Programs

  • Market Value Assets Initiative

    SINCE ITS FOUNDING IN 2006, PREP-KC HAS BEEN DEVELOPING AND PILOTING AT-SCALE STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE STUDENT OUTCOMES IN THE BI-STATE REGION'S URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS. AS PREP-KC MEASURED PROGRESS (I.E., HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES), IT BECAME CLEAR THAT A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA IS NOT SUFFICIENT TO PROVIDE STUDENTS GROWING UP IN HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES WITH THE PREPARATION, EXPERIENCE, AND RELATIONSHIPS THEY NEED TO GAIN ACCESS TO HIGH-GROWTH, HIGH-DEMAND CAREERS IN OUR REGION'S ECONOMY. EVERY STUDENT NEEDS ACCESS TO INFORMATION, RESOURCES, AND OPPORTUNITIES TO PREPARE FOR COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS. THESE SUPPORTS ARE ESPECIALLY CRITICAL--BUT TOO OFTEN UNAVAILABLE-- TO YOUNG PEOPLE GROWING UP IN THE HISTORICALLY UNDERSERVED NEIGHBORHOODS SERVED BY PREP-KC'S PARTNER SCHOOLS. THIS "OPPORTUNITY GAP" FOR STUDENTS IN UNDERSERVED COMMUNITIES LIMITS YOUNG PEOPLE'S OPTIONS AFTER HIGH SCHOOL IN AN ERA WHERE A HIGH SCHOOL DIPLOMA PROVIDES NO GUARANTEE OF MEANINGFUL EMPLOYMENT OR ECONOMIC SECURITY.IN 2011, PREP-KC CREATED AND PILOTED STRATEGIES TO HELP COHORTS OF STUDENTS IN URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS GO BEYOND THE STANDARD REQUIREMENTS FOR A DIPLOMA AND DEVELOP CONCRETE EVIDENCE OF THEIR COLLEGE AND CAREER READINESS. AS WE TRACKED IMPACT DATA AND LEARNED FIRST-HAND FROM OUR STUDENTS' SUCCESS, PREP-KC COINED THE PHRASE "MARKET VALUE ASSETS" (MVAS) TO DESCRIBE THE RIGOROUS EXPERIENCES THAT ALIGN STUDENTS' HIGH SCHOOL EDUCATION WITH POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS' EXPECTATIONS AND THE 21ST-CENTURY WORKFORCE NEEDS. THESE ASSETS HAVE TANGIBLE, EVIDENCE-BASED VALUE FOR STUDENTS' PROSPECTS FOR POSTSECONDARY ACCESS AND ATTAINMENT AND SUCCESS IN ENTERING HIGH-GROWTH, HIGH-DEMAND CAREER PATHWAYS. PREP-KC ALSO FOUND THAT ATTAINING AN MVA INCREASED HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES, DOUBLED POSTSECONDARY ENROLLMENT, AND INCREASED POSTSECONDARY PERSISTENCE FOR STUDENTS.PREP-KC NOW INVESTS IN AND MEASURES THE FOLLOWING FOUR MVAS: 1) AT LEAST NINE COLLEGE CREDITS EARNED DURING HIGH SCHOOL; 2) AN INDUSTRY RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL EARNED DURING HIGH SCHOOL; 3) COMPLETION OF A RIGOROUS INTERNSHIP OR CLIENT PROJECT DURING HIGH SCHOOL, OR 4) ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCES (STUDENT IDENTIFIES A COMPELLING SOCIAL OR MARKET PROBLEM AND MOBILIZES RESOURCES TO RESEARCH AND SOLVE) AND EMERGING MVAS. FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, 1,095 STUDENTS EARNED A MARKET VALUE ASSET, AN INCREASE OVER THE 943 STUDENTS WHO EARNED MARKET VALUE ASSETS IN 2020. SINCE WE LAUNCHED OUR STRATEGIC PLAN FOCUSED ON MARKET VALUE ASSETS IN 2019, 2,741 STUDENTS HAVE EARNED A MARKET VALUE ASSET. WE ARE ON PACE TO HELP 10,000 STUDENTS EARN A MARKET VALUE ASSET BY 2025.AS THE REGION'S FIRST ORGANIZATION TO FOCUS OUR WORK ON HELPING STUDENTS ATTAIN MVAS, PREP-KC IS EXCITED THAT KC RISING AND THE EWING MARION KAUFFMAN