About Us

Our Why

Founded in 1998, East Atlanta Kids Club was formed by a small group of local residents who understood the importance of engaging neighborhood youth as the most effective intervention for addressing the rapidly growing socioeconomic divide in the community. For 28 years, we have sought to provide youth, who otherwise would have limited afterschool and summertime opportunities, with a safe and stimulating environment to play, learn, and express themselves under the guidance of caring adults.

We accomplish this goal by providing high quality, S.T.E.A.M.-based and positive sports-based youth development programming that meets our youth where they are and empowers them to realize their potential.

Our mission

Building a promising future for the children of southeast Atlanta

Our Programs

Kids Club

Offered Monday – Thursday from 2:30PM – 6:30PM, Kids Club is our S.T.E.A.M.-based afterschool for youth grades K-5. Offered throughout the school year, this program provides afterschool enrichment and exposure while also reinforcing school-day learning to ensure our kids are on track and active, engaged learners.

Teen Club

Offered on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 5:00PM – 7:30PM, Teen Club is designed to meet older youth where they are at by nurturing specific interests throughout the year. Offerings may include podcasting, coding/programming, film & media production, fitness/sports, and service-based learning. This program serves youth in grades 6-12.

Summer Camp

Offered annually during June/July, Camp Full STEAM is a 6-week program that offers hands-on activities including science experiments, technology and robotics, arts and crafts, sports-based programming, and gardening. Teen Club members (grades 6-12) engage in a Creator Camp that exposes them to podcasting, digital animation, 3D printing, laser engraving, heat presses, and a full range of makerspace activities. Summer camp typically serves youth in grades K-12, and we create opportunities for our younger kids and older kids and teens to explore their interests among their peers.

Holiday Support: Present-Palooza

Offered annually during December, this event is a three-day celebration of the spirit of giving that propels us year-round. We are able to procure $100,000+ worth of gifts (toys, homegoods, kitchen wares, shoes, clothing, and more), and we create a “shopping” experience for our EAKC kids and families for two days of afterschool before opening our space to the broader community for a full day of “shopping” on Friday before the holiday break. We are able to put 3,000+ gifts into the community for a total cost of ~$5,000. This event ensures that our kids and families not only receive gifts for the holidays, but also that they are able to give to their friends and families.

FOOD SUPPORT

Offered weekly on Fridays since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, food distribution supports vulnerable households in southeast Atlanta by providing more than 120,000 pounds/100,000 meals/$300,000 worth of grocery support to families on an annual basis. This weekly food distribution is paired with healthy eating and food systems programming for our youth. This programming was initially supported by multi-year funding from the Atlanta Falcons Youth Foundation within the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation, and it has been sustained with support from The Imlay Foundation and the East Atlanta Strut.

Our Team

Ryan Downey

Executive Director

Ryan joined East Atlanta Kids Club in February of 2020, following 22 years of service from founding Executive Director, Jill Sieder. Ryan earned a B.A. in comparative literature from the University of Georgia, an M.F.A. in English from the University of Notre Dame, and an M.S. in adult, occupational, and continuing education from Kansas State University. He joined EAKC following a nine-year tenure at a leading national nonprofit, Year Up United, where he held several leadership roles. During this time, he helped launch new program sites in the greater Atlanta area, Virginia, and Florida. He has served our community through GO Team roles at Burgess-Peterson Academy and Parkside Elementary, as a Jackson Cluster Advisory Team member, and through leadership roles within the East Atlanta Business Association and the East Atlanta Community Association. He lives in East Atlanta with his wife, Allison, and his two children, Arlo and Sabine.