Changing lives by educating and empowering young people, one life at a time.

Standing Still Gets You Nowhere

Merritt Island, Florida • KLD Youth Foundation is proud to announce our 337 mile walk to the Capital. Inspiring young people to be leaders of tomorrow through a historic journey of study and advocacy. Their journey is meant to empower them with the knowledge that they can shape their future and our world.

The youth of the KLD Youth Foundation, grades 7 – 12, will embark on this 337 mile journey that will extend over 14 weeks and total more than 337 miles. Each student of the Foundations Learning Center will participate.

For the students from KLD Youth Foundation, we are hoping that this 337 mile journey will bring them to a better understanding of the historic relevance of our community, our state and our country, while heightening the reality of the potential that lies within them.

This 337 mile journey will serve as our laboratory and provide data from the past, a tool to understanding how societies function. Knowing that the past causes the present and so the future, history truly can provide a real and relevant way to grasp how our world works, ultimately helping our students empower their own lives.

During this study we will strive to inspire leaders of tomorrow by looking at leaders of yesterday and today and by studying the historic relevance of our state and government through project-based curriculum. This intense project-based study of history, will expose our students to the complexities of human nature and the development of diverse human cultures, values, institutions, and major events, highlighting the power that lies within us all to change our country and impact the future.

“These kids are our future and we really want them to be empowered with just how they can impact that future,” said Kevin Deaton, President of KLD Youth Foundation. “We hope the public will become involved by supporting our efforts and by seeing our kids walk this 337 miles, will bring to their minds, just how important they are to us all.”

We invite all local, county and state elected officials to join us on our journey and help bring a better understanding of government to our students. As we study their impact, we could think of no better individual to honor through this project than our own Senator Mike Haridopolos. Senator Haridopolos has been an educator, author, community volunteer and political campaign chairperson.

At the age of twenty-three Senator Haridopolos became a history instructor at BCC, and within three years he was named the Department Chair of Social Behavioral Sciences. In 1997, he was promoted to the Chair of the Liberal Arts Department and served as department Chair for 15 years. While in the Florida Senate, he authored Amendment 1, the largest single tax cut in Florida history. We believe he represents an amazing example of achievement and dedication to his community and his country.

KLD Kids will seek other organizations, businesses, politicians, churches and schools along the way to join in this historic effort to bring attention and change to the lives of young people.

How will this work?: On Friday, August 28, 2009 and for the proceeding 12 Fridays, students will walk with staff members and volunteers until reaching St. Augustine. At the end of our visit in St. Augustine the students will enter into a weeklong walk leading straight into Tallahassee and the State Capital.

The trip will conclude on December 9th, when students will be the guests of Senator Haridopolos, presenting him with a special award to commemorate his swearing in as President of the Senate and as a valuable, inspirational state leader, friend, and board member of the KLD Youth Foundation.