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Burns & McDonnell and its partners have announced a five-year, $625,000 commitment for Team Up for Math, a program designed to build third graders’ math fluency and confidence in the Kansas City area. Center School District is the first named district, with activities planned for the 2026–27 school year.

What is Team Up for Math?

Team Up for Math is a Kansas City-area numeracy initiative created by KC STEM Alliance, Burns & McDonnell, and the Kansas City Chiefs. Its stated goal is to give third-grade students more engaging ways to practice math and develop fluency and confidence. The partners announced the program on October 7, 2026. Burns & McDonnell’s announcement describes the program and its planned approach.

The activities are intended to help students practice calculating, estimating, and strategic decision-making. The announcement also identifies number sense, logical reasoning, teamwork, and confidence as goals; it does not report measured results showing that the program has achieved them.

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Who is funding and running the program?

Burns & McDonnell announced a commitment of $625,000 over five years to support the initiative’s expansion, educator resources, and volunteer engagement. KC STEM Alliance, Burns & McDonnell, and the Kansas City Chiefs are the named partners. The announcement does not break down the funding by year or specify how much each partner contributes.

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Which students and schools will take part?

The program focuses on third graders. Center School District is the first district named to launch it, beginning in the 2026–27 school year. The company’s release says future school partnerships are planned, but does not provide a school-by-school expansion schedule or the number of students expected to participate.

In Center School District, the activities are planned for in-school mentorship blocks. Teachers and families are also expected to receive resources to support learning beyond the classroom, and volunteers from Burns & McDonnell and the Chiefs organization are expected to participate. A local report covered a launch event at Center Elementary; see KCTV5’s October 7, 2026 report.

How will games help students practice math?

The program description names board games, card games, and other hands-on activities as ways to make repeated practice engaging. Depending on the activity, a student might calculate a score, estimate a result, or choose a strategy. These are the kinds of skills the initiative says it aims to reinforce; no particular game or commercial product is named as part of the program.

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The format is designed for practice in groups as well as support from educators and families. The announcement presents benefits such as stronger reasoning and teamwork as intended outcomes, not findings from an independent evaluation.

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Why did the partners announce the program?

Burns & McDonnell’s announcement cites 2024 National Assessment of Educational Progress results, reporting that 39% of U.S. fourth graders, 36% of Missouri fourth graders, and 40% of Kansas fourth graders scored at or above NAEP Proficient in mathematics. These percentages are figures as reported by the company; the original NAEP tables are not independently reviewed here. The release also says the national average remained below its pre-pandemic level, without giving a comparison figure.

Those fourth-grade figures provide context for the initiative’s focus on math learning, but they do not measure Team Up for Math or establish what outcomes it will produce for participating third graders.

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What is not yet specified?

  • A complete schedule for adding schools or districts.
  • The number of students who will participate.
  • A detailed annual funding breakdown.
  • Independent evaluation results or measured program outcomes.
  • Specific games selected for the program.

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