Kansas City Teacher Residency (KCTR) is a non-profit organization founded in 2015 to recruit, prepare, develop, place, and retain mission-oriented individuals who want to make a deep commitment to working in high need urban schools in the Kansas City area. KCTR accomplishes this goal through a rich curriculum and the support of a coach and mentor. Residents are college graduates invited to train with a mentor, receive coaching, and participate in a Master of Art’s in Curriculum and Instructional Leadership through the University of Missouri-Kansas City. In addition, residents receive a living stipend and additional benefits of being an AmeriCorps member through participation in our program. During the residency year, participants earn credit toward their master’s degree and teach for a full academic year in a mentor’s classroom. At the end of the residency year, residents become certified teachers in the State of Missouri. Graduating the program, residents agree to teach in Kansas City high-needs schools for three additional years.