The year 2002 marks the 25th Anniversary of The Kids on the Block, Inc. (KOB). For twenty five years, KOB has expanded both as a company, by continually updating and adding program topics and puppet characters and as a community, by touching the lives of children and adults all over the world through the many associate troupes who use KOB puppets and programs. The Kids on the Block, Inc. continues to grow and with each passing year, something exciting happens. Some events are smaller than others, but all are important to the continued success of KOB's mission of educating children about sensitive topics.

1977 The first "Kid on the Block," Mark Riley, was created by Barbara Aiello and Ingrid Crepeau.

1978 August 17, KOB was incorporated. The first "Kit A" puppet set was sold.

1979 Some of the "original" Kids appeared on ABC's "Good Morning America."

1980 "Kit B" puppets were introduced. KOB performed in Yugoslovia at the 21st General Conference of the United Nations' Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

1981 KOB programs were in 40 states and 3 countries. Puppet character Mandy Puccini met Lou Ferrigno, TV's Incredible Hulk, at the opening ceremony for Better Hearing and Speech Month. KOB toured Australia and created the video No More Special Me.

1982 KOB had 14 program topics and 17 puppet characters. Mrs. Barbara Bush, wife of Vice-President George Bush, was present at a KOB performance at Rock Creek Forest Elementary School in Silver Spring, Maryland.

1983 First Lady, Nancy Reagan attended the premiere of the KOB program, The Effects of Drug Abuse on the Lives of Young People at Camp Goodwill in Dumfries, Virginia.

1984 KOB participated in a 10th Anniversary Celebration of the National Very Special Arts Festival. Three new programs were created: Teenage Pregnancy, Fire Safety and Aging. The song, Come on In became available to KOB associate troupes.

1985 KOB international staff toured the United States with Encyclopedia Britannica. Mandy Puccini met Queen Sylvia of Sweden. The Asthma program was introduced.

1986 KOB puppets and programs spanned 49 states and 12 countries. KOB's office moved to its current location, Columbia, Maryland. Three new programs were introduced: Being the Child of Divorced Parents, Severe Burns, featuring Lynne Casey, and Arthritis, which premiered in San Diego, California. The C'mon Along, We All Belong audiocassette was produced.

1987 KOB's 10th Anniversary Celebration, "We're All Part of a Family," was held in Washington, D.C. The KOB program on Autism was introduced.

1988 The first four books of the KOB book series were published. The current KOB logo was created. A portable puppet stage was developed and made available for use. The AIDS program was approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and was entered into their database as the first recommended school health program on AIDS for elementary use. The Ostomy program premiered at the International Association for Enterostomal Therapy Conference in Dallas, Texas.

1989 The Dwarfism program with William Morgan was introduced. KOB developed the program, Family Centered Community Based Coordinated Care in response to former U.S. Surgeon General C. Everett Koop's "Call To Action."

1990 KOB programs were in 50 states. Puppet stanchions were introduced to aid troupes with displaying and exhibiting puppet characters. KOB added three new programs: Automobile and Bicycle Safety, Pediatric Hospice and the Literacy program, which premiered in Cleveland, Tennessee with First Lady Barbara Bush on hand.

1991 The KOB program, Organ Donation and Transplant premiered in Knoxville, Tennessee during National Organ Donation and Transplant week. KOB responded to the war in the Persian Gulf by creating the Desert Storm program.

1992 KOB had created 37 programs and 47 puppet characters. Keeping Kids out of Gangs: Alternatives to Violence and Gang Membership premiered in Downey, California.

1993 KOB staff participated in a two week "Stop AIDS" symposium in Japan, and also traveled to Sydney, Australia to attend and perform at the Children's Hospice International Conference.

1994 KOB performed at the 10th Annual International Conference on AIDS in Yokohama, Japan.

1995 KOB staff traveled to Hong Kong to conduct a week long training and perform at local schools. The Alcohol, Tobacco and Other Drugs program replaced the previous substance abuse curriculum. The puppetry training video Bringing the Kids to Life was produced.

1996 The puppetry training video won two Telly Awards. The Hemophilia program was premiered in Dublin, Ireland at the 22nd Congress on Hemophilia. KOB staff joined Donna Shalala, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Tipper Gore, wife of Vice-President Al Gore, at a ceremony to launch Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration's "Caring for Every Child's Mental Health" campaign and premiered the Children's Mental Health script "The Counseling Game." KOB launched its website, www.kotb.com.

1997 KOB celebrated its 20th Anniversary with a conference in Annapolis, Maryland. KOB performed at World Burn Conference IX in Philidelphia, Pennsylvania. The Multiculturalism program, with new puppet character Justin Campbell, replaced the original Cultural Differences curriculum.

1998 The KOB Early Learning Series video was introduced and awarded the Aegis Award of Excellence and a Telly Award.

1999 The Muscular Dystrophy program, developed in conjuction with the Muscular Dystrophy (MD) Association of Canada, was premiered at the MD Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. The Bullies and School Safety program premiered at the Governor's Mansion in Annapolis, Maryland.

2000 KOB developed a mini-curriculum on Bereavement featuring new puppet character, Jamie Higgins.

2001 KOB performed at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C. for the Remember the Children event sponsored by World Vision.

2002 Coping with Crisis and Making a Difference was created in response to the September 11 terrorist attacks against the U.S. The Brain Injury program was premiered at the Brain Injury Association of America's Annual Public Policy Conference.