Inspiring Conversations with Jania Otey of Kids and Culture, LLC D/B/A Kids and Culture Camp

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jania Otey.

Jania, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My story is ultimately a testimony of God’s faithfulness. Although I never could have predicted where life would lead, each season prepared me for the next and helped shape the woman I am today. My purpose is to glorify God by faithfully using the gifts He has given me to serve others and maximize every season of my life.

I grew up in Clovis, California, where my parents laid a strong spiritual foundation that continues to guide my life. As a child, I experienced racism firsthand. I was often underestimated, endured racial slurs and physical attacks, and faced intense hostility after becoming the first African American elected student body president in my high school’s 93-year history. Although those experiences were painful, they strengthened my faith and deepened my compassion for others.

My journey led me to Howard University, where I earned my bachelor’s degree in Political Science, served as Vice President of the Howard University Student Association, continued my leadership through the NAACP, and later graduated from Howard University School of Law. Howard was also where I met my husband, Melvin, who has been one of God’s greatest blessings in my life.

After law school, I practiced labor and employment law before leaving to establish my own law practice from home as my husband and I prepared to start our family. When our oldest son was two, we made the decision to home-educate him. It was not something I had previously considered, but it deepened my understanding of how children learn and reinforced the educational philosophy that would later become the foundation of Kids and Culture.

My husband has always encouraged me to continue growing, use my God-given gifts, and never stop learning. His unwavering support played a significant role in my earning a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies and has strengthened my writing, speaking, ministry, and every season of our family’s journey. Serving alongside him in the church has been one of the greatest privileges of my life.

Although I did not realize it at the time, my legal training would become one of the greatest assets in building Kids and Culture, equipping me to navigate everything from business formation and contracts to policies, compliance, and risk management.
Around the same time we began homeschooling our oldest son, I started searching for a summer program that reflected the educational philosophy we valued in our home—one that combined academic excellence, cultural appreciation, creativity, and genuine love for children. When I could not find what I envisioned, I sent an email to a local homeschooling group asking whether anyone was interested in creating something different. That simple email brought a group of remarkable homeschooling mothers together around my dining room table, and in 2010, Kids and Culture Camp was born on the campus of Howard University.

I used a $750 check I earned from a legal job to pay the filing fees to form Kids and Culture’s LLC, obtain a business license, and open our first business bank account. Although I founded Kids and Culture, it has never been the work of one person. I will always be grateful for the co-founding mothers whose creativity, sacrifice, and unwavering commitment helped transform an idea into an organization that continues to serve families today.

Over the past 17 years, Kids and Culture has expanded in ways I never could have imagined. What began as a grassroots cooperative has grown into an educational enrichment company serving thousands of children through a variety of culturally immersive educational programs. Today, Kids and Culture continues to serve thousands of children through thoughtful, culturally relevant educational enrichment programs, including our signature summer camps and teen leadership initiatives.
Along the way, Kids and Culture has been featured by local, national, and international media outlets. In 2014, our family relocated from Washington, D.C., to Alabama, and I continue to lead the organization from there—a reminder that with God’s guidance, strong systems, an exceptional team, and trusted partnerships, meaningful impact is not limited by geographic location.

One of the greatest joys has been watching the Kids and Culture community come full circle. Campers who once attended as young children now return as Counselors-in-Training, assistant teachers, lead educators, specialty instructors, and guest speakers because they want today’s campers to experience the same love, encouragement, and sense of belonging they received. Seeing one generation invest in the next has been one of the most rewarding parts of this journey. It would not be possible without the co-founding mothers, our dedicated educators, school and community partners, and the thousands of families who have believed in our mission and entrusted us with their precious children. Together, they have helped make Kids and Culture the impactful organization it is today.

Beyond Kids and Culture, God has provided opportunities for me to speak to faith-based, educational, and homeschooling audiences throughout the United States and internationally. I have also written faith-based articles, co-authored ladies’ devotional books, published two editions of the Kids & Culture Camp Cookbook: Vegan Cuisines from Around the World, and encouraged families through homeschooling consulting and educational leadership.

Looking back, I realize my story has never really been about earning degrees, practicing law, founding a company, writing books, or receiving recognition. Those have simply been different ways God has allowed me to use the gifts He entrusted to me in service to others. My greatest blessings have been my relationship with God, the love and encouragement of my husband and family, the privilege of serving in His church, and the ability to help shape the hearts and minds of my own children and the thousands of children entrusted to our care. If there is one thing I hope people remember about my life, it is not what I accomplished, but that I sought to glorify God by faithfully loving and serving others wherever He placed me.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Frederick Douglass’s words, “If there is no struggle, there is no progress,” have long been a source of inspiration for me. Overall, my journey has been defined more by intentional sacrifices than by obstacles. I have learned to view challenges not simply as roadblocks, but as experiences God can use to strengthen our faith, character, and perspective.

One of the greatest sacrifices my husband and I made was deciding that I would leave my traditional legal career and home-educate our two sons. We chose to live on one income so I could invest in our children during their formative years. Homeschooling was not always easy, especially at a time when it was far less common than it is today. Many people questioned our decision, particularly after I had graduated from law school and passed two bar exams. There were even seasons when my youngest son passionately argued his case for attending public school!

Looking back, every sacrifice was worth it. By God’s grace, both of our sons graduated from high school at age sixteen and earned college scholarships. My oldest recently graduated summa cum laude with two bachelor’s degrees, received the President’s Award, and was named Mr. Faulkner University. My youngest is entering his second full-time year of college. Their accomplishments have certainly made us proud, but what brings us the greatest happiness is seeing them grow into godly young men who love the Lord, serve others, and continue to pursue excellence in every area of life.

Building Kids and Culture has presented a different kind of challenge. I did not start the organization with the goal of making money. My desire was to create safe, loving, culturally enriching experiences that would prepare children to become thoughtful, knowledgeable, and culturally aware leaders.

Over time, I realized that passion alone is not enough to sustain a mission. I did not start Kids and Culture to build a business; I started it to solve a problem for families like mine. Learning how to build a sustainable business came later, because I realized that a mission cannot continue for decades without a solid financial plan and a like-minded leadership team. Becoming an entrepreneur meant learning that purpose and profitability are not competing goals; they work together. A financially healthy organization creates the stability needed to invest in exceptional educators, develop innovative programming, serve more families, and ensure that Kids and Culture continues impacting children in memorable ways for generations to come.
Like many small businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic tested us in ways I never imagined. I made the difficult decision to take out a business loan to keep Kids and Culture operating; paying it back has not been easy, but I am grateful it enabled us to continue serving families and emerge stronger.

Not every idea has been successful. Some marketing initiatives did not produce the results I hoped for. We developed Culture Quest, an online asynchronous learning program, which did not grow as expected. Those experiences taught me that innovation requires the courage to experiment, learn, adjust, and keep moving forward.

Another ongoing challenge is that our programming depends heavily on strong partnerships with schools because we utilize their facilities. During our 17 years, we have been blessed to partner with many wonderful schools, but changes in school leadership, renovations, or shifting priorities sometimes require us to find new locations with little notice. Thankfully, DC Bilingual Public Charter School has been an extraordinary long-term partner, and I am deeply grateful for its sustained commitment to Kids and Culture and the families we serve.

Succession planning is another challenge that remains close to my heart. Kids and Culture began as a cooperative founded by a group of passionate homeschooling mothers who poured their hearts into this mission. As our children have grown beyond the traditional camper years, I have become increasingly intentional about preparing the next generation of leaders to carry the vision forward. Finding educators and an executive team who not only possess strong teaching skills but also genuinely love children and embrace our mission has been a huge responsibility as a leader.

Through every challenge, my Christian faith has remained my foundation. It has taught me that difficulties can prepare us for greater opportunities to serve others. As I reflect on the past, I would not change any part of my journey, because each sacrifice and challenge has strengthened my faith, refined my leadership, and helped shape the mission that continues to guide Kids and Culture today.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Kids and Culture is an award-winning educational enrichment company based in Washington, D.C., whose mission is to inspire children to love learning, embrace culture, and live mindfully. It was never created simply to be another summer camp. It was born around my dining room table when a group of homeschooling mothers of color came together with one shared vision: to create the kind of educational experiences we wanted for our own children. We wanted children to experience the joy of learning in an environment where they would be challenged academically, immersed in cultures from around the world, and genuinely loved.

That same vision continues to guide Kids and Culture today. Love is the guiding theme woven into everything we do. We often describe Kids and Culture as a heart-centered organization because relationships come before programming. Every lesson, activity, conversation, and interaction is intentionally designed to help children feel valued, encouraged, and inspired to learn more. We also encourage every educator to teach from their individual strengths and passions. Whether their passion is science, music, foreign languages, culinary arts, mathematics, history, or another subject, we believe that enthusiasm is contagious because children remember how a teacher made them feel just as much as what they were taught. We believe children thrive when they are loved and learn to love the process of learning.

Today, Kids and Culture continues to serve children ages 3 to 17 through thoughtful, culturally relevant programming, including camps, afterschool programs, school partnerships, educational assemblies, conference childcare, and a Counselors-in-Training program that prepares teens for leadership while keeping them connected to the Kids and Culture community. Our programs are intentionally designed to spark curiosity, encourage critical thinking, and help children make meaningful connections across cultures and academic subjects. Rather than simply teaching children about the cultures we study, we immerse them in their history, geography, literature, science, mathematics, music, art, languages, sports, and culinary traditions through hands-on experiences that make learning memorable.

Our commitment to authentic cultural learning has also created unique opportunities for children to engage directly with people from around the world. One memorable example was arranging a field trip for our campers to visit the Embassy of Botswana, where they had the opportunity to meet the Ambassador as part of our cultural study of Botswana. Experiences like these bring our mission to life and help children develop a deeper appreciation for the world beyond their own communities.
Over the years, families have traveled from multiple states—and even other countries—to participate in Kids and Culture, something we consider both an honor and a reflection of the trust families place in our programs.

Perhaps what makes me most proud is not an award or recognition, but the transformation families tell us they see in their children. Parents often share that their children return home more curious, more compassionate, more respectful of others, and genuinely excited about learning. Many ask us to extend our programming throughout the year because they appreciate the thoughtful planning, educational excellence, and loving environment their children experience at Kids and Culture. Some have even asked when we plan to open our own school.

One of the greatest compliments we receive is that children do not want to leave at the end of the day. Many campers return year after year and eventually become Counselors-in-Training, assistant teachers, lead educators, specialty instructors, and guest speakers because they want today’s campers to experience the same love, encouragement, and sense of belonging they once received. The same is true of our educators. Several members of our team have faithfully served with Kids and Culture for all 17 years, while many others return year after year because they believe deeply in our mission and the children we serve.

We are grateful that our commitment to excellence has been recognized through honors such as being named a Top 100 Minority Business Enterprise and being featured by local, national, and international media. Our parent evaluations have consistently reflected an overall rating of “Excellent,” something we never take for granted.

More than any award or recognition, what means the most to me is the trust families place in us. For nearly two decades, parents have entrusted us with their precious children, and we have considered it both a privilege and a responsibility to provide safe, loving, thoughtfully planned, and culturally relevant experiences that inspire children to love the process of learning, embrace culture, and live mindfully. Every day, we strive to ensure that each child leaves Kids and Culture not only with new knowledge, but with cherished memories, meaningful friendships, and a deeper appreciation for the world and the people who share it.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
People are often surprised to learn that I have followed a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle for more than 25 years. Long before it became mainstream, I became passionate about the connection between nutrition, health, and mindful living. That passion naturally found its way into Kids and Culture. Because we serve children from many different backgrounds, we have always been intentional about accommodating food allergies, dietary restrictions, and cultural food traditions. One of our core values is mindfulness, and I love helping children discover that many of the same fruits, vegetables, grains, and legumes are enjoyed all over the world—they are simply prepared in different and delicious ways. Food has become an additional way we help children appreciate, respect, and celebrate cultures from around the world.

Another fun fact that many people do not know is that, while I was in high school, I received the Rosa Parks Leadership Award. The award was presented by Dr. Betty Shabazz, the wife of Malcolm X, and afterward I received a personal letter from Mrs. Rosa Parks. It remains one of the most meaningful honors of my life because it reinforced something I still believe today: leadership is not about recognition; it is about serving others with courage, humility, and integrity.

Looking back, it is interesting that healthy living, leadership, and cultural education have been recurring themes throughout my life. I am grateful that God has allowed those passions to come together through my family, my faith, and Kids and Culture. Whether I am working behind the scenes encouraging children to explore a new culture, speaking to audiences, writing, or serving in the Lord’s church, my prayer is that my life reflects His love and inspires others to use their own gifts to make a positive difference in the lives of those around them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kidsandculture.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kidsandculturecamp/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kidsandculturecamp/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kids-and-culture-llc/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@kidsandculture