KEEN is a national, nonprofit volunteer-led organization that provides one-to-one recreational opportunities for children and young adults with mental and physical disabilities at no cost to their families and caregivers. Neither income nor the severity of a child's disability is a barrier to joining a KEEN program. Our mission is to foster the self-esteem, confidence, skills and talents of its athletes through non-competitive activities, allowing young people facing even the most significant challenges to meet their individual goals.

Description and/or History:
KEEN is a volunteer-run, nonprofit -- 501(c)(3) --organization headquartered in the Washington, DC area. A Board of Directors comprised of parents, volunteers, and members of the community oversees the operation of KEEN’s affiliates, insuring that they remain true to KEEN’s mission: providing free recreational opportunities to children and young adults with disabilities by pairing them with trained volunteers for fun, noncompetitive activities.

KEEN is modeled on an innovative program established in Oxford, England by Elliott Portnoy, who brought KEEN to the Washington, DC area in 1992. With help from a handful of parents and volunteers, KEEN started as a single program. KEEN has now grown into a national organization, with affiliates in select cities across the United States, opening doors to new athletes and volunteers. KEEN affiliates develop and run their own programs, meeting the needs of athletes and volunteers in their own communities under the direction of their own parents, volunteers and community members. As KEEN grows into new locations, KEEN USA is committed to providing the guidance and support necessary to bring the same quality of service to all new KEEN programs.

KEEN is modeled on an innovative program established in Oxford, England by Elliott Portnoy, who brought KEEN to the Washington, DC area in 1992. With help from a handful of parents and volunteers, KEEN started as a single program.

KEEN has now expanded into select cities across the United States, opening its doors to new athletes and volunteers. KEEN New York falls under the umbrella of KEEN USA, along with affiliates in Chicago, Los Angeles, St. Louis, San Francisco and Washington DC. As KEEN grows, it is committed to maintaining its basic ideals: providing free recreational opportunities to children and young adults with disabilities by pairing them with trained volunteers for fun, noncompetitive activities. KEEN seeks to develop each athlete's self-esteem and confidence, as well as recreational skills and talents, and to increase each athlete's ability to participate in a broader range of recreational activities and environments.

Contact person: Nichole Cerimele, Program Coordinator, (212) 768-6785, (email)

Address:

P.O. Box 5115 New York, NY 10185