Investments

SchoolSmartKC believes in the future of our schools.

We focus our energy and financial support to develop, expand, and fortify schools and programs that demonstrate tangible improvement within the Kansas City Public School district boundaries.

Our investments focus on where we can most reduce obstacles for kids, and since 2017 our investments have directly impacted over 7,500 students through grants helping their schools. We are also proud to have supported all our schools through the challenges of Covid, where students received close to 3,500 emergency devices and internet hotspots through SSKC support the early stages of the pandemic.

KC Schools Technology And Connectivity Access Fund

KC Schools Technology And Connectivity Access Fund The events of 2020 were challenging, and impacted no industry ...

Crossroads Charter Schools of Kansas City

Over a three year period, SchoolSmartKC granted Crossroads Charter Schools with $1,320,000 to support the creation of its Quality Hill middle school, and for the initial design of Crossroads High School.

Académie Lafayette

Académie Lafayette is a French-immersion charter school empowering Kansas City kids to be academically excellent, globally responsible, and participate actively in the world community.

Lincoln Prep Academy

Beginning in 2017, SchoolSmartKC awarded almost $1.6 million over three years to cover early stage expansion costs as well as key staffing needs related to Lincoln’s expansion...

Communities In Schools

Communities in Schools takes community resources and places them inside public schools, making critical resources like food, housing, healthcare and counseling accessible for all students.

DeLaSalle Education Center

SchoolSmartKC has given DeLaSalle Education Center $229,448 over the past five years, allowing the Center to turn their vision of an alternative high school into reality.

Scuola Vita Nuova

Scuola Vita Nuova serves 414 students in grades K-8, almost all of which live within a 2 mile radius of the school located at Independence Ave. and Garfield, in the Northeast district of Kansas City.

KCPS Strategic Growth

SchoolSmartKC worked with the KCPS district administration to identify eight neighborhood schools who showed meaningful and regular academic progress and invited each to create a new strategic plan that could lift the achievement of their students to statewide levels.

Profile in Leadership: Edgar Palacios

President & CEO, Latinx Education Collaborative Edgar J. Palacios is the President & CEO (founder) of the Latinx Education Collaborative (LEC), a nonprofit, start-up organization that works to increase the representation of Latinx education professionals in K-12. Edgar previously owned a nonprofit consultancy (EJPKC, LLC) and has had the privilege of working with organizations such as Community Builders of Kansas City; Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City; El Centro, Inc.; Show Me KC Schools; and the Kauffman Foundation.

Profiles in Leadership: Dr. Trinity Davis

Navigating systems of inequalities has been the focus of Dr. Trinity Davis for 24 years. She was a teacher, coach, Associate Professor, and Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum before founding Teachers Like Me in 2020. Teachers Like Me is an organization dedicated to recruiting, developing, and retaining Black teachers in Kansas City.

Profiles in Leadership: Dr. Cokethea Hill

Cokethea Hill is an innovative collaborator with over 15 years of experience working in the non-profit sector organizing communities, building collaborative partnerships, and strengthening assets in low- income urban communities. Known for her strategic approach, Cokethea has a keen ability for building relationships and mobilizing others towards an identified goal.

Profiles in Leadership: Kim Riley

Kim Riley is the CEO and founder of The Transition Academy, a Kansas City based non-profit that provides college and career planning resources and support to special education students and their families. In March, 2020 Kim launched ‘Tuesday Talks’, a virtual forum and “safe space” for parents and educators to gather on a weekly basis to discuss obstacles and share solutions related to young adults with special needs.