Lawyers in your corner: Stressed KC communities fight back with 'Adopt-A-Neighborhood' legal teams

The Adopt-A-Neighborhood Project in Kansas City is helping communities turn around vacant properties with the help of volunteer law firms that join with Legal Aid of Western Missouri to help neighborhoods navigate a knotted legal system. LINC is looking to connect its Caring Communities sites with the project.

Unique library and food pantry in Independence "the start of something big"

The Farview community in Independence gathered for a joyous block party Aug. 17, celebrating the opening of a unique neighborhood library that shares a food pantry and other services.

'Real world learning' blooms in three Indy school districts with new facilities, partnerships

Independence’s three school district superintendents struck on similar themes in their joint “State of the Schools” breakfast Friday morning.

Successful bond issues, bright new facilities, a focus on improving attendance and a call for businesses to join the schools in their intense college-and-career programs — for “real world learning.”

'Your kids, Your families': Work against chronic absence in Hickman Mills means to get personal

The Hickman Mills School District and Attendance Works are taking aim on chronic absence, working with LINC and several community partners to develop personalized strategies that could help all communities ease the heavy impacts of missed time in class.

'An exceptional young man' lost to gun violence in Center, LINC community

Brian Bartlett was eight years old, just days away from starting the fourth grade at Center Elementary School and LINC’s Caring Communities after-school program.

The child was killed as he slept Saturday night, Aug. 10, when a barrage of gunfire ripped through his family’s house in the 8300 block of Tracy Avenue. His mother was wounded. Investigators still have no suspect information or know of any motive for the shooting, police said.

Twitter chat to tackle the question: How to reduce chronic absence, improve reading?

The Campaign for Grade-Level Reading, Attendance Works and Foundations, Inc. are hosting an interactive Twitter chat on what schools and communities can do to reduce chronic absence this school year, Aug. 21 from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m.

Approximately 8 million students are at risk academically each year because they are chronically absent.

New website ready for KC families caught in scramble for summer and after-school programs

Finding affordable local summer and after-school programs can be a frantic scramble for Kansas City families. A new non-profit site — InPlay — has launched in KC to make that search easier. The Kauffman Foundation-funded site is open for business and seeking listings.

Feeling 'the buzz' after 'incredible turnout' for KCPS SummerFest

More than 7,200 children and adults joined in the KCPS SummerFest back-to-school event Aug. 3. Families enjoyed games, performances and crafts as they also completed enrollment and received backpacks and school supplies.

Center families get a jump on enrollment, fun at Back to School Bash

There was business to take care of for many of the families visiting Center’s Back to School Bash — like enrollment, immunization checks and such. But Center made sure it was fun.

Face-painting, balloon animals, mini-golf and hot dogs entertained the hundreds of adults and children who wandered through the many information booths, including a table for LINC.

'Justice in the Schools' moves fast in Year One to help KCPS families with free legal services

Justice in the Schools project director Cori Smith came with a host of numbers to present to the LINC commission meeting in May. But the one that startles her the most, she said, is the four-out-of-10 students who move in or out of their Kansas City Public Schools classrooms every year.

Kansas City Public Schools wins national award for efforts to combat evictions

The Kansas City Public Schools’ unique partnership with determined researchers and lawyers to help rescue district families from evictions earned national recognition this week.

KCPS won the 2019 Research and Assessment Leadership Award awarded by the Council of the Great City Schools.

The school district partnered with LINC, the Kansas City Eviction Project and Legal Aid of Western Missouri in creating data tools to alert school officials where district families were vulnerable and in danger of eviction.

'Together Towards Tomorrow' for Hickman Mills starts with rally, enrollment

The Hickman Mills School District’s drive to become a high-performing district is preparing for launch.

The mission’s theme — “Together Towards Tomorrow” — will guide its year-opening festivities, welcoming families for enrollment to its schools and its LINC before- and after-school programs, and celebrating with a community rally.

Back-to-School Immunizations Drive underway at KCMO Health Department

The Back-to-School Immunization Drive is underway at the Kansas City, Missouri Health Department, and parents and guardians are being urged to bring their children in now to avoid those long lines and wait times that only get worse as the first day of school approaches.

Back-to-school state tax holiday weekend coming Aug. 2

Kansas City-area shoppers once again will reap the benefits of back-to-school bargains when Missouri’s sales tax holiday kicks off at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, Aug. 2. The tax-free weekend runs through Sunday, Aug. 4.

In championing education equity, the 2019 EPFP fellows say: We're just getting started

What the Kansas City fellows in the 2018-2019 Education Policy Fellowship Program presented in their final scheduled time together this summer was more of a launch party of things to come.

When it comes to their chosen mission of championing education policy through a lens of equity, these EPFP fellows made it clear: We’re just getting started.

Festivals, enrollment fairs to celebrate start of new school year

LINC’s partner school districts are gathering their families and communities to summer festivals to launch the start of the 2019-2020 school year with games, school supplies and enrollment opportunities.

Fake genetic test scheme seeks Medicaid, Medicare information for identity theft

State officials are warning service providers of a genetic testing scheme happening in many states, including Missouri.

Scammers are offering individuals cheek swabs claiming it is for genetic testing, but their intent is to obtain Medicare or Medicaid information for identify theft or fraudulent billing purposes. Fraudsters are targeting beneficiaries through door-to-door visits, booths at public events, health fairs, and telemarketing calls.

'Bug House' and bishops on attack: LINC's chess camp delights in strategy

LINC’s Chess Camp gathered some 26 kids and its companion Chess University some 16 adults to steep themselves in new strategies in the week-long programs at Genesis School.

The history of LINC’s two decades of promoting chess suggests that today’s students may well be tomorrow’s teachers.

Long-time LINC commissioner Herby Freeman dies

Herby Freeman, a longtime LINC commissioner and mental health advocate will be remembered at visitation and funeral services Saturday, July 20 in Kansas City.

LINC intends to apply for 21st Century Community Learning Centers grant

LINC intends to submit three different applications for the 21st Century Community Learning Centers federal grant.

Each grant application includes three different schools. The schools were selected with the support and assistance of the school district.

Copies of the application, once submitted, are available upon request.

LINC has been extensively involved with the federal 21st Century Communities Learning Center grants and shown strong results.