Stories

A unique partnership is helping high school students match childhood dreams to reality. Two graduates from south Kansas City school districts earned their Commercial Driver’s Licenses before graduation, giving them a head start on their careers.

Belton High School students are stepping outside the classroom and into the woods, helping the City of Belton build a lasting legacy through hands-on environmental work at Dryden Nature Reserve. As they map and catalog hundreds of trees, students are gaining real-world experience, building confidence, and shaping a community resource that will serve generations to come.

At Lone Jack Elementary, Family Time brings students from every grade together to build social skills, practice leadership, and learn what it means to be part of a school family. From monthly meetings to moments of real-life support, students are discovering that being a role model and looking out for one another makes their school stronger.

Step inside a house where students aren’t just learning—they’re gaining the confidence and skills to live independently. Discover how Ray-Pec’s innovative approach is breaking down barriers, building connections, and redefining what’s possible for every learner.

Fort Osage School District students are working alongside the city’s health department to raise awareness about substance abuse and make a real difference in their community.

From student customers learning how to manage their money to student employees operating a real credit union branch, Winnetonka High School is turning financial education into an everyday experience.

Students at Paul Kinder Middle School are using creativity, teamwork, and empathy to design a new space that will benefit their entire school. Through this real-world design thinking project, they’re learning how to turn their ideas into impact.

For nearly four decades, one teacher has been a cornerstone of Lone Jack Schools — guiding students in classrooms, on the field, and beyond. His steady dedication, love for kids, and passion for the community show how a teaching career can leave a lasting legacy and inspire the next generation of educators.

It’s more than a house for the students who are building it and for the first-time homeowners who will live in it. It’s a path to their future and it’s all thanks to a partnership between the school district, a social service organization, and a local contractor.

A great education can start by learning that a German dog says, “wau wau.” A group of foreign language students from Kearney High School visited classrooms at all four Kearney School District elementary schools to lead 20-minute lessons in Spanish and German for the younger students.