Twenty-five

April 30, 2026

When they were handing out high school yearbook awards, some of my classmates unofficially, though cheerfully, voted me Least Likely to Become a Professional Cheerleader. I couldn’t really disagree: After all, I was a nerd before being a nerd came into fashion, much more comfortable in a library than at a pep rally.

So much for teenage predictions!

Yesterday, my daughter Ella turned 25, which means KidsOutAndAbout turns 25, too. When Ella was imminent, and her sister Madison was one-and-a-half, I was realizing just how many incredible experiences for kids and families were all around us in Rochester, NY. Back then, before web calendars were a thing, finding out about stuff happening meant you had to know where to look.

So during maternity leave from my old technology consulting firm, I decided to build a place to make invisible opportunities visible, to celebrate the people who create them, and to build audiences for these great things. We’ve grown to a dedicated team of 20 people doing work that matters, serving 52 regions with 15 million readers per year and 750,000 weekly newsletter subscribers.

So yes, I’m a professional cheerleader, and I love it. I love this. I love that my job is to help build an audience for the remarkable experiences people are bringing to life. I love that our mission is to shine a light on the concerts, camps, classes, festivals, trails, museums, libraries, theaters, and local treasures large and small that become family stories and memories.

Far from slowing down, we’re heading into hyper-drive for our Silver Anniversary, so stay tuned! Thank you for being part of the journey, and for giving us so much to cheer about.

—Debra Ross, publisher

KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more.