ELL Services, Just One of Many NKC Schools Education Foundation Beneficiaries

Time goes so fast, but it was just a few weeks ago that the Curry Real Estate Services team jumped at the opportunity to participate in collecting school supplies for the North Kansas City Schools Education Foundation to support NKC Schools English language learning (ELL) families. The need is great.

Nearly 120 different languages are spoken by NKC Schools students with the top languages being Arabic, Kurdish, Pohnpeian (of Micronesian origins), Somali and Vietnamese.

For the more than 900 elementary ELL students, English Speakers of Other Languages-certified teachers follow the district’s literacy units for readers and writers for in-class support as well more intensive support as needed outside the classroom. The district also offers before- and after-school tutoring at 10 schools with high ELL populations three or four days a week and intensive extended summer learning programs for students most in need.

There are some 300 high school students receiving ELL services. Those new to the U.S., or with limited formal schooling participate in the Newcomer/Beginner programs at Northgate Middle School and NKC High School that feature a robust range of intensive ELL instructional services. ELL paraprofessionals support individual or small groups of students in the ELL resource room or general education classroom. After-school tutoring and summer programs also are available to these secondary-level students.

NKC Schools also offers free English Language Learner classes for adults ages 17 and older.

English language learning students and families are just one of the beneficiaries of the amazing NKC Schools Education Foundation. Established in 1996, the foundation has gone on to raise millions of dollars in support of awards including:

• Nearly 400 Dr. Dan Kahler Innovation Grants to enhance teaching and learning totaling more than $563,000 to district staff.
• Nearly 1,000 student scholarships worth close to $1 million.

North Kansas City Schools Education Foundation accomplishes great things for our district staff, teachers and students. Check it out, https://nkcschoolsfoundation.org/ and see where you can be a part of helping to better north Kansas City’s future.