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Kauffman Scholars, Inc.

KSI graduates
Kauffman Scholars logo

Kauffman Scholars, Inc.

Kauffman Scholars, Inc., (KSI) was launched in 2003 as a post-secondary scholarship program to increase equitable opportunities for students in Kansas City through college access and success.

history
Results + Impact
Alumni

Celebrating 20 years
of impact, relationships, and possibility

Kauffman Scholars high school students pose for a group photo.
Students in the Kauffman Scholars program take a group photo at their lockers during passing period.
Two people pose with photo booth props: one holds a crown and the other holds glasses with 2015 attached to the top of them. The KSI "K" logo is on the wall behind them.
2015 graduates celebrate with party props in a photo booth.
A 2021 graduate looks down a Kansas City street wearing a graduation cap and Kauffman Scholars stole
A 2021 KSI graduate faces Kansas City.
Mr. K meets with students
Ewing Kauffman had the uncommon vision to offer more than 1400 low-income students in the Kansas City area full scholarships for college or post-secondary education with an array of support services to help them reach their goals through a program he called Project Choice.

Kauffman Scholars, Inc., (KSI) offered college scholarships, academic tutoring, and mentoring to students starting in seventh grade. Selected students came from households that met economic requirements within the boundaries of the Kansas City, Kansas, and Kansas City, Missouri, public school districts. Throughout their years in the program, scholars and their families received extensive support from coaches and program partners.

Selected students came from households that met economic requirements within the boundaries of the Kansas City, Kansas, or Kansas City, Missouri, public school districts. Throughout the life of the program, KSI staff responded to the changing needs of eight scholar cohorts, adapting the program to provide wraparound services that supported scholars in more than just academic areas.

KSI has its roots in the Project Choice scholarship program originally started by Ewing Marion Kauffman in 1988. The lessons learned by KSI informed the development and launch of programs that continue to support educational access and workforce development in the Kansas City region.

The final KSI cohort graduated in June 2023, and a final program celebration is scheduled to coincide with the anniversary of Ewing Kauffman’s birthday in September 2023.

If you give kids hope for the future, if you let them know somebody cares about them, you’ll be surprised at what they can achieve.

— Ewing Marion Kauffman

Kauffman Scholars graduates pose for a photo wearing their graduation caps, gowns, and KSI stoles.
Graduates pose in caps, gowns, and KSI stoles.
KSI-branded notebooks stacked on a table top.
Branded KSI notepads lay stacked on a table.
Two KSI graduates pose for a photo wearing caps, gowns, and Kauffman Scholars stoles.
Graduates pose in caps, gowns, and KSI stoles.

KSI Program Values & Beliefs

Investment, not charity
Commit to providing support that positively impacts long-term outcomes.
Amplify skills and talents that Scholars innately possessed.

Shared power
Scholars are the experts of their life experiences.
Create spaces where Scholars can own their own power and make informed choices.

It’s all about relationships
More than a program – a family.
Investment of time and resources to build trust.

Always learning
Be bold, take risks.
Continuously evolve and grow while sharing learning and best practices.

Equity driven
Systemic barriers exist that impact success in college, work, and life.
Provide equitable access to resources and opportunities that contribute to Scholars achieving their goals.