Today we’d like to introduce you to Sarah Katrina Maruani.
Hi Sarah Katrina, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Looking back, I can genuinely say – That, WOW, I’m the American dream!
My parents are immigrants from former Yugoslavia, now Montenegro.
They escaped their homeland via Greece and Italy for a better life in America. They arrived in Manhattan, New York, in the late 60s with no financial support, no fundamental job skills, and less than a high school education. While living in NYC, they worked numerous jobs, including building suppers, garment workers, and cleaning people. They settled in Los Angeles, CA, roughly ten years later.
They often speak of their “starving days” and what life was like living in a studio apartment with my older brother, who was quickly born after arriving in the States. About nine years later, I was born in Manhattan, New York, and my family was more established, and we lived in a one-bedroom apartment. After moving to Los Angeles, my father worked at General Mills, the factory, for almost 35 years, and my mother worked as a cleaning lady and then a homemaker. Overall, I had a very humble childhood. My parent saved every penny to purchase their first home, which was apartment units. We lived in the apartment units until I was 18 and finally moved to our first single-family home. It took them almost 25 years to buy their first single-family home.
As a first-generation American, part of your role with your parents is to be part of a big team working hard to establish yourself in a new land. Growing up, my parents relied on my English skills to translate documents or fill out official forms. I had to become a reader fast, but I struggled and had a massive disconnect with reading. As I began school, it was assumed for many years that I struggled to become a reader because English was my second language.
I had several superheroes along the way. The first was my First Grade Teacher, Mrs. Robison, at Alameda Elemaray School in Downey, California. She pulled my mother aside and guided her on best supporting me. I remember being the translator at the time, a little old first-grade me. Mrs. Robison took the time to hear my mother express her fears and worries and reassured her of the best steps for me. But what struck me at six years old was how she gave her time to my mom and the one-on-one care she took.
Her dedication pushed my mom to learn to read and speak English while I learned to read. We had little back then, so free resources and the local library were our primary tools.
This love, care, and dedication that Mrs. Robison shows my parents now motivate how we care for our own students at Kids on the Yard. It’s the heart of Kids on the Yard today when we speak with each parent who contacts us.
Fast forward to my college years, where my 2nd superhero joins my journey. My college professor, whom I was close to, noticed my performance decline overnight. He asked me a few questions and sent me to the disabilities office the next day. I did not understand why he sent me there, but I trusted his opinion, and they decided to test me for a learning disability.
After testing, they discovered the core element of my reading struggle. I have CAPD, Central Auditory Processing Disorder. My academic life improved ten folds after that with suitable accommodations for CAPD. I finally loved school.
My photographic memory had kept me afloat throughout Elementary, Middle, and High School, which I did not know I had. I was overcompensating by using my gift of memorization. It was also discovered I had above average IQ.
Becoming a teacher was a natural next step for me. Knowing how to read gives children options. Most importantly, knowing that extra care, love, and the needs of parents with struggling students began to feel like a mission, and I wanted to return to my community and be part of it.
During my first year of teaching, I experienced my students who were struggling learners, which brought me back to my struggles as a student. I often guided my classroom parents to different paths to best support their children, whether tutoring, discovering their learning pace, or learning style.
I also had families and students who got extra support after school, but I quickly noticed that the results and knowledge of those sessions genuinely did not translate back to the classroom.
And I wondered why? In the hopes of helping my students. I did tons of research, and during my discovery, my first thoughts were that it is not how children learn nor how parents should be guided.
Who knew that curiosity about the “Tutoring World” would have led me to where I am today?
While in the public education system, I still felt a missing link that would improve my student’s quality of life in and out of the classroom. In mid-2000, I was introduced to the world of Social Emotional Learning (SEL), fascinated by how deeply SEL affects a child’s growth, and it was the missing link in most academic settings.
In 2004 I began training in SEL and made it my primary goal to learn how to combine my teaching skills, my personal history, and SEL to create a new approach for students. While still in the classroom, I became SEL Ambassador for an international non-profit organization. After a few years, I left the formal academic classroom to teach SEL full-time.
Between 2008-2017, I was given a unique opportunity to tour most major cities around the USA and outside the USA to Canada, New Zealand, and Australia to teach adults and children SEL and train instructors to incorporate SEL into their daily lives and classrooms. The role gave me tremendous opportunities to teach SEL in charter, public, and private schools in Los Angeles, Miami-Dade, and NYC communities. I also worked with numerous foster care organizations, Rondal McDonald House, Big Brother/Sister, Boys and Girls Club, and many more. It was a blessing to be pivotal in creating an internationally recognized Social-Emotional Learning program.
Kids on the Yard was born during the year of 2014-2017!
In 2015, with my Husband’s encouragement and joining the umbrella of a technology company, Kids on the Yard began to take shape. We formulated a step-by-step method to support learners and families of all backgrounds. We grew slowly and steadily from 2015 to July 2020 with local families, referrals, and lots of word of mouth, and most of the company’s growth was organic. The teachers who worked for Kids on the Yard were so happy to teach from their hearts again.
I loved my time in the classroom and went back part-time until late 2021. I knew that leading Kids on the Yard Educational Teams required more than part-time effort.
