Heartland 180 Inc.

The Heartland 180's 180 Degree Program is a structured social educational curriculum designed to teach students core values, character education, life skills, 21st century skills, and community involvement. Program leaders are trained by the national 180 degrees staff. The instructors are volunteers who serve as mentors, role models and educators for the youth. Classes are held after school 4 days a week including:

-Tutoring
-Homework time
-The 180 degrees curriculum
-Activities
-Dinner 3 nights
-Community service project(s)

Program partners include the Unified Government Department of Community Corrections, Wyandotte County District Court, the Kansas City Kansas Public School District, families, and the faith-based community.

A case manager works to assure everyone is working together. Board members of the Heartland 180 Organization are from both Wyandotte and Johnson counties.

The national 180 Degrees program provides the program’s curriculum, facilitator training, database and evaluation tools and oversight. Based in Salem, Oregon, the national program offers research-based curriculum that is being used in programs throughout the United States and internationally. For more on the national 180 Degrees Program, visit www.180-degrees.com

Students are referred by the juvenile court and the school district. Heartland 180 follows-up with families through an application and orientation process usually involving a family visit in the home. Case management is ongoing with the family.

Pilot Students achieved:

-an 11.4% increase in the students GPA,
-a 26.6% drop in full day absences from school,
-a 54.2% decrease in school disciplinary incidents,
-a 52.3% increase in the parent’s satisfaction with their child’s social and academic development.

Favorable comments received about the program:

-Teacher said, “Wow! Whatever you guys are doing, it’s really making an impact on the students.”

-Principle said, “one of our students who had been really struggling had not been sent to his office in quite a while and he was amazed.”