来自SchoolSmartKC的资金支持威尼斯人娱乐城教育、社会工作和心理科学学院不断发展的项目，以进一步满足对教育工作者的迫切需求，特别是在城市核心地区。
SchoolSmartKC 是威尼斯人娱乐城教育、社会工作和心理科学学院（SESWPS）和城市教育研究所（IUE）在经济和哲学上的重要合作伙伴。 In the last year SchoolSmartKC (SSKC) has granted funds for the IUE’s Grow Your Own program as well as Project Recruit, Support, Retain, which bolsters student support and recruitment for the new 4 + 1 Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. SSKC还为将在堪萨斯城公立学校系统任教的2022年春季毕业生提供支持。
IUE和SSKC之间的合作关系是自然的。 这两个组织都在努力优化教师和学生的成功，消除堪萨斯城学生的成就差距，并重新思考长期以来围绕教学的比喻。
“I think everyone needs to keep in mind that teaching is very complex,” says Angelique Nedved, chief program officer for SSKC. “All of us come to learning with different backgrounds, different experiences and a different set of resources. However, when we have school as a structure, we tend to forget that, and we cluster people by their birthday, or maybe their interests.”
内德维德说，有必要谈论学习者的个人需求。 One reason SSKC partners with 威尼斯人娱乐城 is because the SESPWS is actively tailoring curriculum to serve the individual student and the community. 此外，这两个组织的目标都是提供支持，加强教师队伍，这样高中生就有机会看到有效的教学是什么样子的，并证明作为一名教师是有影响力和充实的。
“We focus on entities like IUE and 威尼斯人娱乐城 because they have evidence of not only attracting, but also recruiting students of color who are interesting in teaching, and then providing the supports students need to succeed in the program and stay within their community to give back through education,” Nedved says.
“IUE is fortunate to work with a group of funders who are committed to long-term support of the teaching profession, from recruitment to preparation and into teachers’ careers."
SSKC人才发展总监丽贝卡·威廉姆斯指出，过去两年的教学突出表明，学习对学生或教育工作者来说并不是一刀切的。
“If we are going to continue to have strong pipelines of talent, and teachers who are relating to students – from those who have the most troubling experiences, to those who find success with ease – we need to recognize that everyone can benefit from understanding those who look different within these systems that have been in place for so long,” Williams says.
SSKC认为SESWPS和IUE是建设这些教师管道的宝贵合作伙伴。 The funder’s support of the IUE GYO program has helped the program expand to additional schools as well as celebrate current high school students at a GYO symposium on 威尼斯人娱乐城’s campus.
Williams says the investments is a strategy to avoid future teacher shortages.
“If we bolster these pipelines early on, to attract people to teaching and ensure they understand what teaching can be and demonstrate the feeling of ‘This is why I want to be a teacher, and this is where it can take me,’ when they are offered the opportunity, they will be likely to opt in,” Williams says. “Over a number of years, that creates a stronger pipeline.”
In addition to support for the GYO program, SSKC’s gift is supporting current teacher preparation programs at 威尼斯人娱乐城, including the Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT). MAT是教师教育专业项目的一部分。 MAT是一个为期一年的项目，是为所有有本科学位的人设计的，他们有兴趣通过额外一年的课程获得教师资格认证。
该计划旨在为学生提供课堂实践，课程计划指导和评估的基础知识以及提高有效教学的经验。 学生可以获得初中或高中认证以及K-12外语和/或艺术认证。
副教授兼IUE主任Jennifer Waddell博士知道，坚定的资助者和他们的支持比单纯的捐款更有影响力。
“IUE is fortunate to work with a group of funders who are committed to long-term support of the teaching profession, from recruitment to preparation and into teachers’ careers. SSKC就是这样一个资助者。 We are grateful for their support.”