Share the Bear organization receives $5,000 AT&T grant

“Share the Bear is a critical part of improving afflicted neighborhoods in Kansas City,” said Share the Bear Board Member and State Rep. Stan Frownfelter, D-37th Dist. “Support for our programs goes a long way toward making the entire state of Kansas stronger.”

The Youth Ambassador program is an established program in the Kansas City metropolitan area. The program is a collaboration of community partners who join forces to implement a state-of-the-art summer work program for under-served youth. Aimed at combating negative peer influences, Youth Ambassadors are hired to explore their communities through digital photography, documentary production, writing, art historical references and intimate interviews. Their work culminates in an end-of-summer showcase where their work is showcased to the Kansas City community.

“This program supports the educational goals of some of our most at-risk students and cultivates young leaders that will influence our community for decades to come,” said Share the Bear President and Unified Government Commissioner Angela Robinson Markley. “We greatly appreciate AT&T’s support.”

The contribution also supports Share the Bear’s other program initiative, specifically the redevelopment of the Highland Crest neighborhood. Because educational concerns are so deeply impacted by poverty, blight and crime, the correlation between educational performance and neighborhood issues cannot be ignored.  By focusing on Turner Unified School District’s most blighted neighborhoods, namely Highland Crest, Share the Bear aims to build a strong foundation in supporting and promoting under-served youth.  

“We are proud to be part of this holistic approach to supporting young Kansans who are most in need,” said AT&T Kansas President Steve Hahn.