In May, the Board of Directors approved 13 grants totaling $885,000 focusing primarily on organizations that received funding in 2012; however, three new grants were made to: (1) Raising a Reader for expansion into all the early childhood sites operated by KCMSD; (2) Freedom Schools for a kindergrten readiness bootcamp targeting kindergarten entrants that have not benefited from an early learning experience; and, (3) the Alliance for Childhood Educ...

The Musical Bridges program, offered through the Conservatory of Music and Dance at UMKC, was awarded a $100,000 grant in recognition for the outstanding efforts of the Conservatory to provide one-on-one musical training for promising young student musicians from the Kansas City metro urban core. This one-time leardership and sustainability grant was awarded in addition to the renewal of a $20,000 annual grant in support of the program. Read about Branden Taylor, one of the program's rising star...