From early learning to graduation, SchoolSmartKC centers community to accelerate student growth.
Kiewit's Lenexa City Center-based team is funding expanded literacy support at a Kansas City elementary school, foundational for college and career readiness
It’s a commitment to the community where our employees live and work...Literacy is the foundation students need to develop communication, math and AI skills for future engineering careers.”
KANSAS CITY, MO, UNITED STATES, August 11, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Kiewit, through its employee-driven Power of Hope Foundation, is investing $1 million in SchoolSmartKC’s Literacy for All initiative, a citywide effort to ensure every Kansas City child can read proficiently by third grade. The funding will sponsor Brookside Charter School in the Literacy for All Students program over four years where it will receive research-based resources that drive student growth. Kiewit is the first corporate partner in Literacy for All Students. Throughout the multi-year commitment, Kiewit employees can also participate in volunteer opportunities at the school. — Katie Vincent, giving and philanthropy manager at Kiewit
The Literacy for All initiative brings proven literacy supports directly into kindergarten through third-grade classrooms, providing specialized coaching for teachers and school leaders, high-dosage tutoring for students, and family engagement. The program addresses a critical educational challenge – early reading proficiency, which research shows is a strong predictor of long-term academic success and high school graduation rates.
“This investment represents more than philanthropy. It’s a commitment to the community where our employees live and work in the greater Kansas City area,” said Katie Vincent, giving and philanthropy manager at Kiewit. “As we continue to grow in the region, especially in our Lenexa office with about 2,200 employees and plans for several hundred more, we recognize our responsibility to invest in Kansas City’s children. Literacy is the foundation students need to develop communication, math and AI skills for future engineering careers.”
How the Literacy for All Partnership Works
The Kiewit-sponsored school will receive comprehensive literacy support through SchoolSmartKC's structured, accountability-driven model, including:
- High-impact tutoring delivered by trained specialists during the school day for all K-3 students
- Teacher coaching grounded in Science of Reading strategies
- Leadership coaching linked to student literacy outcomes
- Evidence-based curriculum and assessment tools
- Data tracking to measure student progress and program effectiveness
- A multi-year commitment designed to build lasting improvement
The Power of Hope is Kiewit’s Lenexa campus charitable foundation, leveraging both employee generosity and supplier partnerships. It helps connect Kiewit employees directly to meaningful community work while ensuring strategic, sustainable giving. Kiewit team members also engage directly with local organizations through volunteer opportunities. Employees at the Kiewit Lenexa City Center have worked with local schools through employee-led book clubs, library building projects and reading partnerships with students. Kiewit plans to bring this model to their sponsorship of Brookside Charter School and involvement in the Literacy for All Students initiative.
A Model for Corporate Education Investment
The structured, cohort-based approach with built-in accountability measures offers a blueprint for other corporations seeking meaningful educational impact.
“Where taxpayer dollars alone fall short, strategic partnerships like this one can make the difference between a child struggling to read and a child thriving,” said Angelique Nedved, President and CEO of SchoolSmartKC. “Kiewit’s investment demonstrates what’s possible when employers invest in local schools as essential infrastructure for community success, and how private entities can support public education in developing the future workforce.”
About Kiewit
Kiewit is one of North America’s largest and most respected construction and engineering organizations. With its roots dating back to 1884, the employee-owned organization operates through a network of subsidiaries in the United States, Canada, Mexico and Guam. Kiewit offers construction and engineering services in a variety of markets including power; transportation; industrial; water; oil, gas and chemical; marine; building and mining. Kiewit had 2025 revenues of $18.2 billion and employs 34,500 staff and craft employees.
About SchoolSmartKC
SchoolSmartKC works to accelerate student growth and proficiency across Kansas City's public education system by centering community, championing student success levers, and reimagining education. Working alongside families, schools, funders, and community partners, the organization invests in proven strategies that strengthen early learning, improve K-12 instruction, and expand pathways to career readiness. SchoolSmartKC has supported 100% of the public schools in the Kansas City Public Education System, added more than 700 new quality Pre-K seats, and facilitated the addition of hundreds of new educators of color to the region's schools. Through a systems-level, collaborative approach, SchoolSmartKC is helping Kansas City become a model for public education where every student has what they need to thrive. Learn more at schoolsmartkc.org.
Kristen Plemon
Hawke Media
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