Secure Kansas City’s designation as an official “Welcoming Community”
Immigrants from all over the globe—Italy, Mexico, Vietnam—have long made Kansas City their home. Welcoming put Kansas City on the map, as settlers migrating on the Oregon and Santa Fe Trails found it to be a place of sustenance and solace at the start of their long journeys.
JVS is working with community partners to help Kansas City become an official Welcoming Community by partnering with Welcoming America. Welcoming communities encourage people to get to know their neighbors, strengthen social ties, and help everyone feel respected and included. This can amplify the crime-reducing effects of immigration revealed through decades of research. We believe that all people, including immigrants, are valued contributors who are vital to the success of our communities and shared future.
For additional information, check out the following resources:
Welcoming America Resources
Kansas City, MO Profile
Economic Impact of Refugees in America
Issue 3: Promote the Seal of Biliteracy Model in the Kansas City, MO School Districts
On November 1, 2018, Kansas City Public School (KCPS) system was approved to award the state’s Seal of Biliteracy to qualified students. The Missouri Seal of Biliteracy is an award granted by a local system to recognize a student who has attained proficiency in English and one or more other world language(s) before high school graduation. The recognition of attaining biliteracy becomes a part of the high school transcript for these students and serves to certify attainment of biliteracy for the community, employers and universities.
Out of more than 500 school systems in the state, KCPS will now be one of about 40 that are qualified to award their high school graduates the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy. JVS will continue our partnership with KCPS to support students in this process and encourages more schools in the KC Metro to obtain the Missouri Seal of Biliteracy with the goal of attracting economic development, increasing postsecondary completion for students and supporting students and employers to thrive in a global economy.
For Additional Information, check out the following resources:
Missouri Seal of Biliteracy
Kansas City Public Schools Seal of Biliteracy
Seal of Biliteracy