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Great Jobs KC Celebrates 816 Day with Free Father & Child Basketball Event

Great Jobs KC is celebrating Kansas City’s annual 816 Day with an event designed to strengthen community, family bonds, and opportunity. On Saturday, August 16, from Noon to 4 p.m., the organization will host a Father & Child Basketball Event featuring free entry for the first 100 fathers and their children.

The event will be held at the College Basketball Experience at 1401 Grand Blvd, bringing together families for a day of fun, basketball, and connection. Families can learn basketball skills from local coaches and play in free basketball games. The event will culminate in a community celebration that highlights the importance of fatherhood and mentorship.

 Great Jobs KC’s Senior Director of Community Engagement, Nita Daniels, explains the importance of events where families build community: “Opportunities don’t just start with a job application — they start with community connection”. “By bringing fathers/mentors and children together on the court, we’re investing in the skills and relationships that shape futures — from the playground to the workplace.”

The Father & Child Basketball Event is part of Great Jobs KC’s mission to provide educational scholarships, career training, and community resources that empower individuals to achieve lasting success. Basketball was chosen for its universal appeal and its ability to teach teamwork, discipline, and resilience — qualities that also lead to success in education and careers.

The event will also give families the chance to learn about college scholarships, career training programs, and other resources, making sure families leave with more than memories; they leave with opportunities.

Event Details:

  • What: 816 Day Father & Child Basketball Event
  • Who: Free entry for 100 Black and Hispanic fathers and children
  • When: August 16, 2025 12p-4p
  • Where: College Basketball Experience, 1401 Grand Blvd, Kansas City, MO 64106
  • Activities: Free basketball clinics, community celebration, resource connections

About Great Jobs KC:

Great Jobs KC (www.greatjobskc.org) is a 501(c)(3) college scholarship and tuition-free job training program. Its goal is to support persistence and increase the college completion rate for low- and modest-income students across the six-county, bi-state service region and secure family-sustaining careers. The organization was designed to change thousands of individual lives and transform the region by preparing the local future workforce and contributing to the regional economy.

The KC Scholars Scholarship Program awards traditional college scholarships to high school juniors and adult learner scholarships to adults 24 years and older.

The Great Jobs KC program provides tuition assistance to approved career training programs in high-demand industries such as construction, healthcare, information technology, logistics/warehousing, manufacturing, and service careers. With the support of Great Jobs KC, adults 17+ and older can learn the skills needed in one year or less to secure a career making at least $45,000 per year.

Great Jobs KC supports all its Scholars throughout their college or job training, with employment assistance, and into their first year of employment.

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A group of graduates in caps and gowns celebrating outdoors. Text on the image reads "Over $12 million in scholarships being awarded." These scholarships are paving the way for promising careers.
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Stephanie underwood - Chief financial Officer

Stephanie Underwood serves as Chief Financial Officer at Great Jobs KC, where she leads the organization’s financial strategy in support of its mission to create economic mobility through education and workforce opportunities. With more than 17 years of experience in nonprofit finance, Stephanie brings deep expertise in financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and compliance. She is passionate about using her career as a platform to serve and support mission-driven organizations, helping them maximize impact through strong financial stewardship.

Prior to joining Great Jobs KC, Stephanie served as Chief Financial Officer for Griffith Centers, a behavioral and mental health organization, where she oversaw financial operations for a multi-million-dollar organization spanning residential, educational, and community-based programs. She also spent nearly a decade as Vice President of Accounting Services at NFP Partners, providing CFO-level leadership to nonprofit organizations across the country, with a focus on strategic growth, audit readiness, and governance.

Outside of her professional role, Stephanie volunteers her time at her church and serves on the board of a local nonprofit. She is known for her collaborative leadership style and her commitment to aligning financial strategy with mission impact. She holds a Master of Science in Accounting and is proud to be a first-generation college graduate.

 

 

 

Adult Learner College Scholarship

The Adult Learner Scholarship application is closed. Please click GET STARTED to be added to communication reminders on when to apply during the next open cycle.

Program offers:

  • Up to $25,000 paid directly to the college over the course of up to six years.
  • Once awarded, the Scholar can enroll full or part-time the fall semester following awarding.
  • Scholarship can be used at any of our college partners. See our current list of partners HERE.
  • Scholarship can be used towards an associate’s degree, bachelor’s degree, or a credit-bearing credential. 

Eligibility Requirements: 

  • Be a high school graduate or GED holder (24 years or older).
  • Live in one of the six eligible counties. (Kansas: Wyandotte, Johnson; Missouri: Cass, Clay, Jackson, Platte)
  • Be income eligible. (FASFA Student Aid Index of 12,000 or less)
  • Have not previously earned a bachelor’s degree.
  • Have not previously been awarded a KC Scholars Scholarship (Traditional or Adult Learner).
  • Is not currently enrolled in a Great Jobs KC Skills Training Program.
  • US Citizenship/Residency is not required to apply.

If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE

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Jimmy Swift - Chief Operating Officer

As the Chief Operating Officer, Jimmy Swift is responsible for overseeing our core programs, our adult workforce development program, Great Jobs KC tuition-free job training, and our KC Scholars Scholarship Program, which includes 11th Grade Traditional Scholarships and Adult Learner Scholarships. 

Jimmy has a career in education that spans more than 25 years and is built around supporting and improving the performance of career training programs and leading the operations of degree-granting institutions. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration with a concentration in management and has served as Campus President, Vice President of Career Services, and Executive Director of various career schools.  

Most recently, Jimmy served as the Vice President of PLA University at Phalen Leadership Academies, bringing access to job skill training to the parents and families of the Scholars served by Phalen Leadership schools across the country.  Beyond his higher education experience, Jimmy serves as the Executive Board Chairman for Project Safety Net NY, a nonprofit community-based agency delivering a broad range of health, education, and prevention services to the New York Community. As the Chief Operating Officer for Great Jobs KC, he and his team are poised to make a substantial impact on the economic stability and future of Kansas City.

Great Jobs KC
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