FOUNDATION'S REAL WORLD LEARNING INITIATIVE HAVE ADOPTED THE CONCEPT OF MARKET VALUE ASSETS ACROSS THE BI-STATE REGION. OVER THE NEXT SEVERAL YEARS, PREP-KC IS POSITIONED TO PLAY A SIGNIFICANT ROLE AS A SOURCE OF TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND STRATEGIC CONSULTATION IN THESE REGIONAL EFFORTS.DURING THE PANDEMIC, PREP-KC HAS ALSO HELPED TEACHERS AND SCHOOLS FIND WAYS TO CONTINUE OFFERING STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO EARN MARKET VALUE ASSETS IN A REMOTE SETTING. DESPITE THE CHALLENGES PRESENTED BY SCHOOL CLOSURES, PREP-KC'S PARTNER DISTRICTS INCREASED THE NUMBER OF GRADUATES FROM THE CLASS OF 2019 EARNING MARKET VALUE ASSETS (703) AND THE CLASS OF 2020 (943). IN ADDITION, DUAL ENROLLMENT COLLEGE COURSES, CLIENT PROJECTS, AND SOME INTERNSHIPS HAVE TRANSLATED WELL TO THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT. HOWEVER, MOST INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CREDENTIALS REQUIRE SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT OR WORKPLACE-BASED PRACTICAL TRAINING. THEREFORE, CERTIFICATION PROVIDERS TEMPORARILY SCALED BACK THESE PROGRAMS SINCE THE PANDEMIC'S START. PREP-KC HELPED SCHOOLS INTEGRATE MARKET VALUE ASSETS INTO THE REMOTE ENVIRONMENT FOR THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR. THIS WORK INCLUDES EARLY EFFORTS TO CREATE UNIVERSAL ACCESS TO MARKET VALUE ASSETS FOR ALL SENIORS AT SEVERAL OF OUR PARTNER SCHOOLS. AS A RESULT, CLIENT PROJECTS GREW SUBSTANTIALLY THIS YEAR, OFFERING MANY STUDENTS THE OPPORTUNITY TO COMPLETE AUTHENTIC PROBLEMS ON BEHALF OF INDUSTRY PARTNERS. ADDITIONALLY, SOME SCHOOLS HAVE BUILT SCALED-BACK INTERNSHIPS AND CLIENT PROJECTS INTO MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS' COURSES TO PREPARE THEM FOR MORE RIGOROUS MVA OPPORTUNITIES NEXT YEAR.THE CONNECTOR PLATFORM HAS BECOME A CRITICAL COMPONENT OF PREP-KC'S EFFORTS TO INTEGRATE INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS INTO THE CLASSROOM DURING THE PANDEMIC AND AFTER SCHOOLS REOPEN. SINCE THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC SHUTTERED SCHOOL BUILDINGS IN EARLY MARCH, PREP-KC HAS DEDICATED OUR TIME AND ENERGY TO HELPING OUR SCHOOL PARTNERS TRANSITION TO VIRTUAL LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS AND PROVIDE CONTINUITY FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS. PREP-KC EXCEEDED OUR 2021 GOAL OF HELPING AT LEAST 600 TEACHERS USE THE CONNECTOR WITH THEIR STUDENTS. LAST YEAR, 1,028 TEACHERS HOSTED 1,186 CONNECTOR SESSIONS, LOGGING AN ESTIMATED 29,650 STUDENT VIEWS.IN ADDITION TO EXPANDING CONNECTOR USAGE ACROSS MORE CLASSROOMS, OUR TEAM ALSO FOCUSED ON RECRUITING MORE PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR TO FULFILL TEACHERS' REQUESTS FOR INDUSTRY VOLUNTEERS. DURING THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, PROFESSIONALS OF COLOR PRESENTED 389 CONNECTOR SESSIONS TO STUDENTS. PREP-KC HAS SPENT 16 YEARS BUILDING A ROBUST AND DIVERSE NETWORK OF BUSINESS AND INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS COMMITTED TO VOLUNTEERING THEIR TIME, ENERGY, AND EXPERTISE TO HELP STUDENTS ATTENDING PREP-KC'S URBAN PARTNER SCHOOLS PREPARE FOR