Overview

History

20/20 Leadership began in 1993 as a 9-month program for 36 juniors attending nine high schools in Wyandotte County, Kanas. The budget was $3,500.  In 2002, the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation and the Garth Brooks “Teammates for Kids” provided grants to expand the program across state lines from Kansas to Missouri.  In 2003, 20/20 Leadership became an independent organization, six weeks after filing the 501(c)(3) application and expanded into a 10-month program for juniors, and an 8-month program for seniors. In 2015, 20/20 Leadership expanded the programs to provide a continuum for freshmen, sophomore, juniors and seniors.

Uniqueness of the 20/20 Leadership Program:

• Social, academic, economic, geographic and racial diversity
• Bi-state, multi-county, multi-district program GPA is not an admission criteria; program designed for students with 2.0 – 4.0 GPA’s
• Students learn about their community and the greater Kansas City metropolitan area
• Transportation provided to and from school on program days
• Assist students with college, career and workforce development
• Students participate in social and community events after school hours
• Workshops provided for scholarship information, writing personal statements and essays
• 140 educational hours received during 18-month Junior and Senior Leader programs
• Assist alumni with resumes, references, networking and business introductions
• Provide letters of recommendation for students and alumni
• More than 8,000 volunteer hours contributed through community projects since 1993
• More than 3,300 alumni since program inception in 1993