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Child advocate, KARA president and author, Mike Tikkanen, is a powerful and dynamic speaker who springboards his blockbuster book, Invisible Children, in seminars. Tikkanen presents solutions and preventative actions to community groups, non-profit boards and other groups vested in a positive future for children. To arrange for a presentation, contact him at: mike@invisiblechildren.org

Mike Tikkanen captivates audiences as he speaks about wellness, laughter, humour and life, presenting creative solutions to major issues in the health of the individual, the group and the work environment.  His dynamic lectures and workshops guaranteed to be exuberant, challenging and fun.

As a Guardian ad-litem (court-appointed special advocate), he knows firsthand about the plight of at-risk children. In the process he has discovered solutions that he shares with audiences in presentations that include:

The Economic Impact of Abuse & Abandonment

Why Some Kids Don’t Learn in School

Why Punishing Abused Children Doesn’t Work

Psychotropic Drugs For Children and the Implications for School and Community

How You Can Help End Violence against Children

Comments from child advocate experts about his presentations are:

"A passionate, informative, and compelling look at the shameful treatment of vulnerable Children, how it impacts society, and what we can do about it. Tikkanen effectively mixes personal experience and real-life stories."
     …Burt Burlow, President of Growing Communities for Peace

"It is truly critical for adults from all corners of our society to speak out on behalf of children, especially children without someone who cares about them and their futures."
     …Connie Skillingstad, Executive Director of Prevent Child Abuse Minnesota

Where Are We Today?

Research and measured outcomes prove that "It takes a village to raise a child" is more than an adage. For an increasing number of at-risk children, the village that is vested with the responsibility of saving children is a community comprised by people like you and me. To meet the needs of our most fragile citizens, communities need proven solutions that work in our own backyards.

Kids At Risk- Action! (KARA) is an action tank that increases awareness by influencing the public agenda around the welfare of at-risk children and youth. We identify and promote effective people, policies, and programs and we expose policies and programs that fail children. Our goal is to partner with communities to bring positive change into the lives of at-risk children through tried and proven programs. Civil leaders can track results and build on established success with programs that work.

KARA’s mission is to advocate for the welfare of at-risk children and youth through the identification and promotion of programs and policies that work. We’ve developed a Kids At Risk – Action Kit to help you get started in supporting our mission.

The cost of ignoring children is exponentially greater than the cost of attending to their needs.

HOW WE DIFFER

"All children are born into a promise that the adults in their lives would take care of them. Unfortunately, that promise all too often gets broken and the only recourse these children have is a Child Protection System and Juvenile Justice System that certainly could use more help."
     …Minnesota State Senator Mee Moua