A short history of KARA
Kids At Risk Action began with volunteers in Hennepin County juvenile court and has been powered by volunteers ever since.
1994
David Strand sworn in as a court-appointed Hennepin County CASA volunteer guardian ad litem. Active through 1997.
1996
Mike Tikkanen sworn in as a Hennepin County court-appointed CASA volunteer guardian ad litem. Active through 2012.
1998
Initial Invisible Children / KARA board formation meetings.
1999
The Invisible Children book project begins.
2000
invisiblechildren.org founded by active CASA volunteer guardians ad litem Mike Tikkanen and David Strand, together with Bob Olson, Larry Walker, and Joe McCarthy.
2001
Regular monthly board meetings begin. Programs and policies take shape.
2002
Public speaking launched: Invisible Children, child protection, and child abuse presented to metro churches and community organizations.
2003
Presentation to the Women's Prison Warden Annual Conference, Bloomington, Minnesota.
2004
Introduction to Dr. David McCollum, a founding member of avahealth.org (the Academy on Violence and Abuse).
2005
Invisible Children published.
2006
Harmony Award from Bethel College for community efforts. First monthly printed newsletter. Website builder Artropolis creates the initial invisiblechildren.org.
2007
IRS 501(c)(3) nonprofit certification received. Presentation at the United Nations Youth Assembly, New York.
2008
Brutal Truths and Best Practices public forum, Century College.
2009
KARA's first fundraising campaign.
2010
Mike becomes a founding board member of CASAMN.
2011
KARA presentation at Indiana Foster Care after Governor Mitch Daniels eliminated funding for special-needs children.
2012
Reno CASA Annual Conference presentation.
2013
Mike and David become founding board members of Friends of Children (now CASA Cares).
2015
Interviews for TPT film documentary partnership.
2016
Presentations to Metro Police Chief Harrington, Crystal Police, and multiple suburban Rotaries.
2017
One thousand blog and newspaper article milestone reached.
2018
250 public presentations reached.
2019
Design and launch of Invisible Children Campus Conversations at the St. Cloud State Law Enforcement and Social Work Annual Conference.
2021
First two FinLit peer group pilot programs launched. Online book draft of America's Children in 100 Charts (working title). Engaged Riipen for college research and writing volunteers. Portages mental health collaborative efforts.
2022
Third FinLit peer group launched.
2022–2024
Multiple Invisible Children Campus Conversations at Metro State College, Dakota County Community College, and the Wellstone Center.
2023
Launch of the CASA free Google Ad Grant program.
2024
Wisconsin CASA Conference presentation. CASAMN signed on to the Google Ad Grant program.
2025
Program launched for an interactive AI-driven national child abuse and child protection information and solutions platform. America's Children in 100 Charts sent to agent.
This history is maintained by KARA. Corrections and additions to info@invisiblechildren.org. See also the editorial policy on naming children.