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While teaching wasn’t my first career path, it’s been my longest journey. In every job before becoming an educator—from teaching swim lessons to training new bank tellers—I was always the teacher on staff. Coaching and supporting others has long been a passion, and I eventually realized it’s what I was meant to do.
I’ve had many great teachers, but my favorite is my mom. Though she’s a formal educator, she’s also been my lifelong coach and mentor, using her Developing Others Agility to guide me. Teachers come in many forms—some formal, others informal—and I invite you to reflect on the people in your life who’ve helped you grow.
Teacher Appreciation Week took place in May, and we wanted to take a moment to show our gratitude for classroom teachers. If you are a teacher reading this, thank you for your dedication and the welcoming environments you create. Even on tough days, you continue to show up and make a difference. You don’t just teach subjects—your work reaches far beyond the classroom, shaping futures and changing lives.
Recently, The DeBruce Foundation launched free Agilities K-12 Resources to help educators prepare students for bright futures. We’re grateful for the work you do every day and hope these tools can help support that work! Your impact as educators is immeasurable—and deeply appreciated.
Agilities© Kids: Judging and Estimating
In this month’s Agilities character highlight, meet one of our new Agilities characters — Judging and Estimating!
This skill helps you determine quality and value, notice patterns, and make smart choices. It also helps you figure out what’s needed for a project. For example, if you’re building a pillow fort with friends, you’d need to decide how many pillows and blankets are best for the size you want. How can you practice Judging and Estimating?
Watch the video for an overview of Judging and Estimating, how this Agility can help at school, home, or a future job, and how to practice using this Agility.
Graduation Toolkit featured on KSHB
KSHB 41 News met with Kyra Afolabi, University of Missouri-Kansas City graduate and Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, Executive Director and COO of The DeBruce Foundation, to discuss preparing for life post-graduation and new resources in The Foundation’s Graduation Toolkit.
“We have a cheat sheet this year for those graduates to be able to walk into a room and have confidence and tell people about their interests,” said Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight.
Check out the full story, and access all the amazing resources from The Foundation’s Graduation Toolkit.
Charting Kansas City’s future workforce at KC Rising: Horizon 2025
At Horizon 2025, regional leaders gathered to reflect on a decade of progress and chart the course for a more inclusive, thriving Kansas City economy, calling to leverage the region’s strengths in energy, bioscience, and defense.
Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, Executive Director and COO of The DeBruce Foundation, joined panelists to assess progress and strategize for the future of Kansas City’s workforce: “This is all about no talent left behind. You as an industry need to be able to hire those folks. That’s the power behind this region and its economics,” said Dr. Leigh Anne Taylor Knight.
Read more from Startland News.
Women in STEM will take the spotlight at KCAI’s Make48 challenge in July
This July, the Kansas City Art Institute will be hosting a Make48 event for women in STEM!
Make48 is a competition where teams work together to bring a new invention to life—all in 48 hours. Teams have 48 hours to create a prototype, create a sales sheet, produce a marketing video, and pitch their big idea to a panel of judges! During the competition, participants use the Agile Work Profiler to understand their team’s Agilities, leverage each team members’ strengths, and understand the skills they are developing.
Explore how you can get involved at the Make48 event, and learn more about how Agilities can support your event & help teams succeed!
Building curiosity with Remake Learning Days
The DeBruce Foundation recently participated in Remake Learning Days, an innovative, international learning festival for youth and their families. This year, Remake Learning Days took place in 15 regions, including right here in Kansas City!
DeBruce Career Corps members helped youth practice using their Agilities throughout different activities. Students participated in a blindfold maze, where they led adults and peers using their Managing Agility. They also learned how to use their Judging & Estimating Agility while they played cornhole. Thank you to DeBruce Career Corps and all the families who joined us for this interactive Agilities learning event!
Learn more about getting involved with DeBruce Career Corps here.
2025 graduates share insights and resources
This month, our blog features insights from 2025 graduates as they reflect on this milestone moment and share how they’ve used resources from our Graduation Toolkit.
“In my opinion, the best way to describe the Class of 2025 is goal-oriented and high-achieving,” said Kyra, a University of Missouri–Kansas City graduate. “We have the drive to challenge ourselves to be the change makers that are needed in our communities and professions…”
Kyra is joined by Kendyll, a graduate from Raymore-Peculiar High School, to discuss their educational and professional goals, and offer tips on Foundation resources.
Read more from Kendyll and Kyra.
Join us for a training!
Are you looking for resources to build career pathways in your classroom, curriculum, or organization? Register now to explore our career tools and join us in expanding career opportunities!
Virtual Agilities Tours:
June 10, June 24, July 8
Virtual Introduction to Agilities K-12 Resources for Educators:
June 11, July 9, August 6
In-Person Agilities Coach Training:
June 5-6 (Kansas City, MO)
June 17-18 (New Haven, IN)
July 17-18 (Kansas City, MO)
