Celebrate Our Scholars' First Day of School!

In this issue

Kickstarting the year: All-Staff Day, 1st Day of School

Announcing our new Board Chair, Amari Duncan

KIPP Capital Receives Albany County Grants!

Support our Annual Coat Drive

Here's how KCAP kickstarts our year!

Hands are already high in the sky at KIPP Albany Community Elementary!

Community members coming together at KIPP Tech Valley Middle to clap in our KIPPsters on their 1st day!

The 2026-27 school year is officially underway! We welcomed back KIPPsters across all seven schools on Tuesday, September 8th. Our scholars matched our staff's incredible energy for this special day! Take a look at what they're most excited about this year.

On September 1st, we held our Annual All-Staff Kickoff - this time in our very own KIPP Capital High School! To start the day, CEO Stephanie Valle and Board Chair Amari Duncan addressed our 360+ staff, setting the tone for an exciting and rigorous year. Then, staff experienced a day of personal and professional development with over 60 sessions to choose from. Finally, we wrapