Childrens Theatre

Open Doors

 

 


Open Doors
Connecting Kids to the Kauffman Center

The Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts’ Open Doors Transportation Fund will help thousands of kids from the Kansas City metropolitan area experience the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts each year. The Open Doors Transportation Fund will provide bus reimbursement to schools of all types and sizes to help minimize barriers to participation for their students. Funded through donations to the Kauffman Center, the Open Doors Transportation Fund is now available to help defray the costs of transportation to the matinee performances of Starlight Children's Theatre productions of Disney's Aladdin and Narnia The Musical.

     

How the Open Doors program works:

  • The process for receiving an Open Doors Transportation Allowance is easy.
    1. Complete the Open Doors Application Form online and receive confirmation of your approval
    2. Book your seats with the arts organization for a qualifying performance
    3. Attend the performance at the Kauffman Center
    4. Submit a reimbursement request to the Kauffman Center

    • Ready to apply?

  • CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM


    • Who can apply?

  • Any school in the five-county metropolitan Kansas City area transporting at least twenty students to a qualifying school matinee at the Kauffman Center can apply for a bus transportation allowance.


    • How will applications be approved?

  • The Open Doors Transportation Fund will award funds based on the following guidelines:
    1. All public schools with 40% or more of their students participating in the free and reduced lunch program (commonly called Title 1 schools) will be guaranteed to receive a 100% bus transportation allowance.
    2. All public schools with 20 – 39% of their students participating in the free and reduced lunch program will be guaranteed to receive a 50% bus transportation allowance and can request consideration for the remaining 50%.
    3. All other public schools as well as private and non-traditional schools can apply for a full or partial Open Doors bus transportation allowance.

    • How long will it take to review my application?

  • Applications will be processed as they are received and approvals sent to the teacher within 1-2 business days.


    • How much can my school receive?

  • The size of your Open Doors transportation allowance will be determined based on the number and grades of the students attending. Elementary students in grades K – 6 will be allowed up to $3 per child for a transportation allowance and secondary students in grades 7-12 will be allowed up to $4 per student. The transportation allowance will not be available for adults attending the performance.

    For example, if your school purchases seats at a qualifying performance for 70 students in the 8th grade, your transportation allowance could be up to $280 or 70 students x $4 per student. Transportation costs in the metropolitan area vary – this reimbursement formula is designed to try to cover the actual costs of transporting students to the Kauffman Center. The actual transportation costs charged by your district may vary.


    • Will the Open Doors Fund pay for the cost of the seats to the school matinee performance?

  • The Open Doors Transportation Fund only applies to the cost of bus transportation for schools bringing 20 or more students to a performance. Seats for all performances must be purchased directly from Starlight Theatre.


    • If my school is approved for a bus transportation allowance, will this also reserve seats for my students at the performance?

  • No. You must reserve and purchase your seats for the school matinee directly from Starlight Theatre.


    • When will the funding be distributed to my school?

  • After you have attended the performance, you will submit a reimbursement request to the Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts to receive your transportation allowance.


    • Ready to apply?

  • CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE ONLINE APPLICATION FORM
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