Launched in 2008, Southwest Early College Campus (SWECC) is a 7th-12th grade early college school with a current population of 500 students. The school was established through a special relationship between the KCMO School District (KCMSD) and a circle of partners organized and supported by PREP KC. The student body closely matches the general demographics of the school district, and a majority of the students are first-generation college-goers. This fall, as a result of new attendance boundaries in the KCMSD, student enrollment will grow to more than 1,100 students. As faculty prepare for the increase, family conferences remain an important part of the enrollment process. Each incoming student, joined by family members, will participate in a family conference and sign a contract committing to the hard work necessary to be successful.

Along with the expectation that all students complete college courses before leaving high school, SWECC is designed to prepare students for college and career opportunities in math and science, and to create multiple campus-based experiences during middle school and high school. These campus experiences can nearly double the odds that students will enroll in a four-year college, and can build a student's skills and aspiration to complete a college program. Preliminary reports indicate that SWECC Southwest made AYP (adequate yearly progress) in all subgroups; 42.6% of the students scored proficient or above in Math (which was an 18% gain from last year); and 40.5% of the students scored proficient or above in Communication Arts (which was a 14% gain)! SWECC faculty and partners look forward to helping create a new generation of college-goers in the Kansas City community.