Wichita Youth Mentorship Program Receives $45,000 Funding
The grant supports the program’s expansion of its chess-based life skills curriculum within local schools.
Updated on Oct. 30, 2026 in Philanthropy
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The youth mentorship organization Masters and Mentors secured $45,000 in new funding through the United Way Impact on the Plains event. The Wichita-based program, which uses chess to teach life skills, currently works with students aged 12 to 17.
Why it matters
The capital injection allows the program to expand its evidence-based curriculum, which utilizes models originally designed for correctional facilities, to support at-risk youth. The funding arrives as the program pursues formal partnerships with local educational institutions.
The organization received $45,000 in grant funding through the United Way Impact on the Plains event. In 2026, 54 youth participated in the program, adding to a total of 150 students served since its inception.
The players
Tony Ballard
Founder of the Masters and Mentors program who developed the curriculum based on his experience with correctional models.
Titus Hoggatt
The professional chess coach responsible for implementing the program's strategic instruction curriculum.
United Way
A non-profit organization that provides philanthropic capital and community support through local initiatives.
The details
Founded in 2024 by Tony Ballard, the program pairs chess instruction with cognitive behavioral training to help youth navigate personal decision-making. The curriculum is modeled after materials used by the Kansas Department of Corrections, aiming to connect game strategy with real-world support systems. Currently, the organization is negotiating a partnership to integrate this training into Wichita's Sowers and Gateway Alternative schools.
Timeline
2024: The Masters and Mentors program began.
2026: 54 children attended the mentorship program.
Market Landscape
The program adapts the Kansas Department of Corrections rehabilitation curriculum for a preventative, community-based setting. This marks an expansion of correctional-style cognitive behavioral tools into the youth mentorship sector in Wichita.
Operators in the non-profit sector should track how the organization integrates its correctional-derived model into the public school system as a case study for alternative curriculum delivery. The program's growth signals a potential shift in how local community organizations partner with the district to serve at-risk student populations.
The takeaway
The program demonstrates how business owners can leverage proven models from external sectors to solve specific operational gaps in community service. Leaders should monitor the progress of the school district partnership as a benchmark for scaling specialized training programs.
Further reading
For more on how local non-profits are scaling their operations, visit Philanthropy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KMUW.
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