When Kay Reed saw a need in her community to help young kids creatively, she stepped up and started “I Can Fly Ministries” in 2007, a Christian organization that aims to teach and inspire.

Along with her husband, Courtney Reed, a board of directors and artist teachers, Kay leads young people in learning dance, mime, flags, art, poetry, culinary skills and more. Everyone affiliated with I Can Fly Ministries is a volunteer, and Kay said she is very proud that some of the teachers are I Can Fly Ministries alumni who are giving back to the program.

“We focus on arts and mentoring,” Reed said of the ministry. “We’re very interactive with the kids.”

Beginning at age 6, children are assigned to age-based groups, and the lessons are crafted to appeal to the level of maturity of the group. I Can Fly Ministries teaches the children the arts, but also provides practical help for older children, such as ACT prep, CPR and resume skills.

“One of our biggest projects for many years has been to have the kids cook Thanksgiving and Christmas dinner for us,” Reed said. “They’re assigned to groups and one of our board members or artists will teach them to prepare a specific dish. One group may be preparing the turkey, one group may be preparing the dressing, one group preparing the green beans. Then we come together as a group and eat.”

A new addition to the teachings has been something called “Paint and Poetry.”

“We have artists who write poems and do spoken word,” Reed said.” Jameelah Jones leads the sessions. We have Courtney Reed, my husband, and Shylo Brown, both of them will come up with different creative ways to write poems, to be open. The whole purpose behind it is to get the child to open up, to feel like they are included, they do belong.”

For one “Paint and Poetry,” the children were given a blank canvas and told to paint the letters of their name. “It sounded very elementary,” Reed said, “but in the end, everybody opened up about their life. The kids got to know each other and express themselves.”

The group enjoys performing in community events “from Vicksburg to Jackson,” Reed said. The group received recognition in the Vicksburg Christmas Parade for “Unity in the Arts.” Reed said that Kiara Jones, an I Can Fly Ministries graduate and volunteer, designed the “Nutcracker” themed float and the children all made hats to go with the theme. The group has also participated in the Clinton Christmas Parade as well as the Salvation Army tree lighting and other events.

On June 26-27, the ministry will present an arts conference at the Ardis T. Williams Auditorium. The conference is a two-day event.

“The conference is open to all ages,” Reed said, “but you have to be at least 6 years old. We do have an adult class.” This will be the 16th year I Can Fly Ministries will present the conference.

“It’s an entire weekend packed with learning dance techniques and dance songs,” she said. “They’ll learn ballet, modern, hip hop, mime, flag, it’s just a packed weekend as far as the arts. People can come see us live, in action, with no limitation, no restrictions. We put together the whole show.  (The kids) get to be the most creative for this annual event.

“We’ll have different breakout sessions for them, we’ll feed them lunch,” Reed said.

The grand finale will be presented Saturday night at 7 p.m. and the public is invited to come and see what the children have learned. Reed described it as “a family-friendly event.”

The ministry also presents scholarships during the conference ranging from $500 to $2,500 for a chosen senior. Tickets for the conference can be purchased online through the organization’s website, icanflyministries.org.

For people interested in learning at I Can Fly Ministries, Reed emphasized “No experience is needed. There is a space for everyone, whether you’re a beginner or advanced (in dance).” She also noted that the organization strives to keep costs low to make learning dance more affordable.

Although the organization is faith-based, Reed stressed that the children who attend do not have to be affiliated with any specific church.

“We’re a non-denominational non-profit,” she said.

I Can Fly Ministries meets twice a month at 1418 Washington St. Participants are asked to donate $20 monthly to cover the costs of the program, but sponsorships are available for those who cannot afford to donate.

The ministry will host an open house on Sunday, June 1 beginning at 1:15 p.m. at the Washington St. location. Anyone interested in participating in the program can learn more about it and sign up at that time.