* If you/your student previously attended a trip
Kansas City, MO is well-known for its parks, architecture, world-class arts and museums. It is a thriving midwestern city with great strengths, but there are also struggles that residents face, particularily in the area of education where the graduation rate is only 40%. In the midst of the struggles you will find organizations that are diligently working to partner with residents to improve and strengthen the community. Kansas City is often called the "city of fountains" and is known for its tasty BBQ.
Kansas City is the largest city in Missouri and is in the western part of the state at the junction of the Missouri and Kansas rivers. The city is sometimes referred to as the "Heart of America," as it is near both the population center of the United States and the geographic center of the 48 contiguous states. The Kansas City metropolitan area, once known primarily for agriculture and manufacturing, has expanded its economic base to include strong growth in the areas of telecommunications, banking finance and as well as the service industry. Considering these successes and even in despite of many downturns, residents boast pride for their city. Though it may not be as evident from the outside looking in, the city has its share of struggles. There are several issues the city has worked to address for many years, one of the main ones being education. In 2011 it was reported that only about a third of third-graders knew how to read at their grade level, which spurred the development of many local reading and tutoring programs for these students. Since then, the literacy rate has gone up to about 50%, but it is still below the state average, and there are significant racial disparities in reading proficiency among students. Because of this, there are several organizations that serve the community through educational programs during the summer in hopes to give students the time and attention they need to achieve success in school, to graduate, and to better prepare them for the future. YouthWorks exists in Kansas City to partner with and further the missional reach of programs that are responding to the needs of the community, whether they be related to education, food, housing, or community development. We serve with numerous organizations on both the Kansas and Missouri side of the river that strive to meet the basic needs of Kansas Citians from all walks of life, including the recently arrived international and refugee populations.