On May 20, 2026, Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director Chuck Ethridge addressed the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene with a presentation titled “More Than A Show: What Professional Theatre Does for the Children of Our Community.” His central message was simple but compelling: the missions of Kiwanis and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre are not as different as they might appear. Both exist to improve the lives of children and strengthen the community around them — and both have been doing it, in their own ways, for a combined 162 years.
Ethridge opened by making the research-backed case for why the performing arts matter for children beyond entertainment. Studies from the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences and Nature’s peer-reviewed journal npj Science of Learning have found that children who engage regularly with the arts develop higher self-esteem, stronger academic performance, and greater empathy than their peers. Drama training specifically has been shown to improve collaborative behavior — skills researchers identify as among the most critical for success in the 21st century workforce. For children from lower-income backgrounds, access to the arts has been shown to reduce stress, increase school attendance, and improve social outcomes in ways that other interventions often cannot.
What makes Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s work distinctive is the breadth of how it reaches children in this community — and its commitment to removing every barrier in the way. The organization’s Musical Theatre Training Institute serves over 1,000 youth ages 8 to 16 every year through year-round classes, workshops, private lessons, and camps, with a firm policy that no child is turned away due to lack of funds. The Summer Arts Enrichment program gives 450 youth per season a fully immersive, free theatre experience — including a ticket to a live professional show, a private backstage tour, and a Q&A with the cast and creative team. Pop-Up Workshops bring professional singing, acting, and dance instruction directly into Boys & Girls Clubs and Shoshone County Schools. And programs like Theatre For All and the Princess Performance ensure that cost is never the reason a child misses out.
Ethridge was candid about the financial reality behind all of it. Ticket sales cover only 37% of what it costs to run the organization. Every program for kids lives in the other 63% — funded entirely by grants, sponsorships, and individual donors. He closed by extending an invitation not for money, but for partnership: “The children we serve today are the artists, the leaders, the collaborators, and the community members of tomorrow. What we invest in them now — in their confidence, their creativity, their sense of what is possible — is an investment that this community will benefit from for decades. We are grateful to be doing that work. And we would be honored to do it alongside you.”
Photograph: (left to right) Chuck Ethridge, Freda Campbell
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Last Updated: May 22, 2026 by Matt Palmer
Chuck Ethridge – Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre
On May 20, 2026, Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s Executive Artistic Director Chuck Ethridge addressed the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene with a presentation titled “More Than A Show: What Professional Theatre Does for the Children of Our Community.” His central message was simple but compelling: the missions of Kiwanis and Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre are not as different as they might appear. Both exist to improve the lives of children and strengthen the community around them — and both have been doing it, in their own ways, for a combined 162 years.
Ethridge opened by making the research-backed case for why the performing arts matter for children beyond entertainment. Studies from the Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences and Nature’s peer-reviewed journal npj Science of Learning have found that children who engage regularly with the arts develop higher self-esteem, stronger academic performance, and greater empathy than their peers. Drama training specifically has been shown to improve collaborative behavior — skills researchers identify as among the most critical for success in the 21st century workforce. For children from lower-income backgrounds, access to the arts has been shown to reduce stress, increase school attendance, and improve social outcomes in ways that other interventions often cannot.
What makes Coeur d’Alene Summer Theatre’s work distinctive is the breadth of how it reaches children in this community — and its commitment to removing every barrier in the way. The organization’s Musical Theatre Training Institute serves over 1,000 youth ages 8 to 16 every year through year-round classes, workshops, private lessons, and camps, with a firm policy that no child is turned away due to lack of funds. The Summer Arts Enrichment program gives 450 youth per season a fully immersive, free theatre experience — including a ticket to a live professional show, a private backstage tour, and a Q&A with the cast and creative team. Pop-Up Workshops bring professional singing, acting, and dance instruction directly into Boys & Girls Clubs and Shoshone County Schools. And programs like Theatre For All and the Princess Performance ensure that cost is never the reason a child misses out.
Ethridge was candid about the financial reality behind all of it. Ticket sales cover only 37% of what it costs to run the organization. Every program for kids lives in the other 63% — funded entirely by grants, sponsorships, and individual donors. He closed by extending an invitation not for money, but for partnership: “The children we serve today are the artists, the leaders, the collaborators, and the community members of tomorrow. What we invest in them now — in their confidence, their creativity, their sense of what is possible — is an investment that this community will benefit from for decades. We are grateful to be doing that work. And we would be honored to do it alongside you.”
