• About the Program
  • Program Overview
  • A Message from the President
  • What Research Tells Us
  • How It Works
  • Vision & Mission Statements
  • History
• Be a Scholar
• News
• Calendar & Activities
• Contact Us

Program Overview.

The Kauffman Scholars program (KSI) is a college preparation and access program which has positioned itself as one of the most comprehensive of its kind in the country. The program provides the guidance and support necessary to place urban youth on the path to college graduation. Expected to serve at least 2,300 students with a grant of $70 Million over 19 years, it is the largest and longest-term commitment in the history of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. The goal of KSI is to increase the number of college graduates from the urban school districts of Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas. Kauffman Scholars will accomplish this by working with large cohorts of students and their families for ten years, starting when the students are in the seventh grade and continuing through college. This multi-dimensional program provides intensive academic enrichment and other support services to help students realize their full potential and prepare them for a successful future.

Program Elements

Kauffman Scholars program mobilizes a variety of resources and executes a multi-level approach to addressing the social and academic needs of its Scholars.

Key elements of the program include:

• Seventh Grade Admission – Beginning in seventh grade, Scholars receive sustained academic support and instruction that will help them graduate from high school and post-secondary institutions of higher education.
• Life Coaching – Scholars receive life-skill instruction and mentoring. Life Coaches delve deeply into issues related to self-esteem, decision-making, problem-solving, and peer pressure.
• Academic Enrichment – Scholars attend a series of academies designed to strengthen their skills in the areas of Math, Science, and English Language Arts.
• College Exposure – Scholars visit colleges throughout their middle school and high school years to expose them to the environment, and assist with the college selection process.
• Parent Engagement – Parent Engagement is essential to the program; parents and guardians of Scholars are charged with participation in workshops, conferences, and community service projects to prepare them to be supportive partners in their Scholar's journey to college graduation.
• Partnerships – KSI will enlist the involvement of community-based organizations, colleges and universities, social service agencies, etc. to broaden and deepen the circle of support for each Scholar.
• Scholarship — Scholars will receive post-secondary financial assistance in the form of a last-dollar scholarship.

This combination of resources will produce Scholars who pursue post-secondary education or other positive career choices that may not have been available to them otherwise. As a result, students selected for KSI have an increased likelihood of "beating the odds," receiving a higher education degree, and making a positive contribution to society.