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About Amplify 2022

Empowering KC's educators of color for student success
November 11-12, 2022

We believe that inclusion and empowerment of diverse voices and leadership in education is paramount to student success

This year’s theme is Forward-Focused: Toward a paradigm of liberation, empowerment, and inclusion!

The Amplify Community Advisory Committee works diligently to provide a convening that focuses on attendees, their needs and experiences. After considering feedback from previous attendees and educators of color, the committee members redesigned the 2022 convening to better meet the current needs of local educators of color. The Kauffman Foundation is thankful for their leadership and wisdom in planning and implementing a revised Amplify 2022.

Committee Members

  • Dr. Jennifer Collier, Kansas City Public Schools
  • Dr. Trinity Davis, Teachers Like Me
  • Cornell Ellis, Brothers Liberating Our Communities (BLOC)
  • Nicole Goodwin, Scuola Vita Nouva Charter School
  • Keith Jones, Platte County High School
  • Charles King, Kansas City Teacher Residency
  • Elise Kwenin, Advanced Care Academy
  • Tysie McDowell, Crossroads Charter Schools
  • Edgar Palacios, Latinx Education Collaborative/Revolucion Educativa
  • Karis Parker, Crossroads Charter Schools
Educators of color gather behind the Amplify sign at a previous Amplify KC conference in Kansas City, Missouri.
Each year at Amplify KC, local and national educators of color come together, learn and share best practices, and amplify each other’s voices.

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#AmplifyKC

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Support a strong pipeline of quality teachers and leaders.

Amplify: Empowering KC’s Educators of Color for Student Success is an annual convening hosted by the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Amplify Community Advisory Committee. It is part of the Foundation’s education strategy to develop, strengthen, and support a strong pipeline of quality teachers and education leaders.

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Amplify each other’s voices.

Nearly half of our nation’s students are not white, yet less than a quarter of teachers are people of color, according to the American Community Survey. Research continues to show that when a teacher’s race/ethnicity match their students, that academic success and outcomes improve.

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Inclusion and empowerment of diverse voices.

Until our education workforce has a balance of representation that reflects the students they serve, we will continue to build a strong community, ready to develop and advocate for better practices to recruit, retain, and empower educators of color.