A Message from the President
Changing Lives, Changing Our City
Kauffman Scholars Inc. (KSI) is an innovative college prep and graduation program dedicated to significantly increasing the number of low income, urban students who become college graduates. The induction of Class 4 Scholars in Fall, 2007, brought the KSI initiative to a milestone of over 1000 Kauffman Scholars from the Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas USD#500 school districts. As the number of Scholars grows, the ripple effect of empowering these young people to defy negative stereotypes of urban youth will be felt throughout the metro area.
Recruitment for Kauffman Scholars Class 5 takes place in March, 2008. We are seeking students who will be entering the seventh grade in Fall, 2008. KSI is one of the only college graduation programs in the country that works with students beginning in seventh grade and follows them through college. Qualified students will receive college scholarship assistance and incur no college-related debt. Parents and students must attend an Information Meeting to receive an application packet. Please call 816-932-1206 to reserve a space at one of the meetings.
This recruiting season, KSI is focusing increased attention on bringing young men into our program, with Information Meetings specifically for males and their parents or guardians. There is a growing national crisis regarding the gender gap in academic achievement between males and females; young males are graduating from high school and college at a significantly lower percentage than young women.
The Civic Report, April 2006, reported that 72% of female students graduated from high school, compared with 65% of male students. The gender gap is especially large for minority students. Nationally, 59% of African-American females graduated, while only 48% of African-American males completed high school. The graduation rate was 58% for Latino females, compared with 49% for Latino males. Among African Americans, female college graduates outnumber their male counterparts by almost two to one, and among Latinos, only 40% of college degrees are awarded to men.
Young people who go on to become college graduates will earn approximately a million dollars more than young people who do not graduate from college. Ewing Kauffman, founder of the Kauffman Foundation, believed that education was the key to success in life—a one-way ticket out of poverty. Yet he understood that many urban students often do not have the rigorous academic preparation or economic opportunity to pursue a college education, and he wanted his Foundation to help more students achieve that goal. KSI was created in 2003 with the support of the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation; the concept evolved from the Foundation’s previous experience with Project Choice, a high school dropout prevention program initiated by Ewing Kauffman that operated for more than 13 years in Kansas City, Missouri and Kansas City, Kansas.
The Kauffman Scholar selection process measures student and parental commitment, assesses individual academic achievement, and, just as importantly, gauges a student's desire to make a positive difference in society. KSI actively recruits students who could greatly benefit from increased academic direction, more comprehensive curriculum, and guidance in developing leadership and decision-making skills. Kauffman Scholars receive an incredible array of enrichment services, including academic and life coaching, college coaching, college visits, field trips, summer programs and Academic Enrichment Academies. Parents are considered important partners in their child’s journey toward college graduation, and are expected to become active participants in the program. KSI takes a “Scholar-Centric” approach to our Scholars, putting the young person at the center of everything. KSI Coaches serve as resources to help Scholars address and avoid difficulties, and we work with other adults who have a significant role in the Scholar’s life to create a “human hedge of protection” around each Scholar. KSI has relationships with a variety of organizations, colleges, and universities to create resources for our Scholars that will help them to close achievement and opportunity gaps and create exceptional futures.
Each year at our Induction Ceremony, we ask each new Scholar to stand, and make a pledge that acknowledges his or her commitment to make the most of their own potential. By improving their lives, they will improve the lives of those around them. If you are interested in learning how you can become a part of this extraordinary initiative, we invite you to contact us.
Regards,
R. Stephen Green, Ed.D.
President