Media
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Vision
KConnect is a network of public and private organizations working to advance a collective movement aimed at ensuring all children in Kent County have an equitable path to economic prosperity through quality education, family, and community supports.
Purpose
We help our teams (Core, Cross-Cutting, and Foundational) determine what changes they’d like to see in the system and how they can work together to create that change in the community. We also work with organizations, businesses, and government entities to host and share data that supports these proposed changes. In the end, KConnect is simply a behind-the-scenes community support working to improve the lives of all children and families in Kent County
Background
Fundamental to our vision is that we are committed to nothing less than closing the unacceptable achievement gaps for low-income students and children of color, and increasing the achievement for all students from prenatal to college and career.
Founded
KConnect was founded in 2013 to improve equitable outcomes for children and young adults in Kent County from prenatal through age 36. We do this by bringing together teams of people from across the county who provide expertise in early childhood education, the tools to be successful in school, help to enter and persist through college, and assistance finding a sustainable career.
Governed By
KConnect is governed by a 13-member Board of Trustees which includes representatives from the private, public, and philanthropic sectors.
Nonprofit Status
KConnect is a 501(c)(3) organization.
Contact Information
Katie Hop, Communications Manager
(616) 644-7644
khop@k-connect.org
KConnect in the News
Explore the most recent stories from local media about KConnect initiatives and work in the community.
Birth Equity Pilot - MLive
KConnect is launching a community-based doula program to address racial birth disparities in Kent County. The Community-Based Birth Equity Pilot program will provide expectant women of color access to necessary prenatal care by doulas of color, officials announced in a news release this week.
Housing Security - Wood TV8
Disturbing new numbers show the impact of Kent County’s affordable housing crisis on children, especially children of color.
Birth Equity Pilot - GRBJ
Developed for more than a year by KConnect with local, state and national partners, the Community-Based Birth Equity Pilot program addresses birth disparities by ensuring that expectant women of color have access to culturally responsive care by doulas of color.
Housing Security - SNN
One in seven African American children in Kent County — 2,658 in all — were in the homeless system in 2018, according to data from K-Connect.
Birth Equity Pilot - WGVU
Baxter Community Center launches a KConnect-developed program to address birth disparities in Kent County. Shelley Irwin from WGVU talks about the Community Based Birth Equity Pilot with new Program Manager Kiara Baskin.