KC STEM Alliance, UMKC earn $2.5M grant
September 29, 2015 | Bobby Burch
A multi-million dollar grant will aim to boost diversity in Kansas City’s healthcare workforce.
KC STEM Alliance and the UMKC School of Nursing and Health Studies recently received a $2.5 million grant. The funds will create KC HealthTracks to introduce more low-income and minority students to healthcare careers. KC STEM Alliance works to bolster area science, technology, engineering and mathematics education.
“This is an incredible opportunity to help students think beyond traditional entry-level jobs in healthcare and develop a pipeline of academically ready students who can diversify our healthcare workforce,” Laura Loyacono, executive director of KC STEM Alliance, said in a release.
The grant, awarded by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, assists students in 11 high schools from seven Kansas City-area school districts preparing for college and careers in biomedical sciences. Students in the KC HealthTracks program will have access to improved STEM curriculum, mentors, college campus visits, extensive lab experiences, tutoring and ACT preparation.
Featured Business

2015 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Study: Missouri tops Kansas in tech job growth
Part of the Kansas City metro area was represented on a recent report of states showing the most growth for tech-related jobs. Missouri hung on to the bottom end of Dice.com’s 17-state list at No. 15, showing 1.17 percent job growth in the tech industry during the last six months. KCnext President Ryan Weber chalks…
Drones, fashion, parties, more in Techweek queue
Techweek Kansas City released its full schedule Wednesday, revealing a jam-packed agenda with a variety of tech-oriented events to connect and inspire. The tech conference — which will be in Kansas City from Sept. 14 to Sept. 19 — will feature more than 40 events around the Kansas City area. Ranging from chats on drones…
KC entrepreneurs’ mobile game snags limelight
A year-and-a-half of tech toiling is paying dividends for a pair of Kansas City puzzle-makers whose mobile game is now surging in popularity. Luke Lisi and Kevin Bradford spent roughly 18 months designing and testing their game, The Guides, which was recently featured on the Apple Store. The Apple nod boosted daily downloads by 300…
After Apple Watch snafu, Niall gifts Royals’ Yost a timepiece
Stories of Kansas City Royals fans’ kindness during Major League Baseball’s 2014 playoffs cemented the faithful base as one rich in hospitality and warmth. So what happened when the MLB banned Royals manager Ned Yost from wearing his Apple Watch in the dugout last week? Yost’s hometown fans stepped to the plate in his aid.…
