

Our Mission
Connecting Family, School, and Community to empower kids to achieve life-long success!
Audubon Kids Zone seeks to break the cycle of poverty by focusing on the next generation with educational and social support structures that provide opportunities for disadvantaged youth. The foundational components of AKZ are listed below:
1. Intentionally selecting a neighborhood in which enough kids can be deeply impacted at levels that will cause a significant change in the culture of a community.
2. Providing comprehensive support from birth to college by creating programs and services that provide an uninterrupted stream of support.
3. Connecting the surrounding community of residents and institutions to provide strong environments to support the success of every child we serve.
4. Measuring outcomes to ensure that progress is real and tangible. Results are the driving force for individual support and program development.
5. Closing the gap between support structures to be sure that every kid receives maximum opportunities to build on their capacity to learn and succeed.

Our Story
Audubon Kids Zone was born from a series of breakfast meetings by Engage Henderson, a group of people involved in seeing positive movements in the city, especially in the East End. Engage Henderson consisted of City Government officials, interested individuals, neighborhood residents, South Heights School personnel, and corporate businesses.
In February 2015, a partnership between Community One, the City of Henderson, South Heights Elementary School, and the Raymond B. Preston Family Foundation was formally announced. This culminated in the Audubon Kids Zone project. AKZ was founded to provide support to a defined area of children in the East End, with the end result being graduation from college and the elimination of generational poverty. Two years of intensive assessment of neighborhood strengths and needs began by conducting focus groups and interviewing individual households and businesses. The data gathered from these assessments proved the need for a Kids Zone in the East End area.
Audubon Kids Zone officially opened for tutoring services in March 2017. A full summer program followed the school year with Summer Sizzler events in June and July. Tutoring and enrichment classes continued in the fall to support what is now the Audubon Kids Zone.
Our Values
The AKZ - 5
1. Kid-Centric:
Focused on the success of one child multiplied by the house, by block, and by neighborhood.
2. Zero Through College:
Shaping the early years and providing support for the entire journey.
3. Metrics Matter:
Measuring performance and achievement knowing support must be targeted for success.
4. Neighborhood Support:
Improving neighborhood culture and environments that contribute to a kid's success on the streets where they live.
5. Equipping for Life
Shaping the character, skills, and dreams of the next generation in a geographic area to contribute to the future of the city.

Our Team
We are a team of passionate individuals from all different walks of life, coming together for one sole purpose: making a difference in the lives of children and families in the East End.

Tammy Sutton
Executive Director

Erin McKee
Director of Strategic Operations

Katherine Short
Community Garden Collaborator

Hailey Black
WrapAround Care Coordinator

Karen Hardin
Academic Enrichment Assistant

Ron Alexander
Director of Facilities

Chantel LaPlante
Primary Enrichment Supervisor

Erica Madole
WrapAround Care Coordinator

Wink Chaney
WrapAround Care Coordinator

Isaiah Johnson
WrapAround Care Coordinator

Kacee Campbell
Family Development Director

Amber Kellen
Office Manager

Jamie Douglas
WrapAround Care Coordinator

Joelle Douglas
Academic Enrichment Assistant

Nivea Carter
Neighborhood Coordinator

Bobbi Jo Marx
Director of Development & Marketing

Gemma Phillips
Strong Starts Supervisor

Ally Alexander
Academic Enrichment Coordinator

Clint Alexander
Academic Enrichment Assistant

Mary Dunham
GAIN Anti-Poverty Coordinator
Our Board

Mark Chumbler
Financial Advisor
Baird Wealth Management

Anthony Melvin
Special Education Teacher
South Heights Elementary School

Melissa Willett
Assistant Principle
South Heights Elementary School

MJ Johnson
Loan Officer
First Federal Savings Bank




Dylan Phelps
Chief Wellness Officer
Pittsburg Tank and Tower Group
Ann Hodge
Self-Employed
Molly Melvin
Elementary Education Teacher
South Heights Elementary School
Amanda Waggener
Freelance Writer
Self-Employed

Jeff Jackson
Wealth Management Field & Main Bank

Janeth Nocolas
Director of Nursing
Matthew 25

Jean Carver
Educator/
Self-Employed
Chardae Kelly
Henderson Community College


Lindsey James Williams
Musician
Self-Employed

Jake Campbell
SABIC

Scott Vaughn
Gibbs

Jada Canselor
Ivy Tech
“Kids can succeed if we provide the support they deserve long term and don’t give up on them! It’s the most secure investment we can make!”
- Rob Carroll
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© 2021 • Audubon Kids Zone is a 501 (c)(3) • EIN: 81-1166593
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