITS). She says that what parents of the children who have experienced her beloved performing arts program tell her often surprises her.

“Sometimes their feedback stuns me,” admits Goldbeck, a Vancouver based Registered Clinical Counselor with an extensive background in Development Psychology. “It almost seems like too much! They tell me Kids in the Spotlight saved their family.”

For over thirty years, Kids in the Spotlight has been using the performing arts as a vehicle for child and youth development. Its flagship program involves children and youth of all ages creating a musical production over the course of five days. What happens during those days is extraordinary—so much so that the program’s earlier graduates are now enrolling their own kids.

Indeed, survey the testimonials offered up by the families who have been touched by KITS, and you’ll get a sense of what Goldbeck is saying. One says, “[After KITS] I now have a much happier household.” Another: “Denise’s caring attitude, coaching and support guided us through some extremely challenging times with our children.”

Ask Goldbeck for an example of what a typical KITS family’s “challenging times” might look like and she says there is no “typical example”. A shy or anxious child might learn to express herself with confidence. Conflict-prone siblings might learn how to practice empathy and respect for one another. A child who has experienced death or loss might find a safe place to process his grief.

That’s because KITS isn’t just about the performing arts, though Goldbeck’s theatre background ensures that the experience is a creatively rich one for participants. The program is based on current, peer-reviewed research about what supports healthy development in children and youth. Goldbeck explains that when we allow children of all ages to create their own culture together, “powerful opportunities for learning and healing arise.”  

KITS will host three 2019 spring break programs:

March 4-8 in Montreal, QB

March 16-23 on Gabriola Island, BC

March 24-29 in Jasper, BC

For more information, visit kidsinthespotlight.ca

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About Kids in the Spotlight (KITS)

Kids in the Spotlight is an evidence-based performing arts organization helping children and youth develop self-confidence, social skills, and harmonious relationships with family and friends. For 5 incredible days, kids of all ages collaborate on a musical production. Informed by creator Denise Goldbeck’s Developmental Psychology background, KITS is a play-based development experience that results in healthier kids and happier families. 

For over 30 years, KITS has helped children identity what steps they need to take forward in their lives, while showing them the time of their lives. The benefits for children and youth are extraordinary, including: greater confidence, improved family relationships, leadership skills, social skills, and improved academic performance.