A Note From Doodles Academy:
We are writing today with an important update about the future of Doodles Academy.
The funding landscape for small nonprofits has become incredibly difficult, especially for those connected to education and the arts. Several of our expected funding sources did not come through this year, and like many organizations our size, we do not have the flexibility to absorb those losses. Over the past few months, our board and leadership team have spent a great deal of time considering what is sustainable, what is responsible, and what would honor the mission you have supported for so long.
After careful evaluation, our board has approved a plan for Doodles Academy to dissolve as an independent organization by the end of 2025. While this decision is full of emotion, I want to share the part that gives us hope: the work itself will continue.
We are incredibly proud that Artistry of Literacy, our in-school program, will continue within Ann Arbor Public Schools, reaching even more students with the creative, literacy-driven lessons that have always been at the heart of our mission.
We are also in active conversations with nonprofit partners who are interested in taking on our preschool and afterschool programming so that these projects can live on in stable, supportive homes.
Ultimately, we chose the path that ensures the children and teachers we serve are not left without resources. If anything, they will receive even more support and stability through these transitions.
This transition reflects what we have always believed: that the work matters more than the structure.
To everyone who has believed in us—longtime donors, former board members, teachers who have used our lessons for years, families who have shown up to workshops, and partners who helped bring art into communities—thank you.
You helped build something special.
Your support made it possible for Doodles to reach classrooms across the country, to bring culturally meaningful art experiences to thousands of children, and to spark curiosity, confidence, and connection through creativity. While Doodles Academy will be ending in its current form, the work you supported is not ending.
The impact of your generosity will continue in classrooms, in children’s imaginations, and in every artful lesson that lives on through these new organizational homes. Thank you for being part of this chapter and for believing in what Doodles could be.
To our teachers who rely on our online curriculum:
Please download any lessons or materials you use before December 31.
Our website will remain live through the end of the year, but will come down as part of the dissolution process.
Below are personal notes from both Tempest and me, because our gratitude cannot fit into a single announcement.
A Note from Tempest, Our Founder
Ten years ago, when Alex and I left NYC, I took a leap on an idea I had carried for years: a belief that art belongs in classrooms. Doodles Academy grew right alongside my daughter Ainsley, and in those early years I learned everything on the fly the nonprofit world, the logistics, the fundraising all while learning new motherhood.
Over time, Doodles became this joyful, scrappy, creative thing that reached thousands of classrooms and helped kids light up as art made stories click and ideas come alive.
This past year brought incredible momentum AAPS piloting Artistry of Literacy, partnerships with YMCA, Oak Meadow, homeschoolers, afterschool programs, and so many more. But alongside that growth, the funding landscape shifted in ways we couldn’t ignore.
So, with reflection and a lot of heart, we made the decision to dissolve Doodles Academy by the end of the year. It feels huge, but also okay, because our programs are continuing on through organizations who can nurture them with even more stability.
I’m sad to close this chapter, but deeply proud, and endlessly grateful to every teacher, family, partner, board member, and supporter who helped bring Doodles to life. I’ll be spending the next few months helping our partners transition everything smoothly and after that… hopefully a little more time for clay. ❤️
A Note from our ED Kaila
Before I ever stepped into the role of Executive Director, I joined Doodles as a teacher and I still remember the first moment I experienced the curriculum. I had never seen anything like it. Every project was thoughtful, intentional, culturally meaningful, and rooted in care for children’s stories. It made me fall in love with this work immediately, and it’s what made me say yes to helping lead the organization.
Coming into this role after exiting my own business, I wanted to bring everything I had learned in entrepreneurship, design, and community-building to an organization with a mission I believed in at my core.
In a short time I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished together strengthening partnerships in Ann Arbor, expanding our programming, reaching new families, and growing Artistry of Literacy into classrooms across the district. Being able to help steward this mission has been one of the most meaningful chapters of my career.
This decision to dissolve has been emotional and deeply considered. But like all of our choices, it is rooted in doing what is best for teachers and children. And because of that, I feel grateful knowing the work will continue to grow in new, stable homes.
To everyone who believed in Doodles and supported this mission thank you. Your encouragement made artful learning possible for thousands of children.
As for what’s next, I’ll be continuing to teach preschool art at my daughter’s Montessori school a full-circle moment that feels both grounding and joyful. I’m excited to keep showing up in the community, continuing this work in a different way, and seeing many of you around Ann Arbor.