Teach For America has partnered with Kansas City Missouri School District to bring corps members into their classrooms beginning Fall 2008. The 2008-09 school year will be an exciting time as Teach For America works toward having an immediate impact on student achievement, while building a foundation for long-term change.
| Quick Stats |
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| Target Launch: Fall 2008 |
| Corps Size: 50 (projected) |
| Average yearly temperature: 53.6° |
| Car: Access to a car is essential |
Salary: See cost of living  |
Located at the junction of the Missouri and Kansas Rivers, and straddling the Missouri-Kansas state line, this notoriously casual and friendly city has been dubbed the “Heart of America.”
The city is known to be extremely livable and affordable. Kansas City Market, one of the nation’s largest farmer’s markets, sits beside the Nelson Atkins Museum of Art, known internationally for its world-class Asian art collection. The Historic 18th and Vine district celebrates the region’s rich African-American history with the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, where visitors learn about one of the most dynamic and contentious chapters in baseball history, and the Horace M. Peterson III visitor’s center, which chronicles the neighborhood’s cultural, social, and historic contributions. Sports fans can attend the games of the NFL’s Chiefs and the Major League Soccer’s Wizard at nearby Arrowhead Stadium and can also attend the Kansas City Royals' Major League Baseball games at the Kauffman Stadium.
Nightlife in Kansas City is filled with music and dancing of all genres. One can catch a live jazz show at the Blue Room downtown, then head over to Westport to The Hurricane for some Zydeco dancing, and end the night swing dancing on the city’s largest wooden dance floor at The Beaumont Club. Those wishing to stay outdoors can relax at sandy riverside beaches, go fishing or boating in a nearby lake, or walk through Swope Park, one of the nation’s largest urban parks. New inhabitants to Kansas City not only have a plethora of recreational activities but boast of having some of the most affordable housing in the nation for a city its size and the fastest growing job market in the Midwest.
Corps members will find diverse housing options in the Kansas City metro area. Those looking for an urban atmosphere can live in downtown Kansas City, amid restaurants, theaters, cabaret revues, and dance clubs. In one downtown area, the newly revitalized Crossroads Arts District, long-abandoned buildings have been replaced by shops, restaurants, and a burgeoning art scene. The Westport area in Midtown, once the site of Civil War combat, is now known for its nightlife, and stays abuzz with funky shops, lively taverns, friendly cafes, and live music. Meanwhile, minutes from downtown, Kansas City North offers a peaceful and rural alternative to city living. Johnson County, across the river in Kansas, is a slightly pricier suburban alternative with great shopping, thriving business complexes, and picturesque charm. Both Johnson County (KS) and Jackson County (MO) abound with diverse towns within commuting distance of the city centers.
Teach For America will place up to 50 corps members in Kansas City; this relatively small corps will have the opportunity to foster leadership opportunities even during its charter year. Corps members in Kansas City will have the opportunity to play a significant role in the development of regional programming and corps culture. As a part of the support network, Kansas City corps members can expect to attend all-corps gatherings, participate in learning teams with other corps members who teach the same grade or subject, and enjoy cultural events and social gatherings with colleagues and friends. Recent charter corps members have valued the unique experience of leading Teach For America’s movement in a new area of the country. Like other charter corps before them, 2008 Kansas City corps members will undoubtedly be united in building a powerful and supportive new Teach For America site.
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