Photograph: (left to right) Chuck Ethridge, Freda Campbell
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Kiwanis Club of Coeur d'Alene
The Kiwanis Club of Coeur d' Alene meets every Wednesday except the last of the month from noon to 1pm at MacKenzie River Pizza , 405 W. Canfield Ave.
Anyone welcome to join us for a meeting to see what we're all about!
Building Stronger Communities Through Giving!
At the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d'Alene's meeting on October 21, we welcomed Emma Hoagland, Community Engagement Associate for North Idaho with the Idaho Community Foundation.
Emma shared how the Foundation connects generous donors with nonprofit organizations throughout Idaho, investing charitable contributions and distributing grants that help strengthen our communities.
We were particularly impressed by the Foundation's impact right here in North Idaho!
During the 2026 Forever Idaho grant cycle:
đź’™ $315,000 was distributed to local nonprofits.
đź’™ 40 organizations received financial support.
đź’™ Approximately $1.2 million has been distributed in our region over the past four years!
We were also pleased to learn more about the Foundation's support for Specialized Needs Recreation (SNR), an organization with close ties to our Kiwanis Club.
Emma also highlighted Idaho Gives, an annual four-day fundraising event that brings Idahoans together to support nonprofit organizations. In 2026, North Idaho donors contributed more than $776,000 to 112 local nonprofits!
📅 Mark your calendars for the next Idaho Gives: May 3–6, 2027.
The Foundation's commitment to strengthening communities aligns closely with our own Kiwanis mission of serving children and improving lives. We look forward to exploring opportunities to collaborate in the future.
Thank you, Emma, for an informative and inspiring presentation!
👉 Read more about Emma's presentation, the Idaho Community Foundation, and its impact on North Idaho on our website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/idaho-community-foundation-investing-in-the-future-of-north-idaho/ ... See MoreSee Less
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🥫🚗 320 FAMILIES SERVED — ANOTHER GREAT DAY OF COMMUNITY SERVICE! 💙
On October 8, the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene once again teamed up with Second Harvest Inland Northwest to distribute food to local families at Community United Methodist Church.
The need was clear! Cars began lining up a couple of hours before the scheduled start, so volunteers got to work early. Over the next 4½ hours, 320 families received much-needed food assistance!
đź‘Ź We were grateful to be joined by volunteers from the United Women in Faith, Wells Fargo Bank, our Aktion Club, and other community members who generously gave their time.
🌟 A special shout-out to our amazing Aktion Club members! Several joined us for the distribution, enthusiastically pitching in and enjoying the opportunity to make a meaningful contribution to their community. Seeing their pride, energy, and joy in serving others was one of the highlights of the day!
Events like this remind us what can be accomplished when neighbors and community organizations work together.
A huge THANK YOU to everyone who helped make this another successful food distribution!
📸 Read the full story and see photos on our Kiwanis website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/kiwanis-and-community-partners-serve-320-families-at-second-harvest-food-... ... See MoreSee Less
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Celebrating a Great Year of Kiwanis Service! 🎉
Our annual Installation Banquet on September 30 was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate an incredibly busy and successful year for the Kiwanis Club of Coeur d’Alene—and, most importantly, to recognize the members who made it all happen.
Throughout the past year, our members gave generously of their time, talents, and resources, participating in a remarkable variety of service projects, supporting local organizations and young people, strengthening our community partnerships, and enjoying plenty of fellowship along the way. Thank you to every one of our members who helped make the year such a success!
And, of course, the banquet marked the beginning of a new Kiwanis year. Kim Cummings was installed as President, Jeanie Nugent as President-Elect, with Kathy Bush continuing as Secretary and Matt Palmer as Treasurer. Mike Lane moves into the role of Immediate Past President, and we welcomed our new and returning Board members.
The evening also included a special recognition as Matt Palmer was named our 2025–26 Kiwanian of the Year, honoring his service and contributions to the club during the past year.
We’re grateful to everyone who served in a leadership role this past year and to those who have stepped forward to lead us in 2026–27. But most of all, thank you to all of our members. Everything our club accomplishes is possible because of your willingness to serve.
It was a great year—and we’re excited to see what we can accomplish together in the next one!
👉 Read more about the past year's accomplishments, our new leadership team, and the Installation Banquet on our website:
k00801.site.kiwanis.org/celebrating-a-great-year-and-welcoming-our-new-kiwanis-leadership/ ... See MoreSee Less
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