Today we’d like to introduce you to Tierra Jackson.
Hi Tierra, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
The KC Collective has been active here in the Kansas City region for a decade. Our main mission is to create equitable spaces of embrace, empowerment, and enrichment for educators of color. We work alongside the organization Teach for America to support new educators of color here in the Kansas City region. We know that this work can not only be done alone, but you need a community of folks to support you as someone who does this work daily. We currently have a board of about 7 members who span the current education landscape here in Kansas City, from classroom teachers to teachers to those working in the non-profit sector. Many of the events that we host are geared toward connection and networking. During this quarter, we are also focused on our community impact. We have started collecting donations towards the cause to end period poverty. For February-March, our organization will collect menstrual tools and donate them directly to Kansas City Girls Prep Academy to continue the conversation around inadequate access to menstrual tools and how that can affect a student’s access to their education. All in all, we are here to continue to pour into our educators of color as much as possible with the resources we have access to.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
Education has seen its challenges over the past few years, which greatly affects who we can support and how. With the number of educators of color coming to Kansas City each year, we often find ourselves trying to determine what folks need and how to get folks out. Once COVID hit, we had to step back with all in-person programming and shift our support as school buildings across Kansas City were also shifting their approach to education virtually. Coming back from COVID, we knew that people needed to rebuild the community again in person, which has been a lot of what we are tackling currently. The newest struggle is understanding what educators need right now and the best way to get that to them.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The biggest thing we are proud of is being able to not only navigate coming back from COVID but also sustain our organization through leadership and board changes, as well as adjusting to the needs of those we serve. What sets us apart from others is that teachers are at the forefront of everything we do because we believe that when teachers’ needs are met, students benefit from that!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: kc_tfa_collective
