FALL-ing into FUN at UICS
One look out the window makes one thing perfectly clear in Kansas City: fall has arrived. During a year of uncertainty and unrest, the familiarity of the trees changing colors and pumpkin decor provides comfort and consistency for many. A sense of normalcy in the...
UICS Celebrates Hispanic Heritage Month
“Delicioso!” rang through the UICS-St. Mark Center theatre as students learned a new word in Spanish and enthusiastically enjoyed Sopapilla Cheesecake (yes, it is as delicious as it sounds) to celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month. National Hispanic Heritage...
Tiny Tuesdays: Music to Our (Little) Ears!
Beethoven’s 9th. Mozart’s Requiem. Baby Shark? Baby Shark, a trending children’s song, might seem like a strange musical selection for the Kansas City Symphony to play in concert. But when your audience of little learners makes a special request, you play Baby...
Bright Smiles on Dental Day
Giggles and smiles. Not what you might expect from someone sitting in the exam chair at the dentist’s office - let alone an infant or pre-K student who may have never experienced this type of appointment before. Thanks to our friends at Swope Health, United Inner...
Kids Connect: “I Love You Rituals”
A morning song sung to wake up. A tickle to elicit a laugh. A push on a swing set with requests to go higher. A game of basketball. These interactions are often commonplace between parents/caregivers and children, but some might not know how often these tools of...
Canvas for (Virtual) Creativity
At some point during our school age life, many of us proudly shared a completed creative project with our families. Sometimes our masterpieces adorned the refrigerator, hallway wall, or mom or dad’s desk at work. Those memorable accomplishments and experiences are...
Planting Seeds of Knowledge, Exploration, and FUN
Makeovers feel good. They inspire a sense of renewal and vigor. Thanks to generous United Inner City Services (UICS) community partners, our Metro Center’s outdoor play space has experienced an incredible transformation and further ignited our students to learn and...
Kindness Unmasked
New backpack. Check. Crayons. Check. Pencils. Check. Family face masks. Check. Some back-to-school lists look a little different this year. In fact, many things look different as we enter the 2020-21 school year at any of our three United Inner City Services...
From the Cart to the Classroom: #clearthelist
What does a toddler rain coat, a set of washable watercolor paint, and a paper trimmer have in common? More than you might think… These are the last three items added to our United Inner City Services (UICS) Amazon Wish List on September 3, 2020. These are the...
Curbside Pick Up Program at UICS
Along with the start of a new school year comes the resumption of our “Curbside Pick Up” program at United Inner City Services, an initiative to make sure every student family gets the basics that they need to stay healthy and thriving. “We began our Curbside Pick...
Back to School: Interviews with our Little Learners
Think back to your first day of school. Can you remember it? For some of us, it’s one of our earliest memories. It is the first community we join outside of our own family. You may have been excited for that first small taste of independence, to meet the...
Finding the Calm in a New School Year
Next week marks the beginning of a new school year for our students, families, and staff at UICS. With the pivot to an adjusted curriculum that will provide quality early education options for both virtual and hybrid in-classroom/at-home learning, as well as the...
Meet Ms. Julia: UICS-Metro Center Art Coordinator
In preparation for the start of a promising new school year, we want to highlight some very special additions to our UICS family. Julia Mandl joins us as the new Art Coordinator at UICS-Metro Center. Her eclectic experience and unique vision to continue expanding...
I Can Be Anything at UICS
An integral part of UICS curriculum is our strong focus on an inspired sense of empowerment in children and their families. Our students are empowered every day with the tools and knowledge that they can be everything they choose.. This summer, our curriculum shift...
Making A Splash: Water Day at UICS
Each week during the summer, UICS students explore creative ways to beat the summer heat. Every Wednesday and Friday, weather permitting, our little learners swap out school clothes for swimsuits to take part in “Water Day” out on the playgrounds. Through various...
Bridging the Digital Divide
In the wake of remote connectivity becoming the nation-wide norm, it is more important than ever that our students have the resources they need to thrive. Thanks to our generous partners at School Smart KC and the Hall Family Foundation, over 90 UICS families from...
A Closer Look at Volunteerism
In our fast-paced, busy lives, we are fortunate to have generous community members who prioritize service to others. As April is National Volunteer Month, we wanted to take a closer look at the benefits of volunteerism and ask some of our St. Mark Center supporters...
The Pet Project
“Does it bite?” “What do you feed it?” “Where does it sleep?” Students from the Yellow Room asked these questions and more when a tortoise, bunny, cat, and three dogs visited their classroom this week. “My students were really interested in pets, so we created...
Patrick Mahomes Por Favor
A year ago around this time, our students and teachers received a superstar-level experience: a visit from Chiefs QB Patrick Mahomes. Here’s a reflection on his time with our students! Heartland Coca-Cola and the Kansas City Chiefs worked together to bring the...
Life Lessons from St. Mark Center
My name is Conor Kelly and I am a senior at Rockhurst High School. I have been volunteering at St. Mark Center for three weeks. I’ve had a great time, and I’ve learned a lot. I chose St. Mark Center for my senior service because I am interested in making a lasting...
