A new grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation will help us unlock greater economic mobility for students in Kansas City.
Last month, the Kauffman Foundation announced its latest cohort of Project and Research grantees, including Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City. The $250,000 award will help us expand our 3DE by Junior Achievement model in the 2026-27 academic year, making more career pathways visible and accessible to high school students.
3DE by Junior Achievement transforms the high school experience by bridging the gap between classroom learning and the real world. Through career-connected experiences, students collaborate with business professionals from high-growth industries across the community. Anchored in competency-based case methodology, they develop essential skills that give them a competitive edge as they transition into college, training programs, and the workforce.
Funding from the Kauffman Foundation will support our efforts to strengthen educator effectiveness and deepen curriculum integration. It will also allow us to diversify our network of local business partners, ensuring 3DE students engage with a wide range of industries and authentic project-based challenges at each grade level. Students witness themselves grow not only in school, but in their personal and professional lives, as they progress from freshmen to seniors.
Originally launched as a pilot program in 2015 at Banneker High School in Atlanta, there are now 80 3DE schools across 13 states and 32 districts, representing a diversity of communities across the country.
As Kansas City’s first 3DE cohort prepares to graduate this spring and enter their postsecondary pathways, we are focused on monitoring trends, identifying gaps in support, and reinforcing our long-term impact on future readiness. With the support of the Kauffman Foundation, we’ll design an engagement framework that encourages 3DE alumni to reflect on their experiences and stay connected after high school.
Our broadened employer ecosystem and new alumni network will raise the bar for student success in an ever-changing economy. When we help students build a foundation of confidence, capability, competence and connections, we believe their chosen paths are limitless.
To learn more about 3DE by Junior Achievement and the impact the model is making across Kansas City-area high schools, connect with our team to get involved.