THEIR COLLEGE AND CAREER SUCCESS. DURING THE 2020-2021 SCHOOL YEAR, 821 INDUSTRY VOLUNTEERS FROM BUSINESS AND POSTSECONDARY INSTITUTIONS PARTICIPATED IN 1,186 VIRTUAL EXPLORATION AND PREPARATION EVENTS (DUE TO COVID-19).AS PART OF OUR ONGOING EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT EVERY STUDENT HAS A STRONG ACADEMIC FOUNDATION, PREP-KC WILL CONTINUE TO STRENGTHEN OUR K-3 LITERACY BENCHMARKING WORK ACROSS AN ESTIMATED 235 CLASSROOMS THAT WILL SERVE AT LEAST 4,000 STUDENTS NEXT YEAR. K-3 LITERACY BENCHMARKING HAS ALREADY DELIVERED PROMISING EARLY RESULTS DURING THE INITIATIVE'S FIRST PHASE. FOR EXAMPLE, PREP-KC PARTNER SCHOOLS IMPLEMENTING PREP-KC'S K-3 LITERACY BENCHMARKING INITIATIVE CUT THE PROFICIENCY GAP IN 3RD-GRADE READING SCORES IN HALF OVER THE PAST FOUR YEARS. PREP-KC ALSO CONTINUES TO SUPPORT STEM EFFORTS IN GRADES K-12. OUR TEACHING AND LEARNING TEAM WORKS WITH K-12 MATH TEACHERS AS THEY INTEGRATE BEST PRACTICES FOR TEACHING MATH INTO THEIR CLASSROOMS. ADDITIONALLY, PREP-KC HOSTS OUR ANNUAL MATH RELAYS COMPETITION THAT GIVES STUDENT IN GRADES 5-12 THE OPPORTUNITY TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR MATH SKILLS IN A FUN AND COMPETITIVE SETTING. MOST RECENTLY, PREP-KC HAS LAUNCHED A DATA SCIENCE INITIATIVE FOR STUDENTS AND TEACHERS IN OUR PARTNER SCHOOL DISTRICTS. DATA SCIENCE IS A CRITICAL SKILL FOR STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN BOTH THE WORKFORCE AND SOCIETY, BUT SCHOOLS DO NOT CURRENTLY PROVIDE STUDENTS EXPOSURE TO RIGOROUS, REAL-WORLD DATA SCIENCE. PREP-KC IS CONNECTING STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WITH OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW DATA SCIENCE DRIVES THE WORLD AROUND US AND HAS BECOME AN INDISPENSABLE SKILL ACROSS NEARLY EVERY OCCUPATION.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2020 – Jun 30, 2021
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $1.6M

  • Program 1 [2024]

    PREP-KC PARTNERS WITH SIX URBAN SCHOOL DISTRICTS AND THREE CHARTER SCHOOLS, ENROLLING 68,000 STUDENTS AND PRODUCING OVER 3,700 ANNUAL HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATES. 84% OF OUR STUDENTS LIVE IN LOW-INCOME HOUSEHOLDS, AND PREP-KC'S PARTNER SCHOOLS SERVE 19 OF THE 20 ZIP CODES WITH THE LOWEST MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME IN THE 9-COUNTY METROPOLITAN AREA. (CONTINUED ON SCHEDULE O)SINCE 2019, PREP-KC HAS MADE IT OUR PRIORITY TO HELP STUDENTS FROM THE REGION'S URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS EARN MARKET VALUE ASSETS (MVAS) THAT WILL BOOST THEIR CHANCES OF SUCCESS IN COLLEGE AND THEIR CAREERS. MVAS ARE UNIQUE ASSETS THAT GIVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS A COMPETITIVE EDGE AS THEY TRANSITION TO COLLEGE AND THE WORKFORCE. PREP-KC FIRST USED THE TERM "MARKET VALUE ASSETS" TO DESCRIBE THIS SET OF EXPERIENCES IN 2016 AND CURRENTLY TRACKS THE FOLLOWING MVAS EARNED BY STUDENTS ATTENDING OUR 21 PARTNER URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS: 1) NINE OR MORE COLLEGE CREDITS EARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL, 2) AN INDUSTRY-RECOGNIZED CREDENTIAL EARNED IN HIGH SCHOOL, 3) COMPLETION OF AN INTERNSHIP