TCKid A HOME FOR THIRD CULTURE KIDS

Our rebranding from TCKid to TCKidNOW is part of a transition to help TCKs address the question that comes after the initial exploration of what it means to be a TCK: “Now that I understand more about myself as a TCK, now what?” After helping thousands of TCKs discover the term TCK, TCKidNOW believes that we have moved beyond the question of “Where is home?” and sees the potential TCKs have in giving back to the world they grew up in.

TCKidNOW hopes to strengthen & empower TCKs, equipping them to recognize their unique skills & connect with or create opportunities to address human needs around the world.*

As a result of receiving TCKidNOW's services, we envision that there will be increase in:
- knowledge in the general (non-TCK) public about TCKs, inc. vulnerable pops.
- knowledge among TCKs about trauma & unresolved grief & its impact
- knowledge about/linkages between TCKs & helpful resources or services
- linkages between TCKs & human/ social/ professional needs globally

While utilizing its existing platforms as a way to educate the community and engage with its TCK and cross cultural population, TCKidNOW is expanding its capacity to interact on a one-on-one level and through a network of partners, an improved digital platform, and other strategies, provide a wider variety of services with more of an impact. An improved digital platform will help promote the value of TCKs in the workplace, humanitarian projects, faith community, the arts, and other sectors of society. Building the capacity of TCKidNOW to implement and scale up these improvements requires paid operational staff to maximize the value of time both long term and short term volunteer staff have already invested in the organization. Having paid operational staff on a long term basis will help sustain the organization and provide an unmet need within the field of TCK and cross cultural work and services, also supporting operational leadership representing more vulnerable TCK experiences.

The CEO/President, Myra Dumapias, has a Masters in Social Work & has worked directly with various vulnerable populations, ranging from the first group of trafficked women discovered in a police raid in El Monte, California in 1995, to Filipino-American World War II veterans living in sub-standard housing, to indigent/ homeless individuals & families in transitional housing, to homeless single mothers & their children in LA's downtown Skid Row. Ms. Dumapias also has experience with executive management & fund development, inc. 9 yrs of grant management, having served as executive director for Japan America Society of San Antonio, Foundations & Corporate Relations Manager for Big Brothers Big SIsters of South Texas, Development Director for Family Violence Prevention Services & Program Development Director for Filipino American Service Group, Inc. The combined background of its board members include media, communications, marketing, executive mgt, business start-ups & micro-financing.

TCKidNOW's early history started as an online community forum created by Brice Royer in 2008, long before the rest of social media & popular news sources used the term Third Culture Kid. TCKid.com played a significant role in thousands of individuals’ discovery of their TCK identity & first steps in a journey of understanding & personal growth. The private forum still holds countless dialogues that reflect stories of healing, growth, loss, unresolved grief, revelations, mutual discoveries, inspiration, change, personal journeys, the forging of friendships, & campaigns for compassion. The search for a sense of belonging became the home they found on TCKid’s forum. Under Myra Dumapias, TCKid maintained the forum & social media presence, created TCKidTV & launched smaller scales of its new programs. Today, its combined membership is approx. 30Kto 35K with eg. 5.4K engaged individuals with a 20K reach for public content & 2.5K engagements with 59K reach for original TCKidNOW content.