From student worker to site lead — and she's not slowing down

OCTOBER 27, 2022       

COMMUNITY EDUCATION NEWS — Isabel Phelps, Kids Express site lead at Riggs Elementary School, found out about Kids Express as a junior in high school. She was taking an early childhood class and was interested in working with children long term. “I really wanted to explore working with other age groups. My teacher, Mr. Alexander, recommended me to try working with Kids Express and I have been here ever since,” explained Phelps.

Phelps started her time with Kids Express as a student worker at Navarrete Elementary School. “The lead at the time was Nancy Kalb, and if there’s anyone, I really credit a lot of my career success to, it’s her,” commented Phelps. Kalb taught her many skills and gave all staff, including student workers, the opportunity to come up with curriculum and organize activities.

“After working at Navarrete for about six months, I knew I that I wanted to continue to grow my skill set within Kids Express and continue advancing in the program,” explained Phelps. After being a student worker for a year, she briefly left Kids Express during her senior year of high school. Upon graduating from high school, Phelps returned to Kids Express and was hired back as a CC2.* Wafa Khan and Melinda Towne (past and current Kids Express site leads, respectively) were a huge influence on her as she continued to learn more about how to work with students in this new role. “I made it very clear to them that I wanted to [eventually] become a lead and they did everything possible for me to get to that point,” she explained. From doing rosters, to filing paperwork to checking the parent board, they assigned her tasks that could help her grow and work towards her goals of becoming a site lead.

Phelps’ stint as a site lead began at the start of the 2020-2021 school year. She has continued to push herself and grow by working closely with Marissa Diaz, preschool activity coordinator, promoting jobs within Kids Express. “[Marissa] has taught me different skills on how to communicate with parents and making sure that everyone knows that we are a team, and we are all in this together for the betterment of their child,” commented Phelps.

Kids Express really is all about the kids. Working as a student worker, CC2, and as a site lead has given Phelps the opportunity to work with many different kids throughout her four years with Kids Express. “My favorite part of the job is the kids. Being able to build different relationships with each kid, getting to know them, and being a huge part of their day is one of the main things that keeps me coming back to work,” she explained. “The kids are the main reason I have stayed for so long. For so many kids, Kids Express is a huge part of their life. I love being able to make their time memorable and safe.”

While the kids are a large reason Phelps stays so committed to Kids Express, the staff also have had a large impact on her. “Everyone I work with is incredible. It’s amazing the different skills you can learn from the people you work with,” she commented. Staff push each other to bring their best to work every day and all work together towards being the best they can be for the kids in the program.

Phelps’s aspirations do not stop at becoming a site lead. She is working towards her goal of becoming a Kids Express activity coordinator in the future. Cherish Jensen, current kids express activity coordinator at Riggs Elementary School, has mentored Phelps and started to help her build those necessary skills to one day become a coordinator. “She has gone above and beyond to make sure that I am getting those skills and working towards my end goal,” explained Phelps.  From helping with minor camp tasks, to putting together curriculum, Phelps has been given the opportunity to assist the coordinators with their roles.

Phelps also supports in recruitment efforts by speaking with early childhood classrooms at various Chandler Unified School District high schools to talk about her experience with Kids Express and the opportunities it has given her. She speaks with current high school students in order to encourage them to apply to be student workers at Kids Express.

A common misconception Phelps hears about Kids Express is that it is “glorified babysitting.” To her, working at Kids Express is much more than that. “We help kids with homework, we do art, cooking, STEM, and so many more things! I feel we are here to leave an impact on a child’s life,” she reflected.

In her free time, Phelps enjoys arts and crafts. From decorating to creating things, she likes to be creative. She brings this joy to her work life by decorating the Kids Express bulletin boards with fun themes.  

“The opportunities I have been given at Kids Express have been absolutely amazing and I truly would not want to work anywhere else,” explained Phelps.

*The CC2 position at Kids Express is the Childcare Group Leader (school age) position. This position requires 6 months of experience working with children. Childcare Group Leaders are responsible for supervising children and leading them through the lesson plans and instruction. To view a complete list of responsibilities for the CC2 position or to apply, view our part time Childcare Group Leader (school age) position and/or our full time Childcare Group Leader (school age) position.  

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