Key Points:
- Nonprofits have until Feb. 2 to apply for grants to improve education in Wichita’s 67214 ZIP code.
- The summer programs will focus on getting kindergarten to third graders on track.
- Grants up to $25,000 will be given to organizations aligned with Wichita Public Schools’ strategic plan.
Professionals know that making sure students are on track early in their education is essential for their long term success.
In fact, research shows that a child who can’t read on grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate by age 19 than a child who does read proficiently by that time.
That’s why a new summer program is focusing on third grade proficiency starting with kindergarten students.
“Instead of starting in high school and trying to catch our kids up, this initiative is about starting early,” said LaWanda DeShazer, senior program director for Wichita Collective Impact, the program leading the initiative.
Wichita Collective Impact is a three-year initiative funded through a $2 million gift from Wichita-based Cargill Protein North America. The effort is led by the Greater Wichita YMCA, United Way of the Plains, USD 259 and the WSU Public Policy Center.
The program’s focus is in the 67214 ZIP code, the second poorest ZIP code in Kansas. Last year they awarded grants to fund two one-month summer learning programs, and the YMCA operated a third, all in the 67214 area.
This summer, they’re hoping to have more sites and to do so, they’re accepting applications for grants of up to $25,000 to plan and operate a one-month educational program during July 2024.
One-month Summer Programs
Since USD 259 runs its summer program during June, the month-long educational programs under this initiative are designed to continue summer learning with a one-month program in July.
Programming for the summer programs can be fun and creative, but must have an educational component that aligns with the Wichita Public Schools’ strategic plan to:
- Boost competencies among kindergarteners, first graders, second graders, and third graders using curriculum-based measurements.
- Engage parents in the literacy process.
To make sure all programs align with school standards, potential grant recipients are asked to participate in curriculum-based measurements training.
The programs must be offered for free to the participants.
The deadline for proposals will be noon on Feb. 2 and grantees will be announced at noon on Feb. 16. An awardees workshop is at 10 a.m. on March 1, and summer programs begin in July.
2023 Summer Programs
Summer 2023 programs were operated by nonprofits in cooperation with St. Mark United Methodist Church and Holy Savior Catholic Church. The third program was operated by the YMCA at The Center, a facility operated by Iasis Christian Center.
DeShazer, who was director of the Y’s summer program, says the program hired educators from USD 259 to run the classrooms. In the morning, participants worked on traditional learning, sounds, ABCs, numbers, etc. In the afternoon, the program focused on nontraditional learning.
Some of the nontraditional programming DeShazer mentioned were horticulture, arts and crafts, Music Theater of Wichita, and kids doing music and skits.
There’s a pre-test and post-test for all students. The pre-test helps identify a student’s strengths and weaknesses and the post-test measures the gains/success of the program.
Collaborative Program
Success for this program will require getting more community organizations and individuals involved. Hence the program name, “Collective Impact.”
“No one entity can push the trajectory on this third-grade reading proficiency,” said DeShazer. “So we want as many organizations, as many nonprofits and for-profits on board with us reaching that third-grade proficiency level.
When she was first hired, DeShazer said she went out into the community to see what nonprofits already existed, what work they were doing, and how the program could partner with people already doing the work.
“We’ve been out there grinding, knocking on doors, emailing people just trying to get people involved,” said DeShazer.
Although WCI is looking for organizations that can run full programs, they’re also looking for people and organizations that can help support programs. As an example, last year, they funded organizations who taught art, another that came in to read to children, and they also paid organizations with a building for the use of their facilities.
Capacity-Building Workshops
WCI is conducting a series of three workshops designed to help organizations prepare their grant applications and to help smaller nonprofits working in the community to grow their capacity to deliver services. Organizations who attend all three workshops, even if they don’t submit a grant application, will receive a $300 stipend.
The three workshops will focus on: understanding USD 259 Standards, curriculum-based measurement, and grant writing.
“We want all of our partners to be on the same page, to know the direction we’re going,” said DeShazer.
For additional info, contact DeShazer at lawanda.deshazer@ymcawichita.org or 316-776-8176.
67214 Stats
The 67214 ZIP Code is the most impoverished in Kansas, with an average adjusted gross income of $27,906 in 2018. Almost 20% of households have an income below $10,000 and 39.2% are not currently in the labor force.
Of those age 25 and above, only one in four completed high school and almost 25% of the population does not have health insurance.
Demographically, the population is 43.6% Black or African American and 24.8% is Hispanic.
Fifty percent of young people entering kindergarten in Wichita Public Schools come in without the fundamental reading skills of recognizing letter names or sounds and 48% are not able to regularly recognize numbers or a number of grouped objects.
