Participants

AnytownKC accepts applications from youth who live in the Kansas City metropolitan area and surrounding communities, and who will be in grades 10-12  for the following school year, or are between the ages of 15-18, as well as those entering their freshman year of college. We encourage applications that reflect our holistic view of diversity with the following in mind: race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious belief, political belief, socioeconomic status, immigration status, ability, high school and zip code. 

Cost 

AnytownKC is a completely volunteer-run effort. Because we consider socio-economic status an important component of diversity, we don’t want a young person to not apply because of difficulty with paying the registration fee. We understand that every student and family is in a unique financial situation. For that reason, the AnytownKC staff is committed to offering a sliding scale pay recommendation between $25 to $400 to attend. The registration cost includes meals provided during the week (3 meals for a full day), lodging, program materials and a t-shirt. More information about our sliding scale can be found on the application.

Please consider making a contribution to help pay the way for a student to attend. Designate “AnytownKC” in the additional information tab.

Staff 

AnytownKC is coordinated by a diverse group of committed volunteers, achieving a 1:3 ratio of adult volunteers and youth participants. Volunteers are from diverse backgrounds and life experiences with some prior knowledge of youth development and social justice community development. Volunteers must apply to be selected, participate in more than 36 hours of training, agree to a background check, and commit to being on-site for the entire week-long program to deliver the curriculum. There is no cost for being a volunteer; the expense of meals and lodging is offset by fundraising efforts.

Applying for Anytown

Acceptance into AnytownKC requires an application in which students describe why they want to be a delegate at AnytownKC and how they think the experience will positively affect them and their community. We’ll review applications in order to select a diverse delegation for the 30 available slots. Applications will be open until the end of May.

After Anytown

In past years, many AnytownKC graduates return to their schools to take on new leadership roles in student organizations and government. Others get involved with community-based organizations and city-wide initiatives, many of which are led by our volunteers. Students will learn about several opportunities throughout the week-long program.