Clairbourn alumnae Christie and Kathryn Huang raising funds for Children’s Hospital through their foundation Madhatter Knits.
When people are inspired to give, it flows from their conviction that such acts will be worth their time, attention, and investment. Cultivating that kind of conviction in others is no easy task, and it is often determined by the quality of the messages imparted combined with the skills and influence of the messenger. Consequently, fundraisers or leaders of causes need to be fearless, passionate, articulate, and well informed. They need social awareness to adapt their message to a wide variety of audiences and they need to know how to offer fluid methods of giving, donating, or participating.
Although that skillset sounds complicated, it’s quite naturally acquired when it is a part of a student’s early educational experience. In developing the whole child, Clairbourn combines academic rigor with social skills, community activities, and public speaking. All of these necessary elements to rally a community can be seen in the work of Clairbourn alumnae Tiffany and Kimberly Chang, Christie and Kathryn Huang, and Sara Lowin who serve as executive directors of Madhatter Knits.
As many people soon find out, having a great point of view, idea, or service is only as good as one’s ability to effectively get the word out. There has to be consideration for compelling messaging combined with finding one’s audience and engaging them to respond with their time, attention, and money.
Kimberly Chang, Christie Huang, Tiffany Chang, and Kathryn Huang – Clairbourn alumae & founders of Madhatter Knits.
Those abilities are in evidence among the Clairbourn alumnae who started the Madhatter Knits foundation in 2014 when a fourth grade knitting lesson led them to create a nonprofit for making premature baby hats to donate to hospitals.
Except for Tiffany Chang and Sara Lowin who were in the same grade together, the other executive directors of the foundation, including Kimberly Chang and Christie & Kathryn Huang, were in different grades ranging from first up to high school freshman. But all of them had early exposure in finding their voice as a result of Clairbourn’s public speaking program.
Clairbourn alumnae Kimberly Chang, Christie Huang, Tiffany Chang, and Kathryn Huang are the founders of Madhatter Knits which makes and donates preemie hats to the NICU departments of hospitals both locally and across the world.
Leadership opportunities need not wait for high school or college-level programs. Leadership lessons, such as the ones taught at Clairbourn, begin as early as preschool and extend through Grade 8—and exciting things can happen when children learn to lead at a young age. Take for example Madhatter Knits, an organization which makes and donates hats for premature babies in the NICU and also works to protect expectant mothers and infants from COVID-19.
This nonprofit was founded by Tiffany Chang in 2014 while still a student in the fourth grade at Clairbourn School. The organization is run by a large executive team which includes Clairbourn alumnae Kimberly Chang, Christie Huang, Kathryn Huang, and Sara Lowin. After only six years, they have expanded across the U.S. and have chapters in Germany, Italy, England, Uganda, Costa Rica, South Africa, Ireland, Canada, India, and Ecuador .
Sara Lowin, Kimberly Chang, and Tiffany Chang (shown above) all started at Clairbourn in preschool.
Madhatter Knits executive directors Tiffany, Christie, Kimberly, and Sara all started in Clairbourn’s preschool, with Kathryn starting in Kindergarten. And while there, they experienced age-appropriate exposure to leadership opportunities. They were taught ethical concepts combined with opportunities for social and emotional development, growth-mindset acquisition, and problem-solving skills.
Confidence in one’s ability to make a difference in the world can be challenging for adults, let alone young people. But that confidence was naturally acquired in grade school at Clairbourn as explained by Madhatter Knits founder Tiffany Chang along with fellow alumna and executive director Christie Huang. When asked the question during a recent radio interview, “What was your first impression of philanthropy and how did it start?,” these young women were ready with compelling answers.
Clairbourn alumnae Christie Huang and Tiffany Chang were interviewed on KAZN Radio about philanthropy.
They both recounted an impactful experience they shared in second grade at Clairbourn School where the whole class held a Pocket Change Drive to benefit the Door of Hope homeless shelter serving families in Pasadena, California. Tiffany remembers their first collection seemed pretty insignificant, but after adding up the donations from several consecutive days, she realized their small efforts had the potential to make a real impact in the lives of others—especially children living at the shelter. Christie also recalled how nervous she was to ask grown-ups on campus to donate to their cause. But, she quickly realized that fear shouldn’t hold you back from approaching potential donors, because when people see you doing something positive they are often happy to listen and contribute.
Clairbourn alumnae Christie Huang and Tiffany Chang as interview guests at KAZN 1300 AM radio.
On a warm fall day at the KAZN AM 1300 broadcasting studios in Pasadena, California, Clairbourn alums, Tiffany Chang and her cousin Christie Huang, were the special guests of a radio program called, “Heart visitors: The Transmission of Love.” They were invited to talk about their philanthropic foundation Madhatter Knits. When asked how it all started, Tiffany explained that, in 2014 her Clairbourn School fourth grade teacher Mary-Kaye Halferty spent her break time meeting with Tiffany at recess to teach her how to knit. After gaining some of the skills involved, Tiffany produced a small little hat and excitedly demonstrated the process to her sister and two cousins the next day.
Noticing the size, warmth, and softness of the hat, her cousin Christie, from Clairbourn’s class of 2013, immediately connected it with being useful to the preemie babies she saw in the NICU at the San Gabriel Medical Center where she served as a volunteer.
Part one of this six-part series offers insights into Clairbourn’s educational philosophy and the elements of the program which have led to noteworthy accomplishments by its alums.
