KTC took place on 1750 acres of woods, fields, and streams 80 miles south of Nashville on Tennessee’s Highland Rim. This land is The Farm, a 50-year plus intentional community that is home to Plenty’s headquarters. KTC in Tennessee has been the only Plenty project that took place exclusively within The Farm Community.
Over 36 years more than 8,700 children from age 6-11 participated in KTC. Many teen counselors from the city and the community received valuable training working with children that can help them throughout their lives. Most of these kids were recommended by agencies serving homeless shelters, refugee centers, and low-income neighborhoods in Nashville.
Kids To The Country provided life-enhancing opportunities for kids to:
KTC structured activities to form lasting feelings of accomplishment and self-worth in each child. The nature school curriculum helped every youngster develop an experiential connection to the rhythms of nature, the animals, and the woods.
Key to the program’s longevity and success was the care provided by counselors and adult staff. Not only did the younger children benefit from their time at KTC, but so did the teen counselors. Former KTC kids, now teenagers, and teens from The Farm often signed up to train to become counselors. Training in conflict resolution and team building provided them practical life and job skills, and has helped many young adults with college applications and job references.
We knew that many of the kids involved with Kids To The Country lived with the daily threat of random violence. One expressed “I bet there’s no shoot-outs here like there are in my neighborhood.” We also know that ignoring the needs of children in our communities ultimately affects us all. We have been told by parents and urban program staff that the Kids To The Country experience helped shape values and influenced the way their kids are now as adults.
The KTC program was retired in 2023, and we are very grateful for all the positive impact KTC has had. Perhaps another incarnation of Kids To The County can happen in the future.
Many thanks to all the many supporters of Kids To The Country over the years. Also, thank you and great appreciation to the dozens of staff and founding KTC Director, Mary Ellen Bowen. Key partners have been Ramona Christopherson, Roberta Kachinsky, Peter Kindfield, Drue Valerio, and the late, Sizwe Herring. These key KTC people plus all the counselors and volunteers have helped change the lives of thousands of children for the better. The Kids to The Country program was one of Plenty’s gifts to the world!
Plenty is a not-for-profit organization that was created to help protect and share the world’s abundance and knowledge for the benefit of all.