In March 2020, after the announcement of Covid-19, our phone calls began to increase, but like most classroom teachers, I began teaching 1st grade online and answered when I could. Our Educational Team worked around the clock to support our families’ numerous concerns and questions about the future.
Due to the mass influx of calls, I compiled hours of conversations into a long article focused on parents’ most common questions. I felt this overwhelming need for parents to have answers to their questions, so I provided solutions in an article regardless of their use of our services.
It’s what superheroes did for me, and it felt like my moment to pay it forward, but I could have never predicted what would come next because of this act of sharing.
Sooner after the article was published, we began to get recognized by many media outlets, including News Reporter Kristine Lazar, CBS Los Angeles | KCal News, who did a piece on Kids on the Yard. I’m still very grateful to her.
Today, Kids on the Yard operates worldwide, with certified teachers in over 32 states across the US. Our Whole Child Educational Approach offers learning solutions to help children improve skills and develop confidence, motivation, and resiliency alongside other educational programs such as Academic Tutoring, Kid’s SEL Life Coaching, Shadow Teacher Support, Special Education, Schools and districts, and more.
After nearly 20 years of teaching and coaching experience, I have continued my work by mentoring, inspiring, and collaborating with other like-minded educators and coaches, our Kids on the Yard educational team, and families worldwide.
I presently live between LA and Miami with her Husband and sweet stepchildren, two cats, and patiently praying for our rainbows babies.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Anything we experience in life is designed for us to become a benefactor from those experiences. Within these experiences, there are many layers to peel back that lead us forward to new opportunities.
Initially, transforming my professional knowledge into tangible methods for many to experience took years. The stage, from an idea to manifestation, has been redone numerous times. Most people get stuck in this simple stage for years and need help to move past it.
Once this was established, it became about how to present our services and simultaneously remain faithful to the original mission of KOTY.
Becoming a business person without a business background took years and pushed me outside my comfort zone. On the surface, owning a business looks appealing and exciting, but no one prepares you for the deep growing pains needed to transform yourself into that role.
I still work six days a week, and my hours are from 6 am PST to 7 pm PST and every moment in between. But as a family, we ensure that one day a week is for our own growth. We never work on Saturdays! We stay away from any tech communications and focus on our energy for the coming week.
Fortunately, a technology team also behind me has given me a lot of strength and the necessary tools to establish methods for tutors and teachers, develop ways to evaluate performance, taught me how to manage projects, and teams, formulate reports, and deliver employees the love and care to thrive.
Most days feel like magic, some still feel like all the odds are against you, and the risk factors can feel overwhelming.One piece of advice for young entrepreneurs! Do what you love; take the pain of something, turn it into the light, and learn from everyone around you. If you do not love your business and the joy it brings you and others, the long and hard days will not be worth it! Also, every job you do before you own a business will support you in the future! Be a great employee for yourself because that is your training ground, not to mention good karma.
But in the end, I feel wildly humbled and blessed to have created an organization that brings meaning to our employees, students, families, and educators’ lives.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Kids on the Yard provides Academic Tutors/Educators and Social Emotional Learning (SEL) coaches for Elementary, Middle, and High School students and Beyond—our Tutoring/Educational/SEL Coaching programs are One-on-One Online, In-Person, and small groups. In addition, we include our Whole Child Educational Approach to every family’s specific learning solutions.
Our organization collaborates with Homeschool Programs, Charter Schools, Private Schools, Public Schools, and districts across the USA.
Kids on the Yard spent several years under a technology company that allowed the time to foster, nurture, and build a revolutionary approach that did not exist in the educational and supplemental support domain.
The Whole Child Educational Approach method customizes individual lessons for every student, combining with the student’s specific SEL and academic requirements, such as tutoring and homeschooling. All our educators are employees of our organization who are State Certified Teachers who work as a collective team.
Our secret sauce is to develop confidence, motivation, and resiliency alongside other educational programs through mentorship and Care!
Numerous reasons set us apart from the rest! Top 3 primary reasons why our students have tremendous success and progress:
*] All educators are certified or certified in their respective fields with classroom experience, mentored, and guided by senior educators.
*] Every Kids on the Yard student has their own Educational Plans for Success. Each student’s educational program is reviewed based on weekly goals met and adjusted based on the student’s pace.
*] We are hands-on with each student and family instead of a 3rd party marketplace, whether SEL Coaches or academic programs. We are an employee-based organization.
Finally, our staff is trained to infuse SEL coaching in their academic lessons to enhance the student’s overall experience.
We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
I have learned many life-changing lessons as a wife, stepmom, daughter, friend, coach, Founder, businessperson, and educational professional.
COVID-19 surprised my team and me tremendously. It showed the depth of the need for a fundamental change in education.
During and now post the Pandemic, I’ve been blessed to hold 1000s of free consultations with students, parents, and families worldwide. I gained a significant understanding of what families are going through and their daily concerns for their children.
Since 2014, Kids on the Yard has worked passionately in developing Whole Child Educational Approach, which aims to support learners one-on-one that surrounds Core Academics and Social Emotional growth. Every Kids on the Yard student has their own Educational Plans for Success.
Contact Info:
- Website: kidsontheyard.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsontheyard/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kidsontheyard/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kidsontheyard
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/kidsontheyard
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKdiib6-c2sZd20hbBsJcbQ
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/kidsontheyard/
