Jen Lacy, educator Ph Community School. | Photo courtesy of Jen Lacy

Kendall Williams
Creative Assistant

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — As students across Historic Northeast prepare to head back to school, community members, like Jen Lacy (Ph.D.), have called on neighborhoods to think beyond backpacks and bell schedules.

“It’s not just about getting kids into a classroom,” said Lacy, a public educator and Pendleton Heights resident. “It’s about making sure they know they belong in that school, in this city, and in our community.”

Lacy, who has worked in Kansas City Public schools for more than a decade, said that she sees middle school in particular as a critical time for young people — a space where curiosity, change and identity intersect. Her newest project — PH Community School — she feels is a reflection of that vision. The independent middle school, opening this fall in Pendleton Heights, will offer a small, interdisciplinary learning environment grounded in four pillars: radical education, community, nature and play.

“This age group is often overlooked,” Lacy said. “Middle schoolers are in this in-between space; not little kids anymore, but not fully teenagers either. They’re changing fast, and they’re asking important questions about who they are and where they fit in. They deserve honest answers. And they deserve to be heard.”

In her eyes, it’s not only schools that shape that development, it’s entire communities. In Pendleton Heights, where neighbors share child care, host block events and volunteer in neighborhood orchards, Lacy sees a model of what’s possible when young people are truly supported.

“We have neighbors who want to teach watercolor, offer music lessons, or just show up to listen to kids share their work,” she said. “When kids see adults making time for them, they feel valued. And when they feel valued, they thrive.”

But community support goes beyond offering activities. Lacy emphasized the importance of creating space — physical, emotional and social — for young people to simply exist and explore who they are becoming.

“Our neighborhoods need to ask: Do we welcome middle schoolers? Do we make room for them in our parks, our meetings, our coffee shops?” she said. “Too often, teens and tweens are treated like a nuisance. But when we treat them like full human beings, with thoughts and ideas that matter, they show up differently, with creativity, compassion, and a sense of responsibility.”

With the school year fast approaching, Lacy has encouraged both residents and community leaders to think about how they engage with youth. Whether it’s inviting students into community decision-making or simply offering a moment of genuine conversation, she shared that every connection counts.

“Kids know when they’re being talked at versus when they’re being listened to,” she said. “What they need most from us is presence not perfection, not all the answers. Just adults who care enough to listen and learn alongside them.”

For students, Lacy’s message is simple: Don’t rush the process.

“Middle school is like a chrysalis, a transformation space,” she said. “This time matters. Ask questions. Play. Reflect. You don’t need to have it all figured out. But know that your voice has power, and your presence matters.”

As our neighborhood gears up for another school year, the call is clear: community doesn’t just surround schools, it builds them. From the orchard to the classroom, from the streetcar to city hall, every part of a neighborhood has a role to play in helping the next generation feel seen, supported and strong.

“This isn’t just a new school year,” Lacy said. “It’s another chance for our community to show up and to grow alongside our kids.”