Our Story

AMPED Kids Foundation is a 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to positively impact the lives of foster, adopted and at risk youth who have been through trauma by providing access to free private music instruction and other music programs and therapeutics. 

We are dedicated to making a difference in the lives of children through the power of music. Through growing children’s musical gifts and interests and empowering them through mentorship, discipline and healing, Amped Kids is lifting up children and giving them a voice.

Our dream is to provide hope and vision to children who are undergoing difficult life challenges and empower them for a better future through our Amped music programs.

Our Core Values

We believe in the power of music to transform lives and bring healing to body, mind, and soul.
We believe music education creates opportunity through community, networks, and partnerships.
We are dedicated to protecting the safety and integrity of children.
We are committed to building trusting relationships and developing strong mentorships for a lifetime.
We believe that primary education and music education go hand-in-hand.

We believe music education builds creative and critical thinkings skills, self-esteem, and life skills that contribute to a child’s success.

We believe music is a universal language and positive connector for building healthy, lasting relationships.

Board Leadership

April Rooks is a singer songwriter who has performed professionally and taught voice and piano lessons for over twenty years. Always having a heart for community and children serving in ministries and as a volunteer for many nonprofits, April became involved with the Hall Dawson CASA in 2007 and that is where she would be changed by the story of a young lady who shared that music was what helped her to “get through the dark times of her life in foster care.”
The following year, in 2018, April founded Amped Kids Foundation with a mission to help foster children heal from trauma just as music as helped her in her difficult times in childhood and being a domestic violence survivor. Working with children as a music instructor, April has personally experienced the power of music to transform children’s lives giving them an opportunity to be seen, heard and express their deepest emotions through the power of song.
Music is a lifeline for many children who find it difficult or impossible to share what they have gone through but music creates a sacred space where we can tell our story and not be in fear of judgement.  Music is also a place of community and connection where we find strength, hope and safety that we need to have healthy relationships and find pathway to healing.

Her vision is to bring a shift into our communities through investing in our children who have been abused, neglected, and suffering from trauma.

 

  Board of Directors members:

  • April Rooks, Founder and President
  • Jason Sauls, Vice President
  • Beth Swenson, Secretary
  • Tony Williams, Treasurer
  • Dave Craver, Past President
  • Jan Smith, Officer
  • Mariette Tipton, Officer
  • Dawn Echols, Officer
  • Brad Anderson, Officer
  • Kristen Wallace, Officer
  • Greg Merritt, Officer
  • George Boggs, Officer
  • Ron Dunham, Officer

Amped Kids has an active community board to provide oversight and guidance as a valued part of the the northeast Georgia Community.