ABOUT THE LEADER

     

Kim L. Johnson is a Family Life Educator who is committed to educating, empowering, and helping individuals and families reach their full potential. Kim has been helping women, men, seniors, adolescents, and children since 1977.  She is a mother of two young adult children and has three grandsons.  Her son has a master’s degree in communication specializing in film from Wayne State University. He is also a professional photographer and has his own production company.  Kim is the founder/CEO of Center of Hope for Youth and Community, Inc., and is a Family Life Educator, in which she teaches Family Life Education (FLE) and Creative Expression, she creates special spiritual and fine and performing art workshops for children, adolescent, adults, and seniors dealing with issues that relate to their needs, and creates workshops for women in recovering from drugs or/and alcohol. 

 

Center of Hope for Youth and Community, Inc., is a faith-based in-fused fine and performing arts, human service, prevention, positive youth, and community development center.  The center goal is to empower and strengthen individuals and families through education, the arts, and spiritual empowerment to be strong and healthy. She worked for the Detroit Public Schools for over twenty-five years, she retired but is currently working as a retired substitute teacher. She started her journey started as a volunteer in church and in the Detroit Public Schools, later she became a noon-hour aide, lunchroom supervisor, custodian, J. V. volleyball coach and assistant attendance officer and more. She also was a high school parent club leader, later she became a substitute teacher in which she worked with all grade levels from Pre-K to 12 and special needs students within the Detroit school district. 

 

Kim is an active member in her church, Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, where she works with youth, drama ministry, outreach ministry and is a part of the ministerial staff.  In 2008, Kim and a small group of young adults started the first Detroit chapter of Stand-Up for Kids, which is a national organization, that work as outreach counselor dealing runways, homeless, and street kids.  She has a Master of Arts in Family Studies from Spring Arbor University, Master of Arts in Social Justice from Marygrove College, and a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice/Liberal Arts from Wayne State University. She has sat on several nonprofits boards such as Franklin Wright Settlements, Parent Child Center, Policy Committee and Advisory Boards, she has a long history of volunteering and community work experiences. She also has a list of professional training such as Marygrove College Nonviolence Training – Michigan Peace Team, Marygrove College Institute for Arts Infused Education, Professional Development, Hospice Care Training - Certification, Detroit Mercy Hospital, Doula Program-Certification, and Wayne State University, Maternal Child Health, Children Hospital, Advocate, Certification just to name a few.  Kim has numerous awards such as the 2013 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration “Unsung Hero” Award given to her by Marygrove College for her work in the community and her work dealing with gangs in the community, Greater Emmanuel Institutional Church of God in Christ, Leadership Youth Leader Award, and Leadership Outreach Ministry Award, Southeastern High School of Technology, L.S.C.O, Parent Leadership Award, Advisory Board Member, Warren/Conner Development Coalition, Award and other awards. She was a Girl Scout and Boy Scout Leader, worked with Navy Sea Cadet, JROTC, Police Explorers/Cadets, and other groups. 

 

Kim has advance computer and media technology skills; she received her mass media-radio/television certification from Golightly Vocational Center.  Art, theatre, and storytelling through animation from Wayne County Community College District, training in writing for television, radio and film, screenwriting: creative story development and structure, theatre, and more art education. She received her “On-Air” Talent Mass Communication certification from Wayne State University and has a television production certification from CMN – TV public access station.

Kim and her crew was the winner of the (People Choice Award) DWIFF-Detroit Windsor International Film Festival, 2009,  24 Hours Film Challenge.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                

She has an interest the fine arts and performing arts; she like drawing, painting, photography, film, puppetry, writing children books, plays cornet/trumpet, keyboard, and organ.  Her goal is to have a successful fine art and performing arts, community development center and help as many people as she can. Kim is a writer, producer, director, and screenplay writer, and has help develop a few movies, she has written her own screenplay and is in the process of filming her first  feature film.

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