Kidpower International and our California Center are both run from our Central Office in Santa Cruz, California.

Kidpower was established in 1989 by community organizer, author, and mother Irene van der Zande with support from co-founders Ellen Bass, Timothy Dunphy, and Ed van der Zande. Irene serves as our Executive Director, primary author, and Director of Training.  California Program Director Erika Leonard leads our team of instructors, organizers, and project staff to provide workshops throughout the state.

Our strategy is to “serve locally and share globally.” From our Central Office HQ, we support instructor training, curriculum development, and program quality for our centers across the United States and around the world — and directly oversee the organizing and teaching of workshops throughout California.

Kidpower International and Kidpower California started at the same time and still share staff, space, and resources. We now have local California offices throughout the greater San Francisco Bay Area, in Los Angeles, and in San Diego.

We have provided training for more than 200,000 people in California and served over 4 million people worldwide through our workshops and educational resources.

Use the following links for more information about our California Services, how to Organize a Workshop for your group, and our California Community Workshops Schedule and Registration.