“All the world’s a stage” is how the old saying goes, and whether your child has a tendency for dramatics or is simply looking for a creative outlet to express themselves as an after school activity, the Coachella Valley offers several different theater programs to inspire budding actors. According to research conducted by Dr. James Catterall of UCLA’s Graduate School of Education, students who take part in theater as an extracurricular are more likely to get involved in community service.

Creativity and innovation are not in short supply at Old Town Artisan Studios, nestled within an idyllic green campus in the city of La Quinta. The nonprofit organization strives to partner with local schools, senior centers, and a wide variety of other establishments with the intention of reaching a goal of serving over 9,000 art experiences this year.

The Family YMCA of the Desert offers a wide variety of children programs, from licensed childcare to sport activities. In partnership with Coachella Valley Housing Coalition (CVHC), the YMCA oversees after school programs for children in low income communities, in turn providing homework help, healthy snacks, arts and crafts, computer time, and an assortment of STEM activities.

According to ChildHelp.org, more than 3.6 million referrals are made to child protection agencies involving more than 6.6 million children every year. Olive Crest is a non-profit organization dedicated to preventing child abuse, treating and educating at-risk children, and preserving the family. The organization has a branch in Palm Desert to serve families in the Coachella Valley. Most children arrive via County Departments of Children and Family Services.

Adults are most often the ones coming to the aid of children, but this is an instance of kids advocating for kids with James Monroe Elementary’s School to School Water Project. Three years ago, Nathan Manderfeld’s fifth grade class started a movement called the School to School Water Project with the intention of getting students involved in service learning through building clean water wells at schools in the developing world.