Project Change

Promoting a Better Future for Underprivileged Youth

            Niles Home for Children is a non-profit organization that serves children ages 6-17 who have been severely traumatized by abuse, neglect, or abandonment with safe, intensive residential treatment. After volunteering at Niles for several months as mentors, tutors, and role models, we noticed areas that we believed we could help the organization improve its atmosphere for the children. We decided to focus on increasing camaraderie and respect amongst the students as well as offering exposure to inspirational speakers from the community to provide the children with hope for their own lives and open their eyes to the possibilities of their futures. To do this we invited inspirational speaker Tyron Flowers, a former Niles resident and now founder of Higher M-Pact, to speak to the students in both a large assembly and small group setting. Flowers explained that despite the many obstacles he faced, including behavioral problems and learning disorders, changes in his attitude allowed him to transform his life and obtain success. He showed that with the proper motivation, hard work, and a will to succeed, the students could change their attitudes and outlook on life to overcome their environment. 

            Additionally, we have invited the students to spend a day on our campus in April for a personalized health fair. Working with medical students, we intend to teach basic first aid, proper nutrition, and proper hygiene through hands on demonstrations and events. The children will take part in engaging activities that involve highly advanced medical equipment including patient simulators. Our overall goal for the health fair to promote wellness and healthy lifestyles in a practical sense while exposing the children to an atmosphere that they have likely never experienced. In addition, we hope to show the importance of teamwork and quality relationships among peers.

Renovation for a Promising Future: The Whatsoever Community Center

     Whatsoever Community Center (WCC) is located in the historic Northeast neighborhood of Kansas City.  They strive to provide all needs that arise in the community.  Services offered include a full-time, nationally accredited preschool, after-school activities, GED courses, music lessons, and much more.  KCUMB Bioethics stepped in to modernize their 770 square foot boardroom by renovating the hardwood floors and brick walls, installing a kitchenette with custom cabinetry, constructing a music stage with secure storage, and revamping the paint scheme.  We hope that our work here will increase public interest in renting the room for community meetings, celebrations, and functions. This will bring in revenue to the center so that they can continue to meet the needs of their community.

     Additionally, KCUMB Bioethics sought out private donations and was successful in securing an Xbox 360 with Kinect, a big-screen television, a pool table, a violin, an office copier for the GED classroom, and a compound microscope for the science room.  We are proud to see that these donations have significantly increased attendance to the center, and we are anticipating future contributions.

     This is a project in progress that we foresee being completed by early June.  While this “Get Dirty” Project has been focused on the WCC boardroom, our members have volunteered throughout the school year getting to know the students and members of the WCC team.  Our vision is that future KCUMB Bioethics classes will positively expand on our work and increase the facilitating capacity of the center.

Renovation for a Promising Future: The Whatsoever Community Center