Coming Home: How Kikori Returned to the School Where It All Began
- Kikori Team
- Dec 8, 2025
- 4 min read
Updated: Dec 15, 2025
Most origin stories begin with a spark. Ours began with a lean-to in the woods, a blindfolded trust hike, and teachers who believed in the power of experiential learning long before anyone called it SEL.
This year, Kikori officially launched in Manton Elementary School, the school where I (Kikori founder, Kendra Bostick) grew up, the school where I learned what connection feels like, and the school that unknowingly planted the seeds for the work we do today. Stepping back into that building as a founder, alongside teachers who were my classmates growing up, was one of the most full-circle moments of my life.
Where It All Started: Camp Rotary and the Magic of Hands-On Learning
In sixth grade, I attended Camp Rotary, a week-long rite of passage for Manton students. It wasn’t just camp - it was a living classroom.
We built a lean-to in the woods. We learned ice fishing (in true Northern
Michigan fashion). We completed a trust hike - fully dependent on one another. We met students from our neighboring district, Lake City, and had to figure out how to connect, collaborate, and communicate across comfort zones.
It was pure experiential learning before I had the words for it. It was Kikori… before Kikori.
Camp Rotary was such a defining experience that I returned as a camp counselor in high school, wanting to give other students the same sense of belonging and discovery I’d felt.
And then there was Mrs. Bongard, my sixth-grade teacher, the one who filled our classroom with team-building games long before I understood their purpose. I can still remember memories of those early activities: the laughter, the problem-solving, the silent “aha” moments, the feeling of being part of something.
Those experiences didn’t just inspire Kikori. They shaped who I became.
The First School to Guide Kikori
When I first started this journey, with an idea, a vision, and a whole lot of hope, Manton Elementary was the first school I presented to. Returning home, this time as a founder, was both humbling and energizing.
Manton's Elementary Principal, JP Katona, asked the hard questions - the good ones:
“How will this work for students at different developmental stages?”
“What about scaffolding?”
“How will activities build real skills over time?”
“How do we make this sustainable for teachers?”
These questions guided us. They shaped our early roadmap. And ultimately, they pushed us to build the scaffolded scope and sequence that makes Kikori one of the most comprehensive experiential SEL programs available today.
A Full-Circle Training Day
This year, I had the joy of leading Manton's Launch Training in person with teachers, who were also former classmates! Together with Principal JP Katona, School Counselor Jen, and a team of dedicated, heart-forward educators … we dug into experiential practices, reflection routines, SEL skill-building, and the power of creating consistent, joyful community moments for students.
And today? Manton Elementary boasts 100% adoption of Kikori, with every teacher bringing it to life daily.
Manton’s leadership and staff model care, connection, and collaboration, creating an environment where students are thriving. The entire school community feels united around a shared approach to learning, growth, and building strong relationships.
It’s everything a founder dreams of.
Why This Matters So Much
Bringing Kikori back to Manton wasn’t just a rollout. My mom, Julie Bostick, Manton’s former school social worker and my lifelong inspiration, was there with me. Growing up, I watched her lead with kindness, care, and selflessness, supporting students, staff, and the whole school community—and she shaped the way I approach this work as a former school social worker myself. Having her by my side during the training was a beautiful full-circle moment.
It was a reminder that our work is never separate from who we are, that the places that shape us stay with us, and that sometimes the most meaningful innovations begin in the woods - at camp, with a bunch of sixth graders building a lean-to and learning to trust one another.
This full-circle moment makes our mission feel even clearer: experiential learning changes lives. Belonging changes lives. Connection changes lives. I know because it changed mine. And now, it’s changing Manton’s next generation of students too.
Celebrated Close to Home: Cadillac News Feature
The partnership was featured in the Cadillac Newspaper, which covers all of
Northern Michigan. Seeing the story of Kikori, and its return to the place where the inspiration began, shared with the community was both surreal and heartwarming.
It felt like the community saying, “We see you. And we’re proud.”
Thank you to all of the Manton Educators - past and present - for creating joyful learning experiences for students!
Ready to Bring Kikori to Life in Your Community?
Kikori is built to meet you where you are, whether you’re leading a single classroom or shaping culture across an entire school or district.
For Individual Educators
🏠 Start where you are. Lead from who you are.
A Kikori Pro Membership gives you instant access to:
Morning Meeting & Advisory slide decks
Hands-on, printable SEL activities
Curated music & movement playlists
Tools that help students connect, reflect, and lead
Perfect for educators who want meaningful SEL they can use tomorrow morning.
For Schools & Districts
🧩 Culture is built by people, not programs.
Kikori’s School-Wide Solution supports Tier 1–3 SEL by equipping every educator with:
Full platform access
Implementation guidance & training
Shared language and practices for culture-building
Bonus resources that support consistency and sustainability
Designed for schools ready to move from isolated activities to a lived, shared SEL experience.
This story feels deeply personal, like someone sharing a quiet but powerful turning point in their life. Coming back to where it all began carries real emotion. It even made me think of basketball legends, a game that teaches growth through play. When learning is lived, not forced, it stays with you forever.
Retro Bowl College forced me to start a walk-on kicker after my starter flunked out midseason. Every extra point suddenly felt like a coin flip.