Kansas City wins All-America City Award

Kansas City has won a 2017 All-America City Award for its accomplishments in improving educational outcomes for low-income children.

The award was announced June 16th in Denver, Co. Kansas City was one of 15 communities selected. Read Kansas City Star article.

The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading selected Kansas City for its Turn the Page KC initiative led by Kansas City Mayor Sly James.

Winners selected were communities that:

• Demonstrate they have moved the needle on outcomes for low-income children in at least two of the following community solutions areas: school readiness, school attendance, summer learning and/or grade-level reading.
• Address the National Civic League’s key process criteria of civic engagement, cross-sector collaboration and inclusiveness.
• Have a plan for sustainability and for aligning, linking, stacking and bundling the most promising and proven programs, practices and strategies.

Here's a summary of Kansas City's application.

LINC has been deeply involved in the local Turn the Page KC initiative supporting reading outcomes through its out-of-school time program and also its involvement in summer learning activities.

Kansas City is the only Missouri community selected as a finalist. Kansas City is now a five-time winner of the All-America City Award given by the National League of Cities.

Launched in 2010, the Campaign for Grade-Level Reading is a collaborative effort of funders, nonprofit partners, business leaders, government agencies, states and communities across the nation to ensure that more children from low-income families succeed in school and graduate prepared for college, a career and active citizenship.