Distrkct Foundation

The DistrKCt IS Foundation Multimedia Program serves as a prevention, diversion, and workforce development program for under-served Kansas City youth. By fostering a supportive and creative environment for students, the organization has developed a proven track record of improving attendance and graduation rates for students in the program. We target districts with lower graduation rates and underprivileged youth to provide them with productive pathways to future opportunities.

DistrKCt’s program works by fostering students’ engagement with and commitment to school, creating a sense of community among their peers, promoting healthy relationships, and providing a productive and creative safe space for students to grow their interests and talents. Our teaching staff and leadership team are industry-leading professionals and provide students with the firsthand knowledge and skills they need to
pursue a variety of careers in the music production and audio engineering fields.

Currently, this program is partnered with the De La Salle Education Center in Kansas City, MO. With additional support from private and institutional donors, we will be able to expand our curriculum offerings and grow our footprint to serve students in neighboring jurisdictions.

Through our program, enrolled students currently receive training at DistrKCt’s high-tech campus in the former Kansas City Star building on McGee St. Instruction is provided by top-of-the-industry instructors in topics such as studio equipment operation and maintenance; audio recording, editing, and mixing; sound engineering; coding; videography; and broadcasting. The organization has placed a premium on hiring culturally competent instructors with direct professional experience in the field.

Through this structure and with access to the resources we provide, students not only learn critical skills but also receive professional certifications that prepare and qualify them for work in positions like Recording Engineer, Audio Engineer, Sound Engineer, Mixer, Broadcast Engineer, and others.

Using theories of social-emotional learning, real-world learning, and culturally responsive instruction, past iterations of this program have seen improved attendance rates for enrolled students and graduation rates as high as 99%. While we recognize the importance of the training to create favorable outcomes for student attendance and graduation, DistrKCt also understands the impact that other external factors like family
obligations and poverty play in the lives of students with low attendance. To circumvent these barriers, DistrKCt provides transportation between students’ main school campus
and the DistrKCt space, meals are served to each student, and childcare is provided for those students with childcare obligations at home.

This holistic approach ensures our students are provided with tools, knowledge, and opportunities that are not available to
them through current school offerings.