School Year Programs

Reading the Phonics Way is a structured literacy program which helps beginning readers master the foundational phonetic skills needed for reading. Students receive 1:1 instruction from a trained volunteer, parent or caregiver 3x/week for 6 weeks.

Reading the Phonics Way allows Front Porch Alliance to further expand our beloved PALs program to students across the Eastside of Kansas City.

The current session is no longer accepting participants. It will run from March 21 until April 27.

Reading the Phonics Way uses curriculum developed by Catina Taylor and is offered in collaboration with:

Front Porch Alliance runs two FIRST Lego League robotics teams at Faxon Elementary: The Promised Robot Slayers and The Scooby Doo Crew. Robotics teaches students basic coding skills and engages them in teamwork to creatively solve real-world problems.

Both teams are open to 4th, 5th, and 6th graders at Faxon Elementary. Please contact Ms. Yo if your student is interested.

During the 2022-2023 school year, both teams completed locally and The Promised Robot Slayers advanced to regionals where they won The Spirit Award.

Front Porch Alliance runs a Financial Literacy course which teaches participants the basics of personal finance. Students earn a small stipend for each class they attend and track their own spending habits as they practice budgeting.

Class Topics include:

• Credit Cards and Debit Cards
• Types of Bank Accounts (Savings, Checking, etc.)
• Interest Accrual
• Basics of Budgeting

We currently run this course at Central Middle School and DeLaSalle High School. Please contact Hanna Hochstetler if you would like to offer this class at your school.

Interested in funding this program or volunteering as an instructor or guest speaker? Please contact:

Hanna Hochstetler
Youth Programs Coordinator
  P: 816-921-8812
  E: YouthJourneys@FrontPorchAlliance.Org

Front Porch Alliance offers our Financial Literacy Class in partnership and with curriculum from:

Offered for 1 semester either in or after school, Shark Tank provides students with practical information to prepare them for the working world. Students will learn how to pitch entrepreneurial ideas and learn the basics of running a business. Students will work within a budget to create a prototype and prepare a pitch.

During the final week, participants will share their business plans and compete for investment money. The final event will also be a business fair where students will sell goods and services developed during the program to their peers and the broader community.

Front Porch Alliance partners with Junior Achievement of Greater Kansas City to provide a 10-session business course to students in grades 7-11.

Please contact Hanna Hochstetler if you would like to offer this class at your school or organization.

Interested in funding this program or volunteering as an instructor or guest speaker? Please contact:

Hanna Hochstetler
Youth Programs Coordinator
  P: 816-921-8812
  E: YouthJourneys@FrontPorchAlliance.Org

Front Porch Alliance offers our Financial Literacy Class in partnership and with curriculum from:

Reading Inspirational Stories to Empower (RISE) engages students and community members in learning about and creating social change. In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, volunteers read stories of social justice activists to students and lead conversations about how to create change. Students and volunteers write letters and draw pictures, sending them to local elected officials.

In 2023, Front Porch Alliance engaged more than 200 students across Troost Elementary, Faxon Elementary, Banneker Elementary, and Wendell Phillips Elementary.

Read more about RISE and our collaboration with Rosedale Development Association in our blog post. >>

RISE is offered on both sides of State Line in collaboration with: