Meet American Girl’s 2023 Girl of the Year

Meet Kavi Sharma, American Girl’s 2023 Girl of the Year!

Meet the 2023 American Girl of the Year! Kavi Sharma, an Indian-American girl growing up in New Jersey, works to balance a full plate of schoolwork, dance and music classes, time with family and friends and Saturday yoga.

Plus, she’s just a short train ride away from one of her favorite places in the world: Broadway! Ever since her grandmother took her to see Wicked for her 12th birthday, Kavi’s wanted to pursue her dream of performing onstage.

Like so many kids, Kavi juggles many priorities onstage and offstage. Through her story, young readers can learn the importance of finding rhythm in life and feel inspired to pursue their passions.

Kavi is the latest in a two decade-long line of Girls of the Year, and she’s also American Girl’s first Indian American Girl of the Year. She and her family celebrate their Indian American culture through dance, food, clothing, holidays and more.

“Just like all our beloved characters, Kavi’s culturally relevant and aspirational stories help inspire kids to shine bright in their own way and be proud of who they are,” said Jamie Cygielman, general manager of American Girl in a press release.

American Girl worked with New York Times bestselling author Varsha Bajaj to create Kavi’s story. The hardcover novel, It’s Showtime, Kavi, written by Bajaj, will debut later this year.

Bajaj says Kavi story can be special for young girls like her.

“Kavi’s story is important to all the young readers who will see parts of their lives represented,” Bajaj says. “I took immense delight in showcasing slivers of Indian culture, including dance, yoga traditions, food, clothing and magical festivals like Diwali and Holi.”

Alongside Bajaj, other advisers helped with developing Kavi by providing real-world insight on story themes to ensure authenticity and accuracy.

American Girl is also working to support young performers like Kavi by partnering with the Broadway Education Alliance’s Camp Broadway. The company will donate $25,000 to fund scholarships for participants in the camp’s 2023 summer program in New York City.

Celebrate Kavi’s debut by checking out Kavi-inspired activities at American Girl retail stores throughout the month of January and beyond!

Psst… Learn about Peaceful Parenting from an expert!

New York Society of Play Summer Camp and Classes

Summer Game Camp There are many who do not feel safe sending their children back out into the world with summer camp, this year. To serve those parents and keep the children connected and stimulated during this challenging time, we are offering NYSP Digital Summer Camp. The name of the game with NYSP Summer Camp is community. We have made a large effort to make our camp feel like a living space, with features including &ndash; - Role-Playing games familiar and new, led by our master storytellers! - Enriching electives such as Chess, World Building, Character Acting, Crafts, Drawing, and more! - Discussion and media screening rooms during lunch! - A digital campus! - Moderated chat hours! &nbsp; Join us for a summer of games, friends, and more! Mon - Fri 10am - 2:30pm &nbsp; Roleplay Expeditions: Dungeons &amp; Dragons No experience is required to join one of our Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our game masters have pre-made character sheets, so you'll be able to start playing the game right away! We adapt the rules of traditional Dungeons &amp; Dragons to make them more approachable to children of various ages. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop!&nbsp; &nbsp; Public games meet once per week, with different groups every time. Private games meet 1 to 2 times per week with the same group of kids. Since the players and the storyteller in the group are consistent, this enables us to tell epic tales of adventure together! &nbsp; Dungeons &amp; Dragons Junior No experience is required to join one of our drop-in Dungeons &amp; Dragons games. Our Dungeons &amp; Dragons Jr. game provides a D&amp;D storytelling experience without character sheets. Battle in dungeons, search for relics, and make new friends in our one-of-a-kind Dungeons &amp; Dragons workshop! A great way to introduce young children to D&amp;D so they can eventually move onto the main game.

USC Gymnastics & Baseball Training Facility

We offer sports activities, after school programs, birthday parties &amp; private lessons for kids ages 3&ndash;13 years! Our gymnastics classes are a great way to keep your child active and healthy. We strive to empower and challenge children through the sport of gymnastics.

Basketball City

Beginning June 2024, Basketball City will be running a full weekly schedule of Summer Basketball Camps. We will have our professional staff of coaches teaching your kids weekly. Our camps are designed to teach kids the skills they need to become a better basketball player by using specific drills and fitness work that focus on the fundamentals of the game in a fun, safe and inclusive environment. &nbsp;The camps run weekly varying in time and the number of days for ages 6-17. We have 3-, 4- &amp; 5-day options with times ranging from 9-4pm or 9-3pm. Every camper will receive a jersey once they are registered and arrive. We are limiting the number of camp participants each week to ensure a safe and healthy environment for your children. The limited number of campers will also ensure that your child receives individual attention needed to improve their basketball skills. Our camps in the past typically include current and past NBA players and a collaboration with the Jr. Knicks, the National Basketball Players Association, as well as 5 Star Basketball, and our ever-popular Basketball City FUNdamentals Camp along with our Jr. NBA/NBA Cares NBA Draft/Skills Challenge Camp with future NBA talent.