To celebrate KEEN’s 30th anniversary of providing free programs of recreation and fitness for youth with disabilities, we are proud to announce our new Mission and Vision Statements. KEEN’s direction for the next 30 years will be focused on inclusion, empowerment, and community impact.
KEEN’s Mission: Empower youth with disabilities and impact volunteer coaches through participation in free, non-competitive, one-on-one programs of physical activity and fun, supporting the overall health and well-being of all participants.
KEEN’s Vision: Create communities in which individuals with disabilities have equal opportunities for recreation, fitness, and friendship; provide families with respite and a supportive network; foster a lifelong commitment to positive change for volunteers through their engagement with KEEN athletes; develop partnerships to actively promote disability awareness.
KEEN's Impact Statement: Ensure KEEN‘s one-to-one recreational activities are accessible to every young person with physical and developmental disabilities in DC-MD-VA who would benefit and want to participate at no cost to the families/participants by increasing awareness and expanding our reach and program offerings.
Strengthen communities by creating nurturing, accepting and judgement-free environments where volunteers are inspired to bring out their best selves and provide support and friendship to the young people we serve.
KEEN Greater DC-Baltimore will continue to be guided by our core principles of accepting every child, regardless of the nature or severity of their disability, providing all programs entirely free of charge, and meeting the needs of the individual athlete, allowing everyone to find success and joy.
Founded in 1992, KEEN is based on a simple idea: pair a trained volunteer coach with a young person with disabilities and let them discover what they can accomplish together. Over the last 31 years, KEEN Greater DC-Baltimore has grown from one program in Montgomery County, MD to 37 programs in Maryland, Washington, DC and Virginia. Current programs include sports, swim, basketball, soccer, music, tae kwon do, tennis, dance, bowling, fitness, yoga and KEEN club.
KEEN Greater DC-Baltimore provides more than 1,300 program hours each month to over 500 children, teens and young adults with significant developmental and physical disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and Down syndrome. For many of these children, the time spent with KEEN is the only opportunity they have to improve their developmental and social skills through physical activity. It also gives them a place where they are accepted and find a sense of belonging.
Are you a parent looking to learn more on how to enroll an athlete? Click Here
Are you interested in making a donation to support KEEN's work? Click Here
