Never did we imagine that ...

* Tom Hanks would photo-bomb one of our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics at the press junket of Toy Story 4during her red carpet prep.

* Morgan Freeman would choose one of our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics as his one and only interview at the premiere of his film The LEGO Movie.

* Oprah Winfrey would select one of our KIDS FIRST! reporters to interview her on the red carpet of The Hundred-Foot Journey.

* 100,000+ listeners would tune in weekly to our radio show on Voice America and IheartRadio to hear reviews of films and TV shows.

…when we created the KIDS FIRST! Film Critics program, a project of the 30-year-old Coalition for Quality Children’s Media (CQCM), a 501-c-3 non-profit.

Today we ask for your support to help expand KIDS FIRST!’s training and educational opportunities for kids, both nationally and around the world. (Yes, we’ve had requests to jump borders with KIDS FIRST!) There is no charge for a child to participate as a KIDS FIRST! Film Critic and every kid is a volunteer. However, KIDS FIRST! provides coaches, editors, technical personnel and equipment to help our youth reporters develop their skills, talents, dreams and goals. Additionally, we need to expand opportunities to reach a larger audience of kids and families. All those things take money and that’s what we need help in funding.

At the heart of KIDS FIRST! is our commitment to putting kids, ages 8 to 21, front and center reviewing films, TV shows, DVDs and digital media geared for a youth and family market. Rather than having adults tell kids (and parents) what to see, hear and read, KIDS FIRST! invites kids to tell other kids what is, and is not, important, excellent, interesting, engaging and worth spending your own money on. An important part of our coaching is teaching our reporters how to think critically about the information they receive via media.

You know the importance of learning to recognize excellence. You know the importance of communicating excellence. And you know the fundamental significance of being taken seriously and recognized as a contributor in the entertainment world. We give kids a voice! KIDS FIRST! trains kids to stand side by side with seasoned entertainment reporters and become accomplished critics, interviewers and influencers among their peers.

We would never have gotten to where we are without the help of kind people like you. Today I am asking you to help us amp up our training and publicity opportunities so we can help kids tell other kids how to choose media that enhances, not detracts from their lives. Our reporters speak honestly about the films, TV shows and digital media they view and we make sure that their reviews reach millions of kids and families every month.

Goal: 100% of your donation supports our KIDS FIRST! Film Critics training and implementation. Be a part of the future, KIDS FIRST! Film Critica are unique and a first in examining entertainment from a youth point of view. When the kids win, everyone wins! Smarter kids make smarter consumers.

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