This year, Lead to Read KC is spotlighting one community or corporate partner each month to showcase the many ways Kansas City collaborates to advance literacy. We’re kicking off the series by celebrating our longtime partner, Burns & McDonnell. Burns &...
Blog
Our blog is like a choose-your-own-adventure book, with a great Lead to Read KC story on every page. Read recent posts and explore an archive dating back to 2012.
Sharing Simple Joys
Over the past 12 years, our partnership with Burns & McDonnell has engaged hundreds of their associates as volunteers with Lead to Read KC—including 68 this year alone, more than any other organization in Kansas City. We spent time with one of them recently to...
Dream Big, Let Go, and Mentor Boldly
It’s a new year! If I’m honest, the onset of a New Year used to bring me an interesting mix of enthusiasm and anxiety. You see, I’m a sucker for a shiny new planner, a set of fine-tip pens, and big goals. I love dreaming big, setting intentions, and channeling my...
Major Impact
As a child in the former Yugoslavia, Violeta Magee admits that she was not much of a reader but when she moved to the United States reading became a way to improve her communications. “This is when I started reading A LOT, once I began to learn the English language....
You Are Essential to the Story
As we enter the final month of 2024, I’m reflecting on the past six months in my role as Executive Director of Lead to Read KC. On my first day back in May, my oldest daughter sweetly asked me what I was most excited about. I told her the truth: I was excited to help...
Big Smiles and High Fives
Stacy Tinner, a staff civil engineer at Burns & McDonnell, has discovered a profound sense of purpose through volunteering with Lead to Read KC. Inspired by the impact of mentors in his own life, he joined the program in September 2023 and returned this year as a...