Foundations and Community Organizations

Foundations and Community Organizations

Our students deserve the love of caring mentors, cheerleaders, and yes, funders. You can make a difference through CAPS Community Partnerships.

Become a partner in the CAPS Network, invest in our future workforce, and watch as we collectively transform teaching and learning. Support from foundations and community organizations provides the necessary resources to truly scale profession-based learning experiences to all students. Help accelerate the diffusion of a working, scalable model. We are better together.

A proven record of success in building professional skillsets

The CAPS model consistently fast forwards students into confident young professionals. The data speaks for itself.

Spring 2021 CAPS Network Student Survey Results (1,321 student responses)

I am confident...

Composing professional communications for use with business professionals.

**Before CAPS: 14%  **After CAPS: 89%

Building a professional resume.

**Before CAPS: 14% **After CAPS: 82%

Forming a positive first impression through a 30 second elevator pitch or other vehicle.

**Before CAPS: 11% **After CAPS: 74%

I am confident...

Making a formal presentation to a group. 

**Before CAPS: 27% **After CAPS: 84%

Conducting a 1-on-1 conversation with a professional and/or mentor. 

**Before CAPS: 23% **After CAPS: 85%

Understanding and “owning” your strengths and passions. 

**Before CAPS: 26% **After CAPS: 80%

I am confident...

Collaborating effectively as part of a project team in order to accomplish team goals. 

**Before CAPS: 38% **After CAPS: 87%

Planning and executing a project for a professional, mentor, or myself.

**Before CAPS: 25% **After CAPS: 85%

Ability to positively respond to mistakes or other unexpected circumstances. 

**Before CAPS: 30% **After CAPS: 81%

I am confident...

Accessing professionals and adding them as social connections to support my areas of interest in the future.

**Before CAPS: 13% **After CAPS: 72%

In myself and my ability to be successful in life. 

**Before CAPS: 36% **After CAPS: 85%

In my awareness of careers in my region than before I started CAPS. 

**Before CAPS: 16% **After CAPS: 83%

The Kemper Family Foundations believe in the important work being done by the CAPS Network, not only in educating the next generation, but providing hands-on experience that will foster a future workforce of entrepreneurial thinkers and innovators.

— The Kemper Family Foundations, UMB Bank, n.a., Trustee 

"CAPS is the future of education. It’s about teaching students to tackle real-world situations, applying entrepreneurial mindsets, and finding solutions when the answers are not multiple-choice or fill-in-the-blank. Those are the skills that create leaders of modern organizations, drive innovation to improve products and services, and grow economic prosperity for all of us."

Victor Hwang, Founder of Right to Start and former VP of Entrepreneurship, Kauffman Foundation

"The Sherman Family Foundation is proud to partner with CAPS Network. We believe their work in providing high-quality professional learning opportunities for teachers and administrators in the Kansas City area will be hugely impactful and reach student populations who, before now, would not be so fortunate."

Joseph Allen, Executive Director, Sherman Family Foundation 

"The Kemper Family Foundations believe in the important work being done by the CAPS Network, not only in educating the next generation, but providing hands-on experience that will foster a future workforce of entrepreneurial thinkers and innovators."

The Kemper Family Foundations, UMB Bank, n.a., Trustee 

“CAPS is a tremendous match for our network and our vision. We bring a unique approach to post-secondary education, a strong model for preparing educators for the future, and a top-notch research team. CAPS Network brings deep connections to numerous K-12 practitioners of profession-based learning. Our ability to work together will result in a powerful lifelong learning pipeline.”

Lydia Young, Director of NExT, Northeastern University