In addition to handing out information directly to the women who need it, Penny has observed Kalfsbeck counseling homeless women, and has transcribed from recordings the stories they've told Kalfsbeck, in an effort to collect information toward an understanding of the sociocultural effects of prostitution on women. The two women also discuss the directed reading Penny has done about prostitution, childhood sexual abuse, and drug addiction. She is considering developing a nonprofit organization that would facilitate discussions among middle or junior high school-age children about issues of sexuality and sexual abuse. Seeking to foster a personal connection between young people and their natural environment and create a sense of responsibility for that environment, the twosome established WEK to teach kids the skills needed to create an environmentally sound and sustainable community. The program's week-long day camps blend community service projects with environmental education and outdoor recreation.
Kids have big dreams and great ideas.
WEK is all about empowering kids to act on their ideas. As the third summer of the successful program approaches, Kameenui, Newton, and another friend, Zoe Bradbury, are busy seeking funding and working out the logistics of establishing WEK as an official non-profit organization, which means the program must create its first board of directors and has chosen to hire a paid coordinator to help with organizational responsibilities. WEK began in the summer of 1998, after Kameenui's first year at Carleton. They spent the early part of that first summer hammering out WEK's philosophy and then pitching the idea to anyone who would listen. They were assisted by Committed Partners for Youth, a non-profit children's advocacy group that helped WEK gain insurance and office space.