Help KIDS FIRST! Expand Its Training and Audience
Never did we imagine that …
* Tom Hanks would photo-bomb one of our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics at the press junket of Toy Story 4 during her red carpet prep.
* Morgan Freeman would choose one of our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics as his one and only interview at the premiere of his film The LEGO Movie.
* Oprah Winfrey would select one of our KIDS FIRST! reporters to interview her on the red carpet of The Hundred-Foot Journey.
* 100,000+ listeners would tune in weekly to our radio show on Voice America and IheartRadio to hear reviews of films and TV shows.
…when we created KIDS FIRST! Film Critics, a project of the 30-year-old Coalition for Quality Children’s Media (CQCM), a 501-c-3 non-profit.
to expand KIDS FIRST!’s training and educational opportunities for kids, both nationally and around the world. (Yes, we’ve had requests to jump borders with KIDS FIRST!) There is no charge for a child to participate as a KIDS FIRST! Film Critic and every kid is a volunteer. However, KIDS FIRST! provides coaches, editors, technical personnel and equipment to help our youth reporters develop their skills, talents, dreams and goals. Additionally, we need to expand opportunities to reach a larger audience of kids and families. All those things take money and that’s what we need help in funding.
At the heart of KIDS FIRST! is our commitment to putting kids, ages 8 to 21, front and center reviewing films, TV shows, DVDs and digital media geared for a youth and family market. Rather than having adults tell kids (and parents) what to see, hear and read, KIDS FIRST! invites kids to tell other kids what is, and is not, important, excellent, interesting, engaging and worth spending your own money on. An important part of our coaching is teaching our reporters how to think critically about the information they receive via media.
You know the importance of learning to recognize excellence. You know the importance of communicating excellence. And you know the fundamental significance of being taken seriously and recognized as a contributor in the entertainment world. We give kids a voice! KIDS FIRST! trains kids to stand side by side with seasoned entertainment reporters and become accomplished critics, interviewers and influencers among their peers.
We would never have gotten to where we are without the help of kind people like you. Today I am asking you to help us amp up our training and publicity opportunities so we can help kids tell other kids how to choose media that enhances, not detracts from their lives. Our reporters speak honestly about the films, TV shows and digital media they view and we make sure that their reviews reach millions of kids and families every month. Donate at: https://www.crowdrise.com/o/en/campaign/helpkidsfirstexpandtrainingandaudience
Know That: 100% of your donation supports our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics training and implementation.
Be a part of the future. KIDS FIRST! Film Critics are unique and a first in examining entertainment from a youth point of view. When the kids win, everyone wins! Smarter kids make smarter consumers. To inspire you, take a look at what some of our reporters and their parents say about KIDS FIRST! And below that, what the industry leader have to say about us.
I found KIDS FIRST! by online research and never imagined it was going to be a total life-changing experience for my daughter. After a whole year, KIDS FIRST! is not just a way of living for us and is a great experience for all the other kids that are part of this organization. As a media member, I understand the hard work required to be a film journalist and to work in the entertainment industry. I’m grateful that Ranny gave us such a warm welcome. We share our love for films and she encourages us everyday to be better. Mariana Medina Cannella, KIDS FIRST! Film Critic parent
Thank you doesn’t even begin to describe how thankful Nathalia and I are. What an amazing experience KIDS FIRST! has been for us. I highly recommend KIDS FIRST! to others interested in becoming a film critics. My daughter Nathalia’s written and oral communication has developed and continues to evolve, with help from the KIDS FIRST! staff. Their training program has provided Nathalia the necessary tools to help her articulate her views, share and exchange her impressions and have fun while learning.
More about what KIDS FIRST! parents think about their child’s involvement with KIDS FIRST!
Of course, we could not do all that we do without the support of the industry professionals. All the major studios support our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics through invitations to press screenings, press junkets, red carpets and other special events including Disney, Fox, Universal, Paramount, Sony, Lionsgate, Paramount plus NCircle Entertainment, Shout! Factory and Wow Now Entertainment. Most studio employees are not allowed to give KIDS FIRST! a letter of support, but some have which you can see below as well as the terrific PR people who represent the studios.
“I like working with the KIDS FIRST! reporters. I have worked with them for some time- they do their research, are pleasant to be around and conduct good interviews. I hope to see KIDS FIRST! continue to grow and look forward to working with them again.” Alan Meier, Paramount Home Entertainment
The KIDS FIRST! team does an outstanding job with promoting our content through all of their online platforms, banner ads and social media outreach. I am very pleased with the lift in monthly impressions that NCircle receives as a result of the focused effort from KIDS FIRST! Mary Flynn, VP Sales, Content and Acquisitions, NCircle Entertainment
“We absolutely love working with KIDS FIRST! and their youth reporters. They are always reliable and professional and also steal the show (in a good way!) at our junkets and events. The entire KIDS FIRST! team has been a joy to work with for years, and it is so important to us to be able to engage directly with our audience for these films. Plus, they have reporters all over the country!” – Mandy Rodgers, VP, Client Services – Think Jam
“KIDS FIRST! is an organization I wish I knew about sooner! Each young reporter astonishes me in the best way! They are all wildly intelligent, impressively polite, timely, and fun to be around! Kids and teens deserve more credit and KIDS FIRST! has made me excited for the future. I know each reporter will go far in any industry they desire!” – Megan McRae, Family Publicity, TeamClick
See what other Media Professionals have to say about KIDS FIRST!
