For the past 11 years, Creative Kids has had a huge impact on so many Saskatchewan children and youth, some from the same family. From 2013 to 2018, Creative Kids supported all four kids from the Bowen family at one time or another.

One of those kids, Naomi received Creative Kids funding for music lessons from the age of nine to 17 years old. Now at 22-year-old, she has gone on to help other kids follow their passion for music as a teacher with the Music for Young Children (MYC) in North Battleford.

Charlene Bowen, mother to Naomi and the other three Bowen children, says, “My children have all benefited greatly from music discipline with regular practice habits, exams and performances in front of large audiences. My eldest daughter, Naomi, is now an MYC teacher in North Battleford and loves sharing her love for music with young children.”

Her other children, Hannah (20) received support to take music lessons from 2013 to 2018; Joseph (19) received funding from 2013 to 2016; and Abiyah (11) received funding in 2017. “My other children still love to play and sing for pure enjoyment. I’m glad we are able to pay it forward! Thank you Creative Kids!”

While it has been a few years since the family received assistance from Creative Kids, Charlene says she can look back over the years and see how the program has helped to get her kids to where they are today. “Creative Kids assisted us in choir, vocal and piano lessons for years, when putting several kids through lessons was a challenge.”

Read more stories from the Creative Kids 2021 Progress Report