What a difference two years can make! I drove across country with my dog two years ago, in June 2015, leaving behind the school community I had known in Los Angeles for seven years; leaving the city of friends I had built for 27 years; leaving my son at college two time zones away. It was a huge change – a welcome change – I was ready to build a new future. And when I arrived, I was greeted by a beautiful sign on my front door - hand drawn and decorated by the families – and clearly, the children – who were so excited to see Citizens of the World come to Kansas City. Its simplicity made it all the more powerful. It said, “We’re glad you’re here…and we’re here too…and together, we’re going to build a school.” Since that time I have met and helped bring together a team of colleagues including a Board of Directors nine members strong; over 30 faculty and staff with backgrounds in education from early childhood through middle and high school; and families that live across more than 16 different neighborhoods of the Midtown KC area. We have formed professional partnerships in the areas of finance, law, construction, real estate, safety, philanthropy, and educational innovation. Not one of us has the knowledge or skills to do it all – but together, we have built a school. As a school community we have formed even more partnerships with local organizations to support our students’ learning, our families’ needs, our faculty’s continuing growth, and to help insure we achieve our goals of bringing an excellent public education to a diverse community by building understanding and connections. We invite the community in to meet our students – librarians, police officers, veterans, weathermen, who share their experiences of helping the city function; and we take our students out to explore - - art museums, musical performances, the outdoor environment, walking through a labyrinth, picking vegetables at the farm, swimming and playing basketball at the community center. No single organization can provide all that is needed, but with partners and teamwork, working together, we are building a community that helps students grow. And in a few short weeks, we open the doors again for Year 2 welcoming Kindergarten, 1st, and 2nd graders. Diverse students from across Midtown, walking in with proud parents, some with big sisters and brothers who already know their way around; bringing their excitement, their worries, and their curiosity. They walk in wanting to learn; wanting to be ‘grown up’; wanting to understand; wanting to make friends. And they do, with their classmates, their community – because together, they will build a new future.
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AuthorDr. Kristin L. Droege is the Executive Director of CWCKC. Archives
July 2018
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