Hanover — As a white mother raising a black son in the Upper Valley, Kimberly Kol knew that she wanted to connect with other black and multiracial families. When her son was a toddler, she started attending a playdate for African American kids, hosted by the Dartmouth Alliance for Children of Color, a program of the Afro-American Society at Dartmouth College.

Kol said that the group was a valuable resource for her and her son.

“As a white mother, I can provide a lot of things for my kid, but I can’t provide being a black role model,” she explained.

The group, which connected Kol with other families with black children as well as black student volunteers from Dartmouth, was able to provide that. After the group fizzled out, Kol was instrumental in bringing it back to life. Last week (ed note: Jan 18), the playdate began happening again, with families meeting on Friday afternoons from 3:30-5:30 p.m. in the Cutter-Shabazz lounge on Dartmouth’s campus.

Kol, whose son is now 6, said that the group fosters community between black kids in the predominantly white Upper Valley.

“There aren’t a lot of kids of color in the area, so this is a way they can get together and be with each other, as well as be with Dartmouth students who are also black,” Kol explained.

The group has activities for toddlers and school aged kids, but is also appropriate for teens and their parents, Kol said.

“Having kids around them who have had the same experiences is a really nice support for them,” she said.

In addition to connecting with their peers, kids and teens who attend the playdate get to see young people who look like them in leadership positions.

“To have dynamic, interesting, bright students volunteer… I’m thrilled my kid can look up to them,” Kol said.

Attendees are adoptive families where white parents are raising black kids, as well as black and multiracial biological families, Kol said. These families share the experience of raising children of color in a region where they may stand out.

“These families understand a lot of what we’re up against,” Kol said. “Sometimes we have the only black kid in the class or the friend group. To have a community where who they are is reflected back is such a gift for them.”

Most often the group is focused on playing and catching up, but it will also address cultural issues, Kol said.

In the past, the group had events where members could get their hair done, for example, something that is culturally important but sometimes hard to accomplish in this area where there are few stylists who understand black hair.

Anyone who is interested in attending the group can contact Kol for more information at kimberlykol@me.com.

“We’re thrilled to have multiracial and black families be part of this,” Kol said.

Correction

Kimberly Kol’s email address is   kimberlykol@me.com. An earlier version of this story misspelled her first name and her email address.