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In addition to converting the 18,000-square-foot structure and 1.5-acre property at 59 North Front St. into a home for its own activities, Kite\u2019s Nest envisioned sharing the facility with other local groups as a multifaceted community center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But the grand plans literally went up in smoke Jan. 18, when the structure was destroyed in a late-night fire of unknown origin. Damage was so extensive that the entire building wound up being demolished.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt was heartbreaking,\u201d said Kaya Weidman, the co-founder and executive director of Kite\u2019s Nest, which was established in 2013. \u201cWe loved that building. It would have been a great site for our organization, and a valuable resource for the community. We saw it as belonging to Hudson.\u201d
Despite the loss, though, Weidman stressed that Kite\u2019s Nest and its supporters are determined to move forward with their plans for the property<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe lost that building, but the soul of this project is still very much alive,\u201d she said. \u201cWe\u2019re going to rebuild and carry our vision into a new structure there.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The property was originally the Hudson River Knitting Mills and more recently was known as Riverloft. It was donated to Kite\u2019s Nest by Parachute Holdings LLC, a group headed by Robert Kalin, the founder of the online commerce site Etsy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kalin, who is no longer connected with Etsy, lives across the river in Catskill and has been active in mill redevelopment and related entrepreneurial activities there. Kalin also provided startup funding for Kite\u2019s Nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The vacant Riverloft building required extensive work. Kite\u2019s Nest had cleaned it out, but Weidman said the renovation project was still in very preliminary planning stages when the fire broke out. The group had intended to spend the next year developing architectural designs and other plans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe were in the early phase of developing a vision and physical plan for its use as a shared community space,\u201d Weidman said. \u201cWe were discussing the possibilities with supporters, residents of the neighborhood and other organizations to guide the design and uses of the building.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She said the group now will change course to focus on construction of a new building, with the goal of developing a basic plan for the new structure this year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The property includes land on both sides of North Front Street. It is home to a community garden that Kite\u2019s Nest sponsors in conjunction with other organizations, and which 27 families use. The garden will continue, and the property will be used for other outdoor activities while plans for the new building are worked out, Weidman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Critical thinking, social mission<\/strong> Education meets social change<\/strong> <\/p>\n\n\n\n Past workshops have explored urban planning, creative writing, journalism, textile arts, cartography, traditional wooden boat building, potion making, culinary artistry and other topics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The center\u2019s special programs have included waterfront trips and boating programs in partnership with the Hudson Sloop Club. (That organization had stored boats in the Riverloft building that were destroyed in the fire.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n And Kite\u2019s Nest partners with the Staley B. Keith Social Justice Center to sponsor the Social Justice Leadership Academy, a five-week intensive program at which teenagers explore their identities, analyze social systems and explore and develop skills in community organizing, creative expression and other methods of fostering social change.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Tailored to local issues<\/strong> Weidman said engagement with all segments of the community is one of the center\u2019s core principles. So Kite\u2019s Nest collaborates with other organizations, schools and other institutions that affect young people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kite\u2019s Nest describes itself as \u201ca center for liberatory education.\u201d In a mission statement on its Web site, the group says it aims to provide \u201cinnovative classes and programs that engage children and teenagers in creative expression and critical inquiry.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The center places a strong emphasis on community engagement, including building local movements for goals such as social and economic justice, food security, environmental sustainability and community wellness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kite\u2019s Nest is designed to complement the programs of other schools.
\u201cWe\u2019re not aiming to be a full private school,\u201d Weidman said. \u201cWe\u2019re a niche that offers additional opportunities for young people to learn and become involved in their community.\u201d
Some of its programs are offered in after-school hours, but others are scheduled during the school day as enrichment programs for children who are home-schooled \u2013 and for those who are not in traditional schools for other reasons. The center also runs two weeklong programs during school vacation weeks as well as a summer camp.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kite\u2019s Nest currently operates from a space in Basilica Hudson, an arts center in another former industrial structure on South Front Street. It is an independent nonprofit organization, drawing funding from a combination of foundation grants, United Way contributions, course fees and individual contributions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe have a group of sustaining supporters who contribute amounts ranging from $5 to $1,000 a month or more,\u201d Weidman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kite\u2019s Nest was founded by a core of four people who shared the goal of offering alternative educational programs in Hudson. Weidman noted that several of the organizers previously worked at WGXC, a local nonprofit community radio station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe believed there was a need to provide young people with alternative learning experiences that would be inspiring, joyful and meaningful,\u201d Weidman said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They started planning in 2012 and were able to launch the program the next year after receiving a contribution of seed money from Kalin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The center currently has a staff of four. In addition, it contracts with a network of instructors in various fields and partners with other groups to lead programs. It also hires older teenagers for part-time positions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The \u201cliberatory education\u201d approach practiced at Kite\u2019s Nest is a theory of instruction that encourages students to think critically about how they relate to society and examine issues that affect them and the larger community. The goal is to encourage and empower students.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an intersection between education and social change, with the purpose of building a better world,\u201d Weidman said. \u201cWe provide a space where young people can explore ideas and issues that affect them, and support and inspire them to make a positive difference now and as adults.\u201d
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In the current term, for example, students in one course are investigating local histories of labor, migration and urban change through research, archeological explorations, interviews, oral histories, writing and reading. In another course, students are learning hands-on mechanics, math, design and engineering by working with machines, small motors and electronics.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weidman said although its basic approach can be applied in many communities, Kite\u2019s Nest addresses issues that are especially important in Hudson.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe principles and values and pedagogy could be applied anywhere, but the details are also a response to this specific place,\u201d she explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
She cited the city\u2019s issues with poverty and gentrification \u2013 and the effects these have on housing, economic opportunity and community cohesion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cHudson has been going through many changes around the local economy and issues of equity,\u201d Weidman said. \u201cYoung people feel a lack of opportunity. Meanwhile, people are moving to Hudson who have a significant amount of money.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThat dissonance raises the need for young people to be more valued — and for their concerns to be heard and respected,\u201d she continued. \u201cThey are going to be the change makers, and it\u2019s important for them to be involved in the community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe\u2019re one part of a larger network, with a distinct role,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Although there are fees for its programs, Kite\u2019s Nest offers sliding-scale payment options and scholarships to make its offerings financially accessible to everyone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t turn away anyone for lack of funds,\u201d Weidman said. \u201cWe have students from the full range of economic and social backgrounds. Diversity is an important aspect of our values.\u201d
Although its purpose is serious, Weidman emphasized that the lighter side of Kite\u2019s Nest is equally vital.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a fun place,\u201d Weidman said. \u201cKids come by choice because they are respected and enjoy what they do here. In fact, our name is almost becoming a local adjective. People will describe something that\u2019s a little bit offbeat and fun as being \u2018Kitey.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n