OR CLIENT-CONNECTED PROJECT IN HIGH SCHOOL, OR 4) COMPLETION OF AN ENTREPRENEURIAL EXPERIENCE IN HIGH SCHOOL.LAST YEAR, PREP-KC HELPED 2,533 GRADUATES FROM OUR PARTNER HIGH SCHOOLS (67% OF ALL GRADUATES) EARN A MARKET VALUE ASSET. PREP-KC IS ON TRACK TO REACH OUR GOAL OF HELPING 10,000 STUDENTS GRADUATING FROM URBAN HIGH SCHOOLS ACROSS THE HEART OF KANSAS CITY EARN AN MVA THROUGH 2025. FROM 2019 TO 2024, PREP-KC HELPED 8,687 GRADUATES EARN AN MVA.WHEN PREP-KC BEGAN TRACKING MVA ATTAINMENT IN 2019, ONLY 26% OF GRADUATES EARNED AN MVA. IN 2024, 67% OF GRADUATES EARNED AT LEAST ONE MARKET VALUE ASSET DURING HIGH SCHOOL.PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY: PREP-KC DESIGNED THE PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY PROGRAM TO GIVE HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS A HEAD START ON POSTSECONDARY DEGREES AND CAREERS IN TECHNOLOGY-RELATED FIELDS. PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS ATTEND CLASSES HOSTED ONSITE AT ORACLE'S SOUTH KANSAS CITY CAMPUS THROUGHOUT THE SCHOOL YEAR. PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY IS ONE OF THE KANSAS CITY REGION'S MOST DIVERSE TECH-FOCUSED PIPELINE INITIATIVES. SINCE 2017, 89% OF PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY STUDENTS AND ALUMS HAVE IDENTIFIED AS BLACK, LATINX, OR A PERSON OF COLOR, AND 37% ARE FEMALE. THIS YEAR, PATHWAYS TO TECHNOLOGY IS LAUNCHING A GROUNDBREAKING INITIATIVE CALLED PROJECT POLARIS, WHERE STUDENTS CAN DEVELOP OPEN-SOURCE SOFTWARE SOLUTIONS THAT ADDRESS REAL-WORLD CHALLENGES FACED BY NONPROFITS, COMMUNITY GROUPS, AND OTHER ORGANIZATIONS. THIS APPROACH PLACES STUDENTS AT THE CENTER OF AUTHENTIC SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, TRANSFORMING THEM FROM PASSIVE LEARNERS TO ACTIVE CONTRIBUTORS. PROJECT POLARIS BEGINS WITH CREATING A VOLUNTEER MANAGEMENT PLATFORM THAT IS NOT JUST A THEORETICAL EXERCISE BUT A GENUINE PRODUCT UNDERGOING ACTIVE USE BY PREP-KC AND OTHER COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS. THIS EXPERIENCE ALLOWS STUDENTS TO SEE THEIR WORK IMPLEMENTED LIVE, SETTING THEM APART FROM PEERS IN TRADITIONAL EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS.MATH RELAYS: EACH YEAR, PREP-KC HOSTS TWO MATH RELAYS EVENTS - ONE FOR STUDENTS IN 8TH GRADE THROUGH 12TH GRADE, AND A JUNIOR EVENT FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 5-7. MATH RELAYS CHALLENGE STUDENTS WITH DYNAMIC INDIVIDUAL COMPETITIONS COVERING CONCEPTS OF ALGEBRA, GEOMETRY, DATA, AND NUMBER SENSE AT THE LEVEL THAT MATCHES THE STUDENT'S CURRENT MATH COURSE. THIS YEAR, OVER 1,000 STUDENTS PARTICIPATED IN OUR MATH RELAYS EVENTS.STUDENTS COMPETE ON MATH LEVELS FROM 8TH-GRADE MATH TO CALCULUS AT THE MATH RELAYS. TEAM EVENTS FEATURE POPULAR COMPETITIONS SUCH AS THE "AMAZING RACE," "DEAR DATA, AND FAST-PACED "ESCAPE ROOM" CHALLENGES. THESE ACTIVITIES EMPHASIZE LOGIC, PROBLEM-SOLVING, AND COLLABORATION. PARTICIPANTS WILL EARN INDIVIDUAL, TEAM, AND DISTRICT AWARDS.PREP-KC DESIGNS THE MATH RELAYS TO INSPIRE A LOVE FOR MATHEMATICS AND PREPARE STUDENTS FOR FUTURE CAREER SUCCESS. RESEARCH SHOWS THAT HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS WHO EMBRACE RIGOROUS