Kauffman In Kansas City

The Kauffman Foundation has been, and will continue to be, committed to our hometown of Kansas City. In addition to our local education and entrepreneurship work, the Foundation also supports important civic causes and institutions that help make our community a better place to live, work, and play.

The Foundation’s K-12 education initiatives, concentrated in Greater Kansas City, are focused on preparing underserved urban students for success in college and careers. Two of the Foundation’s major education efforts are Kauffman Scholars and the Ewing Marion Kauffman School. Kauffman Scholars, a college access and scholarship program started by the Foundation in 2003, has already helped more than 1,600 students prepare for success in college and careers. Meanwhile, the Kauffman School, established in 2011, is a college preparatory charter school serving the needs of Kansas City’s urban middle and high school students.

Other Kauffman Foundation support for education in Kansas City includes Teach For America, the KC STEM Alliance (which administers the FIRST Robotics, FIRST LEGO League, and Project Lead The Way programs), Freedom Schools, MakerFaire, and more.

Education is also a cornerstone of the Foundation’s support of entrepreneurship. In Kansas City, the Foundation is active in building a healthy, growing entrepreneurial environment through educational programs such as Kauffman FastTrac, Kauffman Laboratories for Enterprise Creation, 1 Million Cups, Pipeline, UMKC’s Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, Silicon Prairie News, the University of Kansas Institute for Advancing Medical Innovation, and Global Entrepreneurship Week-KC.

Finally, beyond education and entrepreneurship, the Kauffman Foundation strives to be an exemplary citizen in its hometown. From providing significant grants to key Kansas City institutions—including the magnificent Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, and the Kansas City Public Library—to sponsorship of initiatives and events for a host of local nonprofit organizations, the Foundation seeks to better the quality of life for all residents. The new Kauffman Youth Enrichment Program is but the latest example of the Foundation’s commitment to our city’s present and future.

Initiatives

  • The Children's Defense Fund's Freedom Schools® is a six-week summer educational program for school-age children. Staffed by college-age interns, CDF Freedom Schools provide a supportive learning environment for children—who are referred to in the program as "scholars"—with a curriculum that emphasizes reading, writing, mentoring, leadership, and conflict resolution.

  • The Ewing Marion Kauffman School represents a substantial commitment to continue the Foundation's legacy of providing the best educational opportunities for students in Kansas City’s urban core.

  • Kauffman Scholars is a comprehensive multi-year program designed to help promising, yet challenged, low-income urban students in Kansas City prepare for and complete a college education.

  • The KC STEM Alliance is a collaborative network of educators, business partners and organizations that inspires interest in science, technology, engineering, and math careers. It supports Kansas City area schools by assisting in the implementation of two nationally recognized STEM programs: Project Lead The Way® and US FIRST®.

  • Teach for America - Kansas City places top college graduates into teaching positions in the highest-need schools within the Kansas City metro area to provide children in low-income communities with quality educational opportunities.

Highlights

  • OECD Highlights

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    The Kauffman Foundation hosted the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development international workshop on innovation, intellectual assets and value creation in high-growth small- and medium-sized enterprises.

Featured Resources

  • Find a comprehensive library of articles and videos with relevant insights and information for entrepreneurs here at Entrepreneurship.org.

  • The vision, mission, and approach of the Kauffman Foundation focuses on economic independence for individuals.