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Lancaster ISD's Kickstart Kids karate program teaches life skills to middle schoolers

Lancaster ISD offers karate as an elective for middle school kids to teach them mental and physical strength.

LANCASTER, Texas — Extracurricular activities like karate can get expensive, but students in Lancaster are able to take karate classes for free. It's an elective for middle school students in the district.

Instructor Kim Morgan loves this one-of-a-kind program called Kickstart Kids. Over the last few years, the school board has fully supported the karate classes because of the lessons it teaches the children.

On Monday, Lancaster ISD school board members will vote on whether to continue funding Kickstart Kids or not, but is expected to be renewed.

"The goal is to teach children character through karate. You get to keep training in karate as long as you start showing me progress in your character," Morgan said.

Students are gaining confidence and learning about discipline and respect through martial arts.

8th grader Jasmine Aponte is an orange belt. She said Kickstart Kids means everything to her. 

"I used to get bullied a lot in the second grade, and through karate, I got my self-confidence up," Aponte said.

She hopes the program will continue for years to come. 

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