J.C. Harmon High School Launches Mentorship Program to Help Student-Athletes Soar
At J.C. Harmon High School, success is about more than what happens on the field, court, or track. It is also about preparing students to succeed in the classroom, build confidence, navigate life’s challenges, and become leaders in their school and community.
With that vision in mind, J.C. Harmon High School and its Athletics Department launched a new after-school program on Wednesday, October 28, designed to support student-athletes beyond their athletic commitments.
Held every Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, the program combines academic tutoring, mentoring, social-emotional learning, and leadership development to help students grow both as athletes and as individuals.
The program will serve student-athletes participating in fall, winter, and spring sports. It recognizes that the qualities that make a successful athlete such as discipline, perseverance, teamwork, accountability, and determination, can also help students thrive academically and succeed throughout life.
Kansas City, Kansas Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Anna Stubblefield praised the new mentorship program and encouraged students to take full advantage of the opportunities it offers. She emphasized the importance of providing student-athletes with the guidance, resources, and support they need to achieve their goals.
“We want to provide you with the skills, support, and encouragement to go out and be whomever you desire to be. We will always support things that will provide opportunities for you, and I just want to say congratulations to all of the student-athletes,” said Dr. Stubblefield.
Under the leadership of Principal Dr. Edward Franco and Athletic Director and Program Coordinator Dwayne Lindsey, school administrators will oversee the program and ensure it aligns with school and district priorities, including academic achievement, positive behavior, and student support.
“Through this program we’re doing, our goal is to provide support, helping students stay on track academically, maintaining their athletic eligibility and remain connected to the school,” said Dr. Franco.
Heartland 180, Inc., a youth services organization that provides in-school and after-school programming for students in grades 6–12, will help facilitate the mentorship program. The organization empowers students to take an active role in shaping their futures.
For Maximilian Mendoza, CEO of Heartland 180, Inc., the initiative also represents a return to familiar ground. A former J.C. Harmon High School student, Mendoza reflected on his childhood and the challenges he faced as a teenager while attending the school.
Mendoza shared how he overcame those struggles and forged a more positive path for his future. Drawing on his own experiences, he explained his desire to create an organization that offers young people guidance and encouragement from individuals who understand the challenges they face.
“Through my journey of going through the system, I had so many people telling me how to live my life, but none of those people lived my life. I wanted to create an organization that has shared experience. That has gone through the fire and made it out to show young people that you can make it. That there is a light at the end of the tunnel,” said Mendoza.
Through its partnership with Heartland 180, J.C. Harmon aims to create a supportive, structured environment where student-athletes can receive guidance, strengthen their academic skills, and develop the tools they need to face challenges with confidence.
Coaches, teachers, and Athletics Department staff will play an essential role in identifying participating student-athletes, reinforcing attendance and academic expectations, communicating with students and families when appropriate, and emphasizing the connection between athletic participation and classroom responsibility.
The mentorship program was launched thanks in part to a grant initiated by the Federal programs at KCKPS.