Public School Stories
Across Our KC Communities
The real stories of how our public schools help our kids and our communities thrive
Connect with Stories.
Public schools across the KC region are the setting to so many amazing stories every day. Here, you will find stories told through the eyes of current and former students – examples of the impact of strong relationships, strong schools and strong communities.
Giving Each Student What They Need With Help from a Dancing Robot
In the Blue Springs School District, elementary students are excited to practice their lessons, because they get to work with a robot that personalizes the learning to them. And when they succeed, the robot might dance, play air guitar or ask them for a fist bump!
Supporting the School That Supported Him
Grandview High School was such a positive, supportive learning environment for Alec Burks that when he went on to become a professional basketball player in the NBA, he knew he wanted to stay connected to his school.
Starting the First Day and the Last First Day
In public schools around the Kansas City region, the first day of school is a time of positive anticipation. In Liberty, Carter experienced her very first day as a kindergartener, with her mother as a teacher in the same building. Baron experienced his very last first day of school as a senior at Liberty High School. This sweet story, told by the Liberty Public Schools team, shows all the excitement of these experiences.
Building Birdhouses to Learn Hands-On Career Skills
Using power tools, each fifth grader in the Lee’s Summit R-7 School District gets to build their own wooden birdhouse. This project gives them the opportunity to try something entirely new while opening their eyes to career pathways they might never consider otherwise. Check out our story about how Lee’s Summit educators created this innovative program to inspire their students early as they prepare for successful futures.
Learning to Push Through Fears to Fulfill Her Dreams
Leah Mayfield isn’t afraid of being scared anymore. Mayfield and two other Northland Career Center students successfully presented an “American Spirit” project at the state SkillsUSA competition and advanced to the SkillsUSA National Leadership & Competitions event in Atlanta. Achieving that success required extraordinary confidence, as she shared her expertise and insights with judges she’s never met. That’s something the Kearney High School student never would have attempted before enrolling at NCC and joining the SkillsUSA club.
Raymore-Peculiar Coffee Shop Helps Students Learn From Each Other
The Spill the Beans coffee shop at the LEAD Center in the Raymore-Peculiar School District gives students in the transitional skills program a chance to learn hands-on employability skills, and it gives other students the opportunity to learn from these important classmates.
Do you remember that teacher in your life who inspired you?
Chances are, they remember you too!
Our schools are more than buildings; they are the launchpads for our students’ educational journeys, where they can find what interests them, learn new things, make lasting connections and start pursuing their future.