Active Discovery provides dynamic ways for kids to spark creativity
Mary Ann Sprague-Denison has always loved to both stay active herself and promote activity in others.
She was a three-sport athlete in college before going on to a long career as a women’s college volleyball coach at Principia College in Illinois.
Her retirement in 2020 coincided with the death of her husband of 35 years.
Change was afoot. Sprague-Denison moved to Orange County, to be closer to her two adult daughters.
“I was moving to my next chapter, and I was just in love with the things that we did coaching but knew how many people didn’t love athletics,” she said. “I was thinking of kids and thinking, ‘I want my next chapter to help those who work with kids.’ Activity can be fun, and if it’s fun, people will want to do it regularly.”
She visited after-school programs at Boys & Girls Clubs, homeless shelters, affordable housing communities and elsewhere. What she saw were programs for at-risk children that were bursting at the seams.
Sprague-Denison wanted to help. She launched her nonprofit, Active Discovery, in mid-2021.
Active Discovery creates activity kits and provides curriculum resources to support the nonprofit’s motto: Active Bodies, Active Minds, Healthy Relationships.
The kits can be used as part of camp programs or after-school programs, with the idea of enhancing or refreshing what the organization is already offering.
“Every kit that we produce has activity in it, and every kit also has things to explore and learn,” said Sprague-Denison, who lives in Newport Coast. “Not school-like at all, but it gives the kids a chance to find what they love. We include music, we include art, we include STEM and STEAM and nature and life skills. If in a year, we help these kids find something that really lights them up, that’s awesome. If they find a passion before they mature, their life is going to be great.”
Another portion of the kit is the Hometown Hero video series, telling stories of people who overcame great adversity through activity and finding a passion. Javier Sosa, who founded his first Javier’s restaurant in Laguna Beach in 1995, is the first subject.
Sprague-Denison has found quite a market for the kits. She said there were about 3,500 Active Discovery kits distributed last year alone, and more than 37,000 total in Orange County and nationwide. Her curriculum director is Jane Harrison, an educator who lives in Missouri and is a longtime colleague through coaching.
One popular kit is “STEAM and swing,” which features two paddles and balls and a robot STEAM challenge created through collaboration with another nonprofit, Child Creativity Lab. Another is “graffiti art and agility,” where children can learn how to create graffiti for good.
Each kit features a wristband with a saying that’s part of Active Discovery’s leadership mantra. They also have instructions for use, via words, pictures and even a QR code that links to a short video.
The organizations pay for a portion of the kits, while Active Discovery raises money to cover the rest of the cost.
“One of the coolest things is, it’s not just a program,” Sprague-Denison said. “After they finish the program, the children take the kits home. We’ve found through talking to them that once they take the kit home, an average of four other kids use it. That ripple effect is really important to me.”
Madolyn Duplanty, a youth development leader at Boys & Girls Club of the South Coast Area, has seen the kits make a difference with the third- and fourth-graders she works with in San Clemente.
She said a mini-drum kit that featured buckets has been a popular choice.
“The kids really loved that one,” Duplanty said. “It also had a little gardening set, which was really cool. The kids were able to grow their own salads. They would check on their gardens, and they just had a blast.”
One aspect that Duplanty also appreciates is the collaborative nature of the program. Each partner organization becomes part of the Active Discovery advisory council and is able to suggest additions or tweaks.
“They have provided our kids with the necessary tools to lead an active and healthy lifestyle,” Duplanty said. “A lot of kids are stuck on their computers since COVID and all that, so Active Discovery has been able to provide our kids with the tools to have an active lifestyle while still having fun. They’ve been a huge asset in helping our kids reach their fullest potential, which is what we’re huge on here at the club. We’re really grateful for them and all of their kits.”
Sprague-Denison said her favorite word is synergy, and she and her team feel that connection with the partners they works with.
She even has two new grandchildren, a boy and girl who were born last year.
“That’s an absolute pleasure,” she said. “Any time you get to see that new life, you’re like, we need to do what we can to unify and to help youth find their passion.”
For more information on Active Discovery, visit activediscovery.org.
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