How does a child experience remarkable success? Is such an outcome based on advantages, brain power, or fortuitous timing? Clairbourn believes a substantial contributor is the child’s educational environment – one that is designed to encourage a growth mindset and risk-taking combined with a student’s sense of community support and belonging. Take, for instance, the example of alumna Tiffany Chang from the Class of 2018.
Tiffany Chang is a Clairbourn Class of 2018 alumna and the founding president of the Madhatter Knits nonprofit organization which she started while at the school.
She took the elements of her Clairbourn education and used them to inspire and build a non-profit organization which is making a real difference. Tiffany, along with a group of former Clairbourn students and current high school classmates, runs Madhatter Knits, a nonprofit that makes hats for premature infants.
As Head of School for Clairbourn, which provides private education for Preschool to Grade 8 students, I read a few interesting studies recently that talked about cultivating resilience and the difficulty of unrelenting stress.
In one of the studies, the author discussed the notion that stress is not necessarily a bad thing. In fact, you need a little stress in your experience to encourage you to make changes. The tension or discomfort of not doing one’s best is what makes us try harder the next time. This is the way stress can actually help us come out stronger or more resilient from challenges. The struggle makes us stronger.
However, when the stress is unrelenting, it can wear on a person (child or adult). This kind of scenario tends not to strengthen, but to weaken the person involved. But there is a way to ensure the stress is not unrelenting. There are very simple ways to interrupt the stress and give a moment to have the growth and rejuvenation that we all need after a time of struggle.
In one study, they found clear evidence that the best way to counteract or interrupt stress is with love. I know, it sounds a little sentimental, but the act of hugging, or snuggling on the couch, or having your arm around your child when you read them a story actually makes a physical difference. That hug gives you a physical break from stress. (For those who are interested, the hormone oxytocin that is released during these times of social bonding is sometimes called the “cuddle hormone” or the “love hormone.” This is a biological signal to the body that it is safe and can relax.)
So even in times of prolonged difficulty, taking a minute to hug your child actually helps both you and your child release some of the tension or stress that may be stockpiling. For those of you who are not feeling stressed, the hugs and cuddling will help maintain your equilibrium.
When your child is acting “prickly” hug them, because they NEED it. When they are frustrated or irritable hug them, because they need it. When you are at your wit’s end, hug them because YOU need it! Apparently the Beatles knew what they were talking about “All You Need is Love!”
I am sending each and every one of you a big virtual hug from Clairbourn, because we ALL need it! (This concept comes mainly from a short book called Childhood, Interrupted by Sanjay Gupta MD)
Amy Patzlaff, Ed.D.Head of School
Clairbourn School Provides Private School Education for Preschool, Kindergarten, Elementary School, and Middle School Grades | Serving Families in the Pasadena, California, Area and Surrounding Cities (K-12 Private Schools) Clairbourn is a 501(c)3 charitable organization. Click here to request information.
Can children go on to lead successful lives and flourish in the face of educational disruptions and great adversity? Research shows that, while there are nine important elements that offer full coverage for children’s wellbeing, the real key to favorable outcomes boils down to one thing, and the good news is, it’s you!
Tiffany Chang, from Clairbourn’s Class of 2018, sees the opportunities embedded in every crisis. She credits her elementary school, Clairbourn, for the optimistic thoughts that inspired an award-winning video she made for the Center for Future Global Leaders (CFGL) Young Artist Competition. She says, “I will always be grateful to Clairbourn as the school has always taught me to look at the positive side of every situation and to stay optimistic even during the most difficult times. I will never forget the important life lessons Clairbourn instilled in me.”
Over a period of about 2 weeks, fueled by her positive-outlook habits and motivated by her own optimistic actions while staying at home, she scripted, animated, and recorded an artistic video on the topic of “Hope” for the CFGL competition. Her “Leaders of Tomorrow Video During the Pandemic” project was designed for parents and students, and reveals a path out of hopelessness by making a point of looking at the brighter side of the stay-at-home-order and disruptions to normal routines.
After addressing the world-wide toll on health and the derailment of education in the era of COVID-19, she uses the powerful and repeated reframing question, “What if?” “What if this generation is advanced because of this pandemic?” Tiffany’s project presents 18 reframing questions in total that provide ample reasons for optimism in the face of great hardship. As a result, her project not only delivered on the intended inspiration, but it also won her a $300 prize and a top spot as a national finalist in the CFGL competition.
We invite you to watch her video below, read the transcript that follows, and then learn more about Tiffany’s impressive record of philanthropy and community service:
With school starting up in Remote Learning formats at almost all school locations, now is a great time to set up your child with everything they need to support their home studies.
This personalized work space is inviting with a cozy rug, several chairs, and colorful posters.
Begin by considering a properly-equipped location in your home where your child can learn. Experts say that, “Without a specific learning spot, young learners can be easily distracted, they don’t have supplies they need nearby, and there’s no sense of consistency. The family couch, then, as comfortable and easy as it seems, may not be the right option for young children needing to learn about routines, early education, and self-regulation.”1
While assessing the available space in the home, ask yourself what type of setup would provide the most consistency in your child’s learning? Would portable learning boxes for different subjects work best, or would it work better to create a designated area of the house where they have everything out and ready? Are there electrical outlets to plug in lights and to keep devices charged? Should there be a simple or a stimulating environment for my child? What are their favorite things to look at and interact with to keep them engaged?1
