Archives

Welcome to the Timeline of KCIYA Activities. Since 2009 we have volunteered tirelessly, meeting once or twice a month to plan projects and events. The listing below will hopefully give you a good idea of everything we have accomplished.

PAST -> PRESENT

2009

• January 20th: KCIYA was born
  • Second Presbyterian hosted a book discussion and dialogue event to discuss the importance of bringing youth together from other faiths to build relationships. We had just 14 people attend, representing Christian, Muslim, Jewish, Universalist, and non-believer faith traditions, and together we dove into the project of creating an organization with such a mission.
• February 8: First Service Project
  • We volunteered with Grace United Church to prepare toiletry packages (toothbrush, toothpaste, soap, razor, deodorant, washcloths, and socks), decorated sack lunch bags, and helped clean out a storage area. We had a great time getting to know one another as we worked.
• February 28: Interfaith Youth Leadership Workshop
  • We invited Jenan Mohajir and Hannah McConnaughay from the Interfaith Youth Core to come lead us in Storytelling and Dialogue Facilitation. The high school youth also attended training later that evening on how to effectively plan an interfaith youth service project.
• April 26: Lesson on Sikhism
  • We met at the 3HO Kundalini Yoga Center with Sat Tirath Ashram to learn about the Sikh faith. Afterward we broke into groups to get to know one another better and to brainstorm about future plans for the Interfaith Youth Alliance.
• June 2: First Official of the KCIYA Youth Leadership Council
  • From this point on these Council meetings have been held monthly to plan projects and discuss recent relevant articles in the news.
• June 25: Partnership with Matthew 25 Project
  • We volunteered with the Matthew 25 project, sponsored by William Jewel College, by helping to paint houses in local low income areas.
• July 15 - 22: Partnership with International Visitor's Council
  • Several members of KCIYA hosted and spent time with a group of Iraqi teenagers who spent a week in Kansas City as part of the International Visitors Council leadership program.
• September 10: Book Discussion
  • At the KC Plaza Library, we met for dinner and then attended the discussion of They Were Just People: Stories of Rescue in Poland During the Holocaust written by Bill Tammeus and Rabbi Jacques Cukierkorn.
• October 25-27: Interfaith Conference
  • Jon Willis and 4 youth attended the IFYC Conference in Chicago, IL to develop leadership skills and techniques for promoting Interfaith work and organizing large-scale service projects.

• November 1: Movie Night
  • At the Johnson County Central Resource Library, Interfaith youth gathering to watch the movie "Arranged" and have a discussion afterward about Interfaith relationships.
• November 4: On the Air
  • Mentor Jon Willis along with youth, Avanthi Chatrathi and Teresa Butel, were a part of a live radio interview with Eboo Patel on KCUR's Up to Date to speak about the growing movement. Listen to the interview, here.

• November 5: Book Discussion
  • At a KCIYA youth leadership council meeting, we discussed Eboo Patel's Acts of Faith and prepared for his visit.
• November 10: Noted Speaker
  • Eboo Patel (founder of IFYC) came to Notre Dame de Sion High School and Beth Shalom as part of Kansas City's Festival of Faiths. He spoke on the importance of positive Interfaith relationships in our diverse world and took questions from KC metro area high schoolers.
  • To learn more about his visit or to listen to audio clips of his inspiring speech, click here.
• November 12: Tables of Faith Luncheon
  • Tables of Faith luncheon sponsored by the Greater KC Interfaith Council was held at the Crown Center Hyatt. The theme for this year’s luncheon was “Celebrating Interfaith Youth."
• November 15: Partnership with Harvesters Community Food Bank
  • KCIYA's largest Community Service Project in 2009 with over 50 people was done with Harvesters.

• November 23: Cultural Event
  • At the Truman Forum Auditorium, youth watched an one-hour play called The Hindu and the Cowboy, a collection of true stories representing the experiences of people from diverse walks of life and faith background.
• December 11: Partnership with Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association
  • We ran a carnival for children and their families who are a part of Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association at the annual holiday party. Following the carnival, we had time for dialogue and reflection on our service.
• December 17: Noted Speaker & Book Discussion
  • At the Unity Temple on the Plaza, we attended a speaking appearance by Greg Mortenson and had dialogue about his book Stones Into Schools and Three Cups of Tea.

