Kansas City Girls Leadership Institute

(KCGLI)

KCGLI is a FREE high school leadership program that provides additive opportunities to KCGPA alumnae. Programming is curated to uniquely serve our KCGLI fellows via leadership development, mentorship, and scholarship. Fellows also have access to college visits, study abroad experiences, mentorship related to individual goals, and post-secondary scholarships.

Identifying their unique gifts, skills, and goals

Leveraging their authentic voice to support themselves, their sisters, and their communities

Leadership skill development over the course of high school

College and career readiness programming

Access to college scholarships, domestic travel, and study abroad opportunities

Sisterhood
Scholarship
High School Readiness
Service
College Readiness
Study abroad
Career readiness

Sisterhood

KCGLI meetings include opportunities for intergenerational leadership. We believe in developing our fellows' voice to support themselves, their sisters, and their communities. Engaging activities extend beyond teambuilding to individualized development, curriculum targeting each grade-level cohort, and annual events such as Joy Days and Brag Days. We also provide continued mentorship as fellows navigate high school and beyond.

    • Joy Days

    • KCGLI Mentors

      • Alexandria Williams (Cohort 2027 Lead): Ms. Alexandria has served as the KCGPA social worker and is the current SEL Program Manager. She has a passion for supporting young women as they transition into adulthood and has helped create our KCGLI mental health days.

      • Yudith Tartaglia (Cohort 2028 Lead): A founding teacher, Mrs. T is known for giving her all to her students.  She also assists with providing language support and works hard to ensure all of our students, and their families ,have the opportunity to engage with KCGLI.

      • Melissa McKenzie (Cohort 2029 Lead):  In addition to serving as the KCGPA building sub and librarian, Ms. McKenzie has a strong resume working in the community, serving others, and creating strong mentorship programs.  She brings a host of ideas to KCGLI and has helped increase community partnerships.

    • Suzanne Worner 

      • Summer Entrepreneurship Class Piloted with 5 rising 9th grade KCGLI members in Summer ‘26

    • Student Spotlights

High School Readiness

Getting a strong start with KCGLI includes finding a high school that's right for you. KCGLI works to assist 8th-grade scholars with the high school selection process: high school visits and shadows, personalized attention at the city-wide enrollment fair, and community meetings designed to help students with the 8th-to-9th-grade transition. Don't miss the end-of-year high school signing ceremony in May!

    • ShowMeKC Schools: direct help for families during registration, with materials to make educated high school choices.

    • KCGPA teachers and staff are trained on high school options in the KCMO area to advise and mentor rising 9th graders and their families.

    • High School Fair and HS Signing Ceremony Photos

    • High School Partners, '25 to '26: individualized shadow experiences at KCA, STA, The Plaza Academy, and Cristo Rey; 8th-grade class visits to Crossroads and Paseo; family opportunities through the KCPS Foundation

    • This School Year:

      • HS Fair, Friday, October 24th, 2026

      • Family Opportunities: KCPS Foundation

      • Individualized Shadow Experiences: The Plaza Academy, Cristo Rey, and Crossroads Preparatory School

      • 8th Grade class visit to East and Paseo High Schools

      • High School Signing Ceremony

      • High School Readiness Sessions with YWLN College Bound Initiative

College Readiness

Getting a strong start with KCGLI includes finding a high school that's right for you. KCGLI works to assist 8th-grade scholars with the high school selection process: high school visits and shadows, personalized attention at the city-wide enrollment fair, and community meetings designed to help students with the 8th-to-9th-grade transition. Don't miss the end-of-year high school signing ceremony in May!

    • Common App

    • Urban League of Kansas City: ACT Now! Test Prep

      • Class set of ACT books with study prep available to fellows

    • Student and family FAFSA information sessions each April (rising seniors, 2026 and 2027)

    • Get Schooled FAFSA Toolkit

    • A 3-day College Bootcamp in late July

    • Partnership with DEED Foundation to sponsor fellows to attend their annual HBCU trip in the fall.

    • Partnerships with Avila University, UMKC, MCC, and the Kansas City Public Library

Career Readiness

Career exposure should start early and often, and a successful career begins with backwards planning. We partner with KCGPA teachers and counselors on career learning opportunities, including our annual career fair, and with local organizations to connect fellows to career panels, job shadows, and summer internships.

Scholarship

KCGLI provides scholarship opportunities to high-achieving KCGLI seniors planning to attend a top college or university, pursue a trade program, and/or pursue a major in STEM. We help connect fellows to local and national scholarship opportunities through our individualized mentorship program and our partnership with the Young Women's Leadership Network College Bound Initiative.

    • Get Schooled: college and career guidance plus scholarship opportunities

    • O'Brien Scholarship, for a 2027 graduate

    • Jedel Scholarship: details coming soon

Service

KCGLI partners with local organizations to create volunteer opportunities for participants, guaranteeing fellows access to over 100 hours of community service annually. Each school year we host Volunteer Days, where scholars volunteer and learn about careers within that organization or community. Fellows also give back to KCGPA by volunteering at events like Family Nights, Hispanic Heritage Night, and Back to School Night.

Study Abroad

KCGLI provides scholarships to sophomores and juniors who participate in summer travel experiences through our program partners, earning college credit and learning about the global community through hands-on experiences, from food in Italy, to drums and music in Japan, to history in France.

Frequently Asked Questions

  • To become a KCGLI fellow, a student must successfully promote from 8th grade at KCGPA, apply and interview through the Program Director, and be accepted the summer before the school year begins.  Once accepted, fellows must be enrolled in a high school in the greater Kansas City area, complete program requirements, and maintain high academic and behavioral standards to remain in the program.

  • Scholars meet once a month throughout the school year.  Additional opportunities throughout the year are scheduled or recommended for participants to attend such as college trips, career shadows, financial literacy courses, mental health days, and resume-writing workshops.  Fellows must attend all monthly meetings and 4 additional events.

  •  Fellows meet monthly at KCGPA.  Dinner is provided.  Additional events take place at various locations and times and are dependent on the activity and community partner.

  • If you meet the criteria to participate, please reach out to our program director about applying.  All current 8th graders will be able to attend an interest meetings in the Spring and applications will be made available to them directly following the interest meeting.  If you are a current 10th or 11th grader who is interested, enrollment will be based on both an application and current GPA and behavior metrics.

Important Dates

  • Guardians of current fellows receive a monthly newsletter with important updates and upcoming events.

  • Please see our calendar linked below for the key events of the 26-27 school year.

Contact

Ellen Jorgenson

Pryor Chair and Founding Director of Kansas City Girls Leadership Institute

ejorgenson@kcgpa.org 913.274.9338

@kcgirlsleadershipinstitute

Support KCGLI

Interested in donating to KCGLI?

Contact Kristen Walker