MATH COURSES ARE LIKELIER TO EXCEL IN COLLEGE, ACHIEVE HIGHER EARNINGS, AND SUCCEED IN FUTURE CAREERS. LITERACY SUPPORT: PREP-KC AND HICKMAN MILLS CONTINUED OUR SHARED WORK SUPPORTING TEACHER AND ADMINISTRATOR PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN K-5 CLASSROOMS, FOCUSING ON INTENSIVE INTERVENTIONS IN K-2 CLASSROOMS. THROUGH FEBRUARY 2025, PREP-KC SUPPORTED 21 DAYS OF JOB-EMBEDDED, LITERACY-FOCUSED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR TEACHERS. BASED ON THE DISTRICT'S ANALYSIS OF LAST YEAR'S LITERACY DATA, THEY ASKED US TO FOCUS ON PROVIDING INTENSIVE SUPPORT TO TWO DISTRICT ELEMENTARY SCHOOLS, WARFORD AND INGELS. IN ADDITION TO FOCUSED PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE PRINCIPAL, INSTRUCTIONAL COACHES, AND TEACHERS IN THESE BUILDINGS, OUR LITERACY COACH PROVIDED SESSIONS FOR ALL DISTRICT TEACHERS IN GRADES K-3, INTRODUCING NEW ELEMENTS OF THE COMPREHENSIVE LITERACY CURRICULUM. PREP-KC IS PLEASED TO REPORT SEVERAL OUTCOMES FOR OUR LARGEST PROGRAM SERVICE AREAS IN THE PAST YEAR. THESE ACCOMPLISHMENTS INCLUDE:COLLEGE AND CAREER EXPLORATION: PREP-KC KNOWS THAT STUDENTS MUST HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN ABOUT AND EXPLORE VARIOUS OCCUPATIONS AND INDUSTRIES TO DEVELOP POSTSECONDARY ASPIRATIONS AND PLAN FOR A CAREER THAT ALIGNS WITH THEIR STRENGTHS AND INTERESTS. TO HELP OUR STUDENTS ENGAGE IN THIS EXPLORATION AND AWARENESS, PREP-KC HOSTS A WIDE RANGE OF COLLEGE AND CAREER EXPLORATION ACTIVITIES FOR STUDENTS IN GRADES 3-8. THESE ACTIVITIES HELP STUDENTS LEARN ABOUT A WIDE RANGE OF CAREERS THROUGH DIRECT INTERACTION WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS THAT REFLECT THE VARIOUS INDUSTRIES DRIVING KANSAS CITY'S BUSINESS SECTOR. LAST YEAR, PREP-KC ENGAGED 6,297 STUDENTS THROUGH IN-PERSON EVENTS AND 15,820 STUDENTS THROUGH VIRTUAL EVENTS. THROUGH THESE ACTIVITIES, PREP-KC STUDENTS INTERACTED WITH 1,134 VOLUNTEERS REPRESENTING 423 BUSINESSES.DATA SCIENCE: DATA SCIENCE IS A CRITICAL SKILL FOR STUDENTS TO SUCCEED IN THE WORKFORCE AND SOCIETY. HOWEVER, SCHOOLS DO NOT EXPOSE STUDENTS TO RIGOROUS, REAL-WORLD DATA SCIENCE. PREP-KC CONNECTS STUDENTS AND TEACHERS WITH OUR INDUSTRY PARTNERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HOW DATA SCIENCE DRIVES THE WORLD AROUND US, WHICH HAS BECOME AN INDISPENSABLE SKILL ACROSS NEARLY EVERY OCCUPATION. OUR DATA IN ACTION COURSE ALLOWS EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS TO DEVELOP DATA LITERACY AND LEARN CRITICAL STEM SKILLS THROUGH A CURRICULUM THAT BLENDS PROJECT-BASED LEARNING WITH COLLEGE AND CAREER EXPLORATION. THROUGHOUT THE COURSE, STUDENTS ENGAGE WITH INDUSTRY PROFESSIONALS WHOSE WORK WITH DATA IS CENTRAL TO THEIR PROFESSION. STUDENTS WILL ALSO WORK WITH AUTHENTIC DATASETS TO COMPLETE VARIOUS PROJECTS SHOWCASING THEIR EMERGING MASTERY OF DATA SCIENCE THROUGH PROJECTS FOCUSED ON STUDENTS' INTERESTS. IN THE PAST YEAR, 747 EIGHTH-GRADE STUDENTS ENROLLED IN OUR DATA IN ACTION COURSE, AND 307 EARNED A DATA ANALYTICS CREDENTIAL.
    Geographies
    Not indicated
    Dates
    Jul 1, 2023 – Jun 30, 2024
    Source
    990
    No causes provided
    No populations provided
    –
    $2.9M