2010

• January 14: Began Home Hospitality Meetings
  • This idea revolved around a desire to have youth within the group share their own faith stories and religious traditions. We held monthly KCIYA leadership council meetings at individual homes and celebrated each youth's spiritual journey with cultural food and dialogue.
• January 23: Cultural Event
  • Winter's Lights: an evening of interfaith storytelling, music, dance, and the arts sponsored by the Greater KC Interfaith Council.
• March 8: Partnership with Micah Ministry
  • We helped to serve a meal at an urban, ecumenical outreach mission called Micah Ministry, where the poor and needy in the historic Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri are welcomed as guests.
• April 11: Partnership with Cultivate KC
  • We helped with various projects around the garden at Cultivate KC and learned more about the importance of Urban Farming. We then had time for conversation about what creation and respect for the Earth looks like in various religious traditions.
• April 24: Interfaith Youth Leadership Workshop
  • We led a workshop at the Heartland Presbytery's Annual Festival of Peacemaking on "Youth Leadership in Social Justice"
• May 21: Movie Night
  • Youth gathered to watch the movie "Caramel" and have a discussion.
• June 7: KCIYA Presentation
  • At Second Presbyterian Church, we gave a presentation about our mission to Church Women United.
• June 21: 2nd Annual Project with Matthew 25 Project
  • We spent the morning scraping paint as part of a community improvement project and discussed what makes the difference between a house and a home.
• July 1 - July 9: 2nd Annual Project with International Visitor's Council
  • Several members of KCIYA spent time with a group of Iraqi teenagers who spent a week in Kansas City as part of a program hosted by the International Visitors Council of Greater Kansas City.
• July 28: Partnership with the Kansas City Urban Youth Center
  • We spent the morning with the summer educational program at KCUYC, reading to the children and learning about their program.
• July 31: INTERFAITH POOL PARTY
• September 10: KCIYA Presentation
  • We met with Muslim visitors from the Czech Republic to share what we are doing in Kansas City to promote community service and relationship building among youth of different faiths.
• September 13: KCIYA Presentation
  • We gave a presentation to the Greater Kansas City Interfaith Council to share what our group is doing to promote community service and relationship building among youth of different faiths.
• October 3: First Peace Walk
  • KCIYA sponsored a peace walk to benefit Let the Children Play for Peace. The purpose of the event was to come together in support of peace and to collect toys for the children of Israel and Gaza who have been affected by war. Stopping points along the walk included Islamic Center of Johnson County, Congregation Beth Shalom, and the Church of the Resurrection.

• October 7: Book Discussion
  • We planned for the upcoming speaker event and discussed Bruce Feiler’s book, Abraham.
• October 19: Noted Speaker
  • Bruce Feiler spoke at Notre Dame de Sion High School and Village Presbyterian Church as part of the Festival of Faiths.
• November 11: Tables of Faith Luncheon
  • We set up a booth and shared information about KCIYA at the Table of Faiths luncheon at the Hyatt Regency sponsored by the GKCIC.
• November 21: Partnership with Youth Volunteer Corps
  • We worked with Youth Volunteer Corps of Greater KC for the fall "Extreme Yard Rakeover" initiative to cleanup the park and yards of elderly people in the KC area around Shepherd's Center.
• December 10: 2nd Annual Project with Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association
  • KCIYA service project to volunteer at the Midwest Foster Care Holiday Celebration. We assisted with a carnival for children. Following the carnival, we had a time for dialogue and reflection on our service project at Second Presbyterian Church.

