Kauffman grant will build KCPS students’ decision-making skills

By Sara Wiercinski

Kansas City Public Schools (KCPS) students will benefit from formal decision-making training, thanks to a grant to the Alliance for Decision Education from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation. 

The $130,820 grant will create “College & Career Decision Making” Incubator Programs within KCPS high schools and select middle schools beginning this academic year.

“The curriculum shows students how to weigh different elements and critically think about choices”, said Joyce Nguyen Hernandez, now in her sixth year as Manager of College Access and Success for Kansas City Public Schools.

“What I found is that we now have a catalyst for conversation beyond college, into career interests.”

During the 2023-24 school year, Lincoln College Preparatory Academy College and Career Counselor Kathie Mahan along with select teachers initiated the pilot program with students who would be the first in their families to attend college.

Using the Alliance curriculum, 170 Lincoln juniors and seniors learned reflection and evaluation strategies and were then taken on college visits. According to a survey after the program, 72% of participating Lincoln students said the tools they learned were helpful in thinking about their post-graduate future.

Nguyen Hernandez says the work also enabled teachers and counselors to better understand students’ passions and interests, thereby connecting them to appropriate resources. 

The grant expands the incubator programs into all KCPS high schools and into three middle schools.

“The conversations need to start as early as possible, said Nguyen Hernandez. “Even if you have a parent who went to college, the process is now very different. Beyond traditional careers, there’s so much more out there now.”

The Kauffman Foundation’s Capacity Building grants are awarded to nonprofits that create long-term impact on foundation priorities.

“Organizations driving economic mobility—through career pathways, college access, and entrepreneurship—are central to Kansas City’s momentum,” said Dr. DeAngela Burns-Wallace, Kauffman Foundation President and CEO.

“These grants are designed to amplify their reach and ensure they are equipped to seize this window of opportunity with clarity and purpose.”

The Alliance for Decision Education is a national nonprofit that promotes and develops decision-making education within schools.

Learn more at alliancefordecisioneducation.org.