Ivanhoe House Program
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Ivanhoe House Program

The Ivanhoe House Program merges the education of UMKC students with the community development of Kansas City, Missouri’s Ivanhoe Neighborhood.   In return for free housing, university students will devote time to mentoring and tutoring middle school aged African-American youth living in nearby houses and apartments.

The purpose of the program is to expose young people from the Ivanhoe neighborhood, in partnership with their families, to opportunities beyond their segregated neighborhoods.   The benefit of the program, in addition to free housing will be a civic engagement opportunity in a diverse urban setting, and an opportunity to impact a child's life academically as well as socially.  The student will gain enriched understanding of the challenges of urban life and knowledge acquisition- connection of classroom based knowledge to community based projects.  The students will also receive free training and resource materials.

Selection Criteria and How to Apply

Ivanhoe House Student Application Criteria:

  • Interested students must complete the Ivanhoe House Application including essay  questions
  • Must have maintained a 3.0 GPA or higher
  • Must be ranked as a Junior.
  • Must be willing to live in Ivanhoe house for 4 consecutive semesters. (Fall and   Spring)


  • If selected, student must complete the Ivanhoe House interview process
  • Must successfully complete the FBI background check application.

Participating UMKC student criteria:

  • Must complete the Ivanhoe House training curriculum in Summer 2006
  • Must reside in the Ivanhoe House designated residence beginning Fall 2006
  • Must commit to a minimum of 4 hours per week of tutoring /mentoring activities.
  • Must commit to participating in Ivanhoe House group activities.

Ivanhoe House Resident Application Form

 

The Roles of Collaborative Partners in the Ivanhoe House Program

The School of Education
  • Create and provide curriculum used by UMKC student tutors/mentors.
  • Offer training that enables students living in disadvantaged areas a full immersion into the culture of the neighborhood, families, and youth peer groups.
  • Assign UMKC faculty to act as supervisors for UMKC students and to assist students should issues arise that need resolution.

The Ivanhoe Neighborhood Council:

  • Identify students to be mentored.
  • Publicize the program within the neighborhood.
  • Serve to legitimize the philosophy of the program.
  • Provide neighborhood residents with information about how to enroll their children in the program.

 

Swope Community Builders:

  • Build or rehabilitate housing appropriate for the program. [As a Community Development Corporation (CDC) organization, Community Builders is chartered to provide affordable housing in low income neighborhoods.]
  • Provide excellent housing for local residents for the Ivanhoe House Program’s pilot initiative, which will include a small number of units available to UMKC students
  • Provide a one-time housing donation for the support of the Ivanhoe House mentor utilities.
  • Participate and advise on housing/neighborhood issues based upon their community expertise.

 

Brush Creek Village Apartments

  • providing and maintaining housing for the Ivanhoe House participant students.
  • participate as a member of the Ivanhoe House Advisory Board

 

If you would like more information or have questions please contact: Kimberly Baker-Flowers, Program Director, Multicultural Student Success, Academic Affairs at 816.235.2760 or bakerflowersk@umkc.edu.