Education

The KWF Education Program

The Educational Program inspires and informs future generations of artists and creative professionals through presentations and skills development seminars given at schools, vocational programs, and community centers. The Foundation focuses on bringing mentors in contact with at-risk and disadvantaged children. Our aim is to maximize each child's opportunity to pursue work in or be inspired by the fields of popular arts, videography, photography, game design, writing, and social media. Mentors are selected for their demonstrated capability to inspire, innovate, and create important works in the fields of interest to the Foundation. All events sponsored by the Educational Program provide instructional services and materials at no cost to the participating children, school, vocational program, or community center.

If you are a professional in the arts or technology field who would like to become a KWF mentor, or if you are an organization that would like to collaborate with KWF on an educational program, please contact us. 

Front view of a storefront with large windows and a sign that reads 'LITTLE FISH.' There is a red accent on the door and a decorative wall with colorful patterns above the windows. A white planter with soil is on the sidewalk in front of the store, and trees and other buildings are reflected in the windows.

We have a long history with Little Fish Comic Book Studio, providing art education and helping welcome new people into the arts

    • March - Little Fish and KWF meet for the first time at a Qualcomm Camp Fair, and meet shortly after to start discussing plans.

  • Monarch Education Program

    • March - Little Fish presents at Monarch School as a preview/pitch for their program.

    • May - Program begins at Monarch, teaching rotating groups of kids comic art

    KWF Comikaze Fundraiser

    • Our first big opportunity to introduce our friends, volunteers, and donors to Little Fish.

  • Monarch Education Program

    • Program continues with great success, with students creating art and projects

    • Program also leads to linking Monarch and Little Fish, through KWF, leading to Monarch placing interns at Little Fish

    KWF’s Comikaze Fundraiser

    • LittleFish speaks and gives a brief presentation about the work and projects being done at Monarch

  • Monarch Education Program

    • The Program adjusts to fit shifts in the school’s focus and schedule, while continuing to work with as many students as possible

    • Launch of “Building Comics”, an experimental approach to build comic projects across different students and shifting availability due to transitional nature of Monarch students.

    • Intern program continues with students working and learning at Little Fish

    Golden Hill Program

    • A one-day project held at Golden Hill Elementary

  • Monarch Education Program

    • “Building Comics” project continues at Monarch and an archive at Little Fish is created to contain and safeguard all work made from this project.

    • With adjustments made by Monarch, participation now includes middle and high school.

    • Additionally, support allows for Little Fish to participate in “Senior Mock Interviews”, a one-day extensive workshop for students to communicate skills learned in programs, including “Building Comics”

  • Monarch Education Program

    • Program is affected by Covid-19 shutdown and funding is shifted to early 2021

    • Attempts were made to meet Monarch wherever we can, but understandably there’s too much chaos for them to work anything consistently into their schedule, at the size and organization of “Building Comics”

    Kumeyaay Project

    • November - Initial meetings and a few pilot workshops are held to lay the groundwork.

    • Little Fish meets with Kumeyaay tribes to plan, and gives a presentation to tribal leaders and educators.

    Little Fish Scholarships

    • Scholarship funding is setup to help students impacted by Covid, or who are otherwise financially unable to access arts classes or opportunities.

    • Students are identified by need and come from existing student base as well as from the neighborhoods and communities we have access to and identify as “High ability and enthusiasm/low income”

  • Monarch Education Program

    • “Building Comics” project restarts at Monarch! Charged by its Covid-inflicted dormancy and with funding in place, classes are held for elementary, middle, and high school level students.

    • Attendance is High, with as many as twenty students per twice-a-week session.

    Kumeyaay Project

    • February - Phase One: Zoom workshops with middle and high school students to learn fundamentals of art creation and comic storytelling principles.

    • October - Phase Two: plans are laid out for specific comic stories to be created by students, and work begins on planning and story adaptation (using Kumeyaay myths)

    Little Fish Scholarships

    • Scholarship funding continues help students impacted by Covid, or who are otherwise financially unable to access arts classes or opportunities.

    • Students are identified by need and come from existing student base as well as from the neighborhoods and communities we have access to and identify as “High ability and enthusiasm/low income”

  • Monarch Education Program

    • “Building Comics” project continues at Monarch, with additional dates scheduled as-needed and supported by Monarch.

    • Classes continue to be are held for elementary, middle, and high school level students.

    • Attendance is still high, with students highly engaged.

    Kumeyaay Project

    • Spring - Project begins Phase Two in January but by March is placed on hold, as attendance is negligible due to “Covid Burnout”

    • Attempts are made to restart, but shifts in personnel and transitionary nature of many students and young adults forces project into dormancy.

    Little Fish Scholarships

    • Scholarship funding continues help students impacted by Covid, or who are otherwise financially unable to access arts classes or opportunities.

    • Students are identified by need and come from existing student base as well as from the neighborhoods and communities we have access to and identify as “High ability and enthusiasm/low income”

  • Monarch Education Program

    • “Building Comics” project continues at Monarch, with full support from Monarch bolstering plans.

    • Classes continue to be are held for elementary, middle, and high school level students. Attendance is still high, with students highly engaged.

    • Leadership shifts in Summer of 2023 and beginning in Fall, communication and enthusiasm has to be restarted. Lack of enthusiasm or full understanding of importance of project leads to dormancy. Archive continues to be housed at Little Fish.

    • As of Fall 2025 hopes remain to reestablish connection and workshops, with an event planned as culmination (the initial plan before the project goes dormant).

    Little Fish Scholarships

    • Scholarship funding continues help students impacted by Covid, or who are otherwise financially unable to access arts classes or opportunities.

    • Students are identified by need and come from existing student base as well as from the neighborhoods and communities we have access to and identify as “High ability and enthusiasm/low income”

  • Little Fish Scholarships

    • Scholarship funding continues help students impacted by Covid, or who are otherwise financially unable to access arts classes or opportunities.

    • Students are identified by need and come from existing student base as well as from the neighborhoods and communities we have access to and identify as “High ability and enthusiasm/low income”

    Casa De Oro Elementary School Project

    • May - A long-running partnership between CDO and Little Fish is supported and enhanced for the first time by KWF.

    • A low-income school that Little Fish has been serving with a one-week comic-making intensive since 2015, KWF’s support allows the program to be doubled and be accessible to all sixth grade classes (and some fifth graders in combo classes).

  • Little Fish Scholarships

    • Scholarship funding continues help students impacted by Covid, or who are otherwise financially unable to access arts classes or opportunities.

    • Students are identified by need and come from existing student base as well as from the neighborhoods and communities we have access to and identify as “High ability and enthusiasm/low income”

    Casa De Oro Elementary School Project

    • May - CDO and Little Fish are again supported by KWF, allowing the program to continue to be doubled and accessible to all sixth grade classes (and some fifth graders)

    Kumeyaay Project

    • Summer - Connection is reestablished between LF and Kumeyaay Project participants and supporters, and project is tentatively slated to begin again in earnest.

Children sitting at a table in a classroom, working on drawings and projects with various supplies, walls decorated with artwork and bookshelves in the background.
A person with dark skin and short hair writing on a piece of paper at a table with comics, books, scissors, and stationery around.
A display board with comic project drawings and signs expressing gratitude and excitement, including phrases like 'Thank you, Mr. Alonso!', 'WOW!', 'YAY!', and 'Thank you, Kevin Workman Foundation!'