ROOM to GROW The Kaleidoscope Project creates nurturing spaces for kids by LORI D.R. WIGGINS
W
hen Kathy Johnson needs a woosah moment, she retreats to a room at Oak City Cares where the floor resembles grass and a gravel-look path divides the room. The walls are toned-down hues of blue, green and peach, coloring sweet country scenes. “It’s the most fun place in the building,” says Johnson, executive director at the nonprofit. The room isn’t really for her, though. It’s a place for kids to get away from the adult problems that accompany homelessness. Here, a 3D car tire spins and tex-
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tured tails of a squirrel and horse invite touch. There are also soft tree stumps, animals to ride on, books to read and an enclosed play area. “It’s nice for families to have a fun and quiet space to be,” Johnson says. “Walking down the street with a suitcase and children in tow, there’s not really a place you can go and just be.” The room was designed with the help of The Kaleidoscope Project, a community initiative dedicated to “turning places kids go into places kids grow.” Founded in 2014 and funded by the John Rex Foundation, Kaleidoscope pairs organizations with creatives to design places
for children to play, learn and socialize. So far, Kaleidoscope has partnered with a dozen organizations to complete indoor and outdoor spaces, with projects underway for places like Family Promise and Wake County Regional Centers in Wake Forest and Zebulon. The goal is to create positive spaces—including public housing common areas, emergency housing environments and more—that will give kids the tools they need to navigate tough times with optimism and confidence. “Everything in this room is intentional,” says Melissa Forde, Kaleidoscope’s community engagement coordinator.
courtesy The Kaleidoscope Project
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