2011

• February 24: Cultural Event
  • Winter’s Lights -- an interfaith storytelling and arts event sponsored by GKCIC at the Plaza Branch of the Kansas City Library.
• February 28: 2nd Annual Project with Micah Ministry
  • We helped to serve a meal at an urban, ecumenical outreach mission of Independence Boulevard Christian Church to the poor and needy in the historic Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri.
• March 18: 2nd Annual Project with Harvesters
  • We volunteered to help to sort food for the needy. At the end of the project, we met for a time of dialogue and reflection.
• April 3: Monthly Service Project
  • We volunteered at Carondelet Manor, a home for the elderly. We helped decorate the nursing home for spring. At the end of the project, we met for a time of dialogue and reflection.
• April 16: Movie Night
  • Youth gathered to view and discuss the movie "Namesake"
• April 17: Monthly Service Project
  • We volunteered at Pet Connection, a non-profit animal shelter. We helped with various jobs at the animal shelter and had a time of conversation/dialogue at the end of the event.
• May 15: Monthly Service Project
  • We worked at Cultivate KC in partnership with the Youth Volunteer Corps of Greater KC. We helped with various projects around the garden and then had a time of conversation/dialogue at the end of the event.
• June 9: Book Discussion
  • We conversed about A Girl from Foreign by Sadia Shepard in preparation for a book discussion that we will be leading in July.
• June 18: Monthly Service Project.
  • We participated in the Matthew 25 Project where we helped paint houses in low income areas of Kansas City. We ended the project with a time of conversation/dialogue. We have previously participated in this project in 2009 and 2010.
• June 23: Monthly Service Project
  • We volunteered to assist with the summer youth program at the KC Urban Youth Center.
• July 13: Presentation/Book discussion
  • KCIYA youth were invited to lead a book discussion at the Mid-Continent Public Library, Antioch Branch for Vital Conversations (sponsored by GKCIC). The KCIYA leadership council chose the book The Girl from Foreign by Sadia Shepard.
• July 10-24: Central European Youth Program
  • Several members of KCIYA spent time with a group of teenagers from central Europe who spent a week in Kansas City as part of a program hosted by the International Visitors Council of Greater Kansas City.
  • July 15: KCIYA service project at Harvesters with visiting youth from Central Europe.
• July 16-26: Iraqi Exchange Program
  • Several members of KCIYA spent time with a group of Iraqi teenagers who spent a week in Kansas City as part of a program hosted by the International Visitors Council of Greater Kansas City.
• August 27: Cultural Event
  • Concert for Global Peace sponsored by the KC International Visitors Council at the Rose Theatre of Rockhurst High School.
• September 11: 2nd Annual Peace Walk
  • KCIYA and the (GKCIC) hosted a walk for peace between all religions. Donations and registration fees supported Prepare New York, a group that is working in New York to promote religious diversity and a healthier climate of healing for those affected by 9/11. Stopping points along the walk included Islamic Center of Johnson County, Congregation Beth Shalom, and the Church of the Resurrection.

• October 3: Monthly Service Project
  • We helped to serve a meal and assisted with the clothing closet at the Micah Ministry, which is an urban, ecumenical outreach mission of Independence Boulevard Christian Church to the poor and needy in the historic Northeast area of Kansas City, Missouri. We met afterward for a time of dialogue and discussion to reflect on our service project.
• October 16: Monthly Service Project
  • KCIYA service project -- partnering with the Youth Volunteer Corps of Kansas City for the All Ideologies Day of Service. We volunteered at the Sanctuary of Hope to clean up the remainders of vegetable and flower gardens, rebuild a set of outdoor stairs, work on trail maintenance and help repair windows and doors.
• October 25: Cultural Event
  • Festival of Faiths event -- The Future of Faith: Religion in a Google World at the Lewis and Shirley White Theatre of the Jewish Community Center (5801 W 115th St., Overland Park, KS 66211). The focus was on how recent global events demonstrate the dramatic impact of today’s technologies in instant communication and social networking and what these changing patterns of information access mean for the world’s faith traditions. Three panelists, Rabbi Laura Baum, Aziza Hasan, and David Myers, engaged in a discussion on these topics.
• October 26: Noted Speakers
  • The Festival of Faith panel spoke to students at Notre Dame de Sion. All KC area high school students were invited to attend.
• November 10: Tables of Faith Luncheon
  • KCIYA youth leaders shared information about KCIYA at the Tables of Faith sponsored by the Greater KC Interfaith Council @ the Hyatt Regency Crown Center Hotel.
• November 13: Monthly Service Project
  • KCIYA Service Project – We volunteered to rake leaves for elderly homeowners as part of the Extreme Yard Rakeover organized by the Shepherd’s Center of KC with the Youth Volunteer Corps.
• November 15: Book Discussion
  • We discussed Eboo Patel’s Acts of Faith at this meeting.
• November 20: Monthly Service Project
  • KCIYA members joined with iCerv volunteers from the Ismaili community in a service project at Harvesters to help provide food to those in need in the KC community.
• December 9: Monthly Service Project
  • KCIYA service project to volunteer at the Midwest Foster Care Holiday Celebration. We assisted with a carnival for children.

2012

• March 15: Monthly Service Project
  • KCIYA service project at the Kansas City Community Kitchen where we assisted in serving a meal to those in need.
• April 18: Movie Night
  • KCIYA has been invited to join a documentary film viewing and discussion with youth from Congregation Beth Torah and Notre Dame de Sion. The documentary is called “Return,” and explores the return of an American Jew to the country of Germany that he and his family escaped from in 1939. Located at Congregation Beth Torah
• April 23: Monthly Service Project
  • KCIYA Service Project to volunteer at Micah Ministry where we will assist with serve a meal and distributing clothes from a clothing closet to those in need. Details coming soon.
• May 10: Monthly Service Project
  • KCIYA Service Project to volunteer at The Upper Room.
• May 16: Lesson on Mormonism
  • KCIYA Youth Leadership Council meeting in collaboration with Laurie Stocks who will share information about her experiences with the Mormon faith and common misconceptions.
• June 16: Monthly Service Project
  • Matthew 25
• June 24: Monthly Service Project
  • JCC Youth Triathlon
• July 24th: International Movie Night
  • KCIYA youth hosted youth from Central Europe at Second Presbyterian to watch and discuss the movie "The Hobart Shakespeareans."
• July 28th: Monthly Service Project
  • Cultivate KC
• September 23rd: 3rd Annual Peace Walk
  • KCIYA and the (GKCIC) hosted a walk for peace between all religions. Donations and registration fees supported Free the Children, a group that's mission is to create a world where young people are free to achieve their fullest potential as agents for change. Stopping points along the walk included Islamic Center of Johnson County, Congregation Beth Shalom, and the Church of the Resurrection.

• October 20th: Monthly Service Project
  • Deanna Rose
    • KCIYA volunteered for Pumpkin Hollow at Deanna Rose (13800 Switzer Road, Overland Park, KS 66221). We played with the children and other general assistance.
• November 19th: Early Movie Screening
  • KCIYA was given the opportunity to see an early release of the movie "The Life of Pi" in 3D for free.
• December 14th: Monthly Service Project
  • Midwest Foster Care Holiday Party
    • KCIYA service project to volunteer at the Midwest Foster Care Holiday Celebration. We assisted with a carnival for children.

2013

• April 6: KCIYA Service project
  • KCIYA volunteered at Mattie Rhodes Art Center. We watched a short clip on the history of the Art Center and then headed out to the garden and neighborhood to help with a clean up effort.
• April 20th: KCIYA at the Inaugural Youth Achievement Initiative Event
  • KCIYA hosted a table at the inaugural Youth Achievement Initiaitve event hosted by the Association of Physicians of Pakistani Descent in North America (APPNA).
• April 24th: KCIYA Social Event
  • KCIYA Social Event at Blue Valley North High School at little theater. KCIYA viewed the documentary UN me.
• April 28th: Book Discussion
  • A member of KCIYA hosted a book discussion over Acts of Faith, by Eboo Patel.
• June 2nd: KCIYA Service Project
  • KCIYA Service Project in which we participated in a Day of Service project organized by the Jewish Community Center.
• July 16th: KCIVC Movie Night KCIYA hosted a movie night for youth from Central Europe at Second Presbyterian. We watched the documentary "Life in a Day."
• August 24: KCIYA Service project
  • We helped with various projects around the garden at Cultivate KC and learned more about the importance of Urban Farming. We then had time for conversation about what creation and respect for the Earth looks like in various religious traditions.
• August 30: KCIYA Social Event
  • KCIYA met at Incredibowl for a fun evening of pizza, bowling, and laser tag.
• September 8: KCIYA Interfaith Conversation
  • We were invited to meet with the high school youth group at Second Presbyterian to tell about KCIYA and hear about their group.
• October 13: Fourth Annual Peace Walk
  • KCIYA and the (GKCIC) hosted a walk for peace between all religions. Donations and registration fees supported the UNICEF health and immunization campaigns. Stopping points along the walk included Islamic Center of Johnson County, Congregation Beth Shalom, and the Church of the Resurrection.

2014

• July 23: KCIYA Interfaith Conversation
  • We meet with a group of international visitors hosted by the KC International Visitors Council who came to KC to learn about “Youth and Community Conflict Resolution”. We shared our story of how we focus on changing the conversation on religion away from conflict and toward our shared values.
• August 9: KCIYA Book Discussion
  • We had a great discussion of the book Autobiography of a Recovering Skinhead by Frank Meeink.
• September 11: KCIYA Interfaith Movie Night
  • KCIYA youth hosted a movie night for youth from South American visiting KC as part of a visitors program run by Global Ties. We watched the documentary “180 South” at Second Presbyterian Church and had a discussion of the movie afterward.