Welcome to the Inside Out Club

Four opportunities for helping kids and families develop the character skills necessary to thrive in their lives, schools, community, and later in their careers.

Welcome to the Inside Out Club

Four opportunities for helping kids and families develop the character skills necessary to thrive in their lives, schools, community, and later in their careers.

Today’s youth face many risks and challenges – self-esteem, mental-health issues, bullying and more

It’s never too early to start equipping your kids and family with character and community

Inside Out Club Today

In Schools

29 schools with more than 1,400 kids

On Weekends

20 events a year serving families with kids ages 3-12

@Home (version 2.0 launching this fall)

online resource filled with books, videos and projects

Through Community (coming to you this fall)

opportunities to practice your inside and out skills

After my son’s first meeting, he told me they were doing ‘important things’ for the community. I think this was the first time he felt like he had a real impact on his community. His view of his world and the world in general grew three sizes that day!

2nd Grade Parent

I learned what it’s like to be someone else and how I can give back to the community.

I learned to help others because some people might not have things that other people have.

I learned to work together. [We] can change the world.

Inside Out Club Kids

I learned so much through these programs and really enjoyed sharing this experience with my son and the students. It’s amazing how I enjoyed the hour we had together each month.

Lead Volunteer, May Watts Elementary School

What makes the Inside Out Club unique is our Integrated Curriculum

Our curriculum combines social and emotional learning (SEL) with volunteerism. SEL helps people recognize and manage emotions, develop empathy for others, maintain cooperative relationships and make responsible decisions. The curriculum aims to 1) provide kids and families opportunities to develop and practice character skills, 2) broaden individuals’ perspective of the community through education on the social causes, and to 3) empower children and families to make their community better.

Character Skills – Practicing these 8 character skills translates into measurable positive outcomes.

Social Causes – Knowledge and understanding of key social issues increases a child’s sense of community and self.

Connection to Nonprofit Organizations – Children and parents believe they can create change and are empowered to help others.

Inside Out Club takes a comprehensive approach to helping develop kids with character by incorporating these three elements in all four Inside Out Club opportunities where everyone can participate.

Kids who practice these skills:

Acceptance

Proactively include others
Allow others to belong unconditionally
Value others for who they are

Collaboration

Listen and speak with others to contribute to group success
Actively support and inspire
Engage positively, patiently and productively with others

Curiosity

Demonstrate an active interest in learning
Are brave enough to ask questions
Are fearless innovators

Empathy

Understand what it’s like to be in someone else’s shoes
Demonstrate compassion
Help others through service

Gratitude

Demonstrate a genuine appreciation for life’s gifts
Recognize and focus on the positives
Model gratitude to impact others

Kindness

Put others’ needs before individual wants
Value sharing, selflessness, generosity and compassion
Care for themselves, others, animals and the environment

Perseverance

Show grit, resilience and determination when facing challenges or the unexpected
Have a growth mindset
Follow through on commitments with grace and integrity

Self-Awareness

Embrace their authentic selves
Demonstrate healthy coping skills with social and emotional maturity
Work to understand their biases, feelings and motivations to make good choices

Embracing Humanity

Connecting to people for who they are and recognizing how we are all the same.

Protecting Our Planet

Working to keep our planet safe and healthy for generations to come.

Meeting Basic Needs

Understanding needs (food, shelter, clean water, transportation and literacy) versus wants.

Developing Self-Awareness / Character

Building the skills necessary to be a good person and thrive.

Being Socially Responsible

Having a desire and sense of responsibility to care for others and the planet.

Supporting Troops & Veterans

Valuing those who serve our country.

Nonprofits Inside Out Club DuPage Highlights:

Bernie’s Book Bank
Blessings in a Backpack
Celebrate Differences
Clean Water Project
The Conservation Foundation
DuPage Pads
DuPage Senior Council – Meals on Wheels
DuPage United
Family Focus Aurora
DuPage Forest Preserve
Giant Steps School
Habitat for Humanity
Honor Flight Chicago
Literacy DuPage
Loaves & Fishes CARES
Loaves & Fishes Community Services
Midwest Shelter for Homeless Veterans
NAMI DuPage
Naperville Area Humane Society
Operation Drive
Operation Support Our Troops
People’s Resource Center
Phil’s Friends
Ripple Kindness Project
Ronald McDonald Family Room
SCARCE
Special Olympics Illinois
Special Spaces
The GardenWorks Project
Trees that Feed Foundation
West Suburban Community Pantry
Willowbrook Wildlife Center
World Relief DuPage/Aurora

Check Out Our Latest Blog

669 Kids Learn Empathy by Helping the Homeless

Have you ever taken the time to think about how it would feel and look like to be homeless? And then volunteered to help kids and families who are homeless? This is what 669 students in the Inside Out Club did this October. As part of our “Homelessness in Our...

Caring for the Planet – 5 Tips for Your Family

Every child and family can help protect the planet by following these easy tips. Have something you’re doing not on our list? Share it in the comments and help others get involved in caring for the earth.

Place of My Mind #1: My Tipping Point

Have you ever had one of those days where you hit your emotional tipping point – cannot hold back the tears, every thought is pulling you down, you just want to crawl back to bed? With back to school season upon us, we thought we’d share one Mom’s story of hitting her tipping point and what she learned from it.

Thank You to Our Partners!