KANSAS CITY, MO. (April 28, 2023 ) The NFL isn’t the only draft in town this week. KC Scholars will continue its tradition of supporting and sustaining educational opportunities for low-and-modest income students across a six-county Kansas City region.
On Friday, April 28th, beginning at 8 a.m. and throughout the morning, KC Scholars will award 575 scholarships for students in a six-county region across the Kansas City area. The 11th grade scholars, who recently completed a competitive application process, will be receiving either a $50,000 scholarships – $10,000 per year for up to five years. The 9th graders will be recipients of a college savings match program. KC Scholars not only provides the funding for school they also provide access to a variety of wrap-around support services to help them complete their degrees. As in the past, the organization will surprise several scholars with scholarship announcements and festivities at their respective schools and all schools will host a fun and exciting surprise award day with the hashtag #draftedbykcscholars.
“KC Scholars believes in scholars first and hope which are represented as our core values,” said KC Scholars President and CEO Earl Martin Phalen. “It is so gratifying to show our scholars that, because of their hard work, they can attend college and secure careers that will forever change their lives and that of their loved ones.”
In the last six years, KC Scholars has awarded more than 6,000 scholarship awards and has seen more than 150 scholars through to graduation. Their current persistence rate of 90% supports the organization’s goal that 75% of participants complete an associate degree, bachelor’s degree, or earn a credit-bearing credential.
“Seeing the impact and joy that KC Scholars makes on the scholars never gets old,” said KC Scholars Board Chair Jan Kreamer. “Surprise Awards Day is the culmination of many people’s efforts; watching the looks on their faces when we surprise them with their awards reaffirms, for us, the importance of investing in human potential and the community.”
What began as “Project Choice” in April 1988, through the generosity and vision of legendary philanthropist Ewing Kauffman, continues to help Kansas City-area students realize their dreams to attend college or attain industry-recognized certifications. Nearly 35 years later, the KC Scholars program remains possible through the continued generous financial support of The Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation.
Kansas City Scholars (www.kcscholars.org) was designed to change thousands of individual lives and transform the region by preparing our future workforce and contributing to the regional economy. It is a 501(c)(3) college scholarship, persistence, and support organization designed to increase the college completion rate for low- and modest- income students and adult learners across the six-county, bi-state service region. KC Scholars awards traditional college scholarships to high school juniors, adult learner scholarships to adults 18 years and older, and college savings match awards to high school freshman. KC Scholars supports all its awardees throughout the process and during college.
KC Scholars newest program, Great Jobs KC, provides tuition assistance to approved job training programs in high paying and high-demand industries such as construction, healthcare, information technology, and manufacturing. With the support of Great Jobs KC, adults 18 and older can learn the skills needed in one year or less to earn between $45,000-$85,000.
Launched in September 2016, KC Scholars has experienced widespread community engagement and rapid scaling. KC Scholars has more than 6,000 scholars, with over 2,000 scholarship recipients currently in college.
Great Jobs KC is a Kansas City-based nonprofit that provides access to college scholarships and tuition-free job training, along with job placement assistance for young people from low- and modest-income families in the metropolitan area, providing a pipeline of talent for a strong regional workforce. Please join us on our mission for economic independence for all. For more information, visit www.greatjobskc.org.
The Kauffman Foundation’s generous grant helps Great Jobs KC get closer to its $100M goal, supporting 50,000 Kansas City residents with job training and education.
The Kauffman Foundation’s generous grant helps Great Jobs KC get closer to its $100M goal, supporting 50,000 Kansas City residents with job training and education.
Great Jobs KC Kansas City, Saturday, June 22, 2024 – Great Jobs KC, through its
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.
Program offers:
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If you need more information on program details, please find our FAQs HERE
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.
