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Family Engagement

Sparkwheel

Sparkwheel (formerly 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.

In 2017, SchoolSmartKC and Sparkwheel began their partnership to provide Kansas City schools with vital resources for students. Over the last four years, SchoolSmartKC has awarded Sparkwheel over $1.5 million with another $330,000 pledged through 2023.

In that time, Sparkwheel has started programs in the following KC schools:

  • Alta Vista High School
  • Benjamin Banneker Elementary
  • Central Academy
  • Central Middle School
  • Crossroads Academy
  • Frontier School of Excellence
  • George Melcher Elementary School
  • Kansas City Neighborhood Academy
  • Northeast High School
  • Northeast Middle School

Kansas City has many students who are missing necessary resources in their day-to-day lives. Sparkwheel helps meet those needs for students so they can focus on themselves and their schoolwork. Since SSKC partnered with Sparkwheel, schools have seen these impacts:

 

  • Support services impacting 75% of the school populations served by Sparkwheel
  • Over 3,000 hours of case management support each school year
  • 15,000+ basic needs items provided
  • Hundreds of students who were disengaged stayed connected to their schools because Sparkwheel staff ensured they had proper access to technology and internet
For more information on Sparkwheel, visit sparkwheel.org

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