All About Midtown Community School
Volume 1 - History & Culture
Our school was born out of a grassroots effort led by Midtown Kansas City families, known as the Midtown Community School Initiative (MCSI). MCSI was a collection of families just like yours that gathered together on front porches and in living rooms and wondered aloud how to give their children a high-quality education. MCSI hoped to create a high-performing, diverse neighborhood school that would provide high-quality options for the growing number of families who wanted to stay and raise their children in Midtown. In September 2013, MCSI issued a national request for proposals (RFP), soliciting partners with the capacity and willingness to launch and operate high-performing schools with a racially, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse student population.
Citizens of the World Charter Schools (CWC Schools) was one of the school partners to receive the RFP and, inspired by the vision of the MCSI families, engaged with MCSI. In November 2013, CWC Schools submitted a proposal to MCSI to launch a K-12 school system in Midtown Kansas City. In February 2014, MCSI, believing they found a partner aligned in purpose, values, and educational approach, selected CWC Schools as their partner organization.
Following their initial discussions, both organizations understood that in order to launch a school system, there needed to be deep and deliberate engagement with and outreach to a wide cross-section of the Midtown and larger Kansas City community. Together, CWC Schools and MCSI spent two years meeting with families and community organizations, paving the way for the launch of CWC Kansas City. Our charter was approved by the Missouri State Board of Education on October 27th, 2015 and we were given a green light to open for the 2016-2017 school year. And on August 15, 2016, we opened our doors to the Founding Class of CWC Kansas City! During our first year open, we enrolled just kindergarten and first grade students, but we have since grown to serve PreK through eighth grade students!
After ten years of growing as Citizens of the World, we made the decision to end our affiliation with the national network and begin the process of rebranding. We gathered feedback from our students, staff, and families, and a common theme emerged across every conversation. Time and again, the word that people used to describe this school, this neighborhood, and this shared experience was community. And so, we came home to a name that reflects exactly that: Midtown Community School. It's a name that brings us back to our roots — back to those front porch conversations, back to the families who dreamed this school into existence, and back to the neighborhood that has always been at the heart of everything we do. As we all come back together when we open our doors this fall, we will do so fully as Midtown Community School!
When we first opened in 2016, the entire community - students, teachers, staff, and families - joined in the Multipurpose Room every Friday for an assembly that lovingly became known as "Friday Morning Sing". This was a time to sing together, to share shout outs and birthday recognitions, and grow as a community. As we've grown, this celebration has morphed into a new format called "First Friday". On the first Friday of every month, elementary families are welcome to visit their children's classrooms at drop-off, attend Friday Morning Sing (now led by our 5th graders), and then often stay for a family engagement opportunity.
In addition to First Friday, families are invited to participate in frequent events throughout the year - ice cream social, family skate party, outdoor movie night, art showcases, student-led conferences, project-based learning showcases, and school dances! We welcome and encourage all families to participate to share their voices and get to know other families!
We are governed by a local board currently comprised of passionate community members. Our Board works with our Executive Director to set our strategic plan and vision and they are responsible for the oversight and guidance of our campus growth/development and our financial sustainability.
More information about our Board can be found at: https://www.cwckansascity.org/board-of-directors/.
Contact Us
Email: info@cwckansascity.org
Website: www.cwckansascity.org
Location: 3435 Broadway Boulevard, Kansas City, MO, 64111
Phone: (816)499-8000
Facebook: www.facebook.com/midtowncommunityschool
Instagram: www.instagram.com/midtowncommunityschool/