The Transforming Power of Community Involvement

build young people’s self-esteem by instilling in them a sense of belonging, competence, power, influence, and usefulness. The Boys & Girls Clubs of South Central Kansas opened in Sedgwick County in 1990. Around the country, Boys & Girls Clubs have been serving youth for more than 100 years and now serves more than 5 million children in about 3,600 facilities. http://www.bgcsck.org/

assists in building inclusive communities, businesses and institutions through diversity training, advocacy, conflict resolution, interfaith collaboration, youth leadership training and community dialogue. http://diversitykansas.org/

provides education, training, employment and personal growth opportunities for people of all ages with disabilities and other barriers to employment. http://goodwillkansas.easterseals.com/site/PageServer?pagename=KSDR_homepage

serves more than 6,000 children  most of whom are considered at risk and live in single-parent homes. The organization helps children achieve their potential through long-term personal relationships with carefully screened and caring volunteers. http://www.kansasbigs.org/

works to recruit and retain multicultural and diverse students to Kansas State University. Program focuses on advising, mentoring and tutoring. Bridge programs help students acclimate to the university setting before the academic year starts. Enrichment programs work to recruit potential students to K-State. Companies participating in Project IMPACT have direct access to hiring Project IMPACT participants. http://www.k-state.edu/media/newsreleases/feb08/koch21408.html

enhances the lives of children with varied abilities and needs through customized services designed in partnership with the child’s family.  The program provides specialized and integrated services, family support, community outreach, financial resources to families, emphasizing family support, values, ethics, parental rights, teamwork, workplace skills, accountability, fiscal responsibility, networking and more.  http://www.rainbowsunited.org/index.php

has two Corps Community Centers providing regular weekly church services and other programs. The Garvey Sports Center houses the organization’s Biddy Basketball program.  The Hiawatha campus provides various family programming and has facilities available for rental for church and business groups. The City Command Koch Center administers foster care, youth residential services, emergency social services, homeless services and disaster services.  http://www.salvationarmy-wichita.org/

empowers individuals with intellectual disabilities to become physically fit and productive through sports competitions, health and nutrition programs and leadership development. Offering year-round initiatives to children and adults, Special Olympics Kansas began in 1970 and now includes more than 100 programs and teams across the state. Today Special Olympics Kansas touches the lives of 5,580 athletes who train and compete year-round in 22 sports. http://www.ksso.org/

(National Urban League Incentive to Excel and Succeed) prepares middle-school and high-school students for college enrollment, and educates parents to participate and assist students to achieve educational goals. The program offers ACT workshops, financial aid and scholarship assistance, career and post secondary education counseling, college visitation tours and fairs, help with admissions applications and other services. http://kansasul.org/Home/tabid/36/Default.aspx

is a membership-driven organization dedicated to the creation, advancement, promotion, and development of economic opportunities within the Hispanic market and business community. Established in March of 2002, the organization is Wichita’s first minority Chamber of Commerce. http://www.wichitahispanicchamber.org/

has been dedicated to holistic health and development throughout its 156-year history. The organization provides a number of services in Wichita, including childcare and after-school activities, youth sports programs and health and fitness programs for families, adults, youth and seniors. YMCA programs promote healthy lifestyles, strong families, and positive youth development. http://www.ymcawichita.org/

was founded in 1991 by the Charles G. Koch Foundation. It began as an eight-week program at Wichita High School North, and eventually expanded to an entire school-year course. YEK is a licensed program of the National Foundation for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) and is open to all high school sophomores and juniors, but is targeted toward at-risk youth.

The YEK class is currently available in all Wichita public high schools, Augusta High School, Campus High School, Clearwater High School, Kapaun Mt. Carmel High School, Newton High School, Topeka High School, Highland Park High School in Topeka, Lawrence High School, and four Kansas City, Kansas high schools.

YEK teaches free enterprise fundamentals through hands-on experiences and encourages students to start their own business, enhance their business skills for future career opportunities and continue into higher education. During the class, each student writes a business plan, participates in classroom competitions, and receives school credit for successfully meeting class completion requirements. YEK graduates’ involvement is maintained through the Alumni Program, which promotes continued learning opportunities and community service. http://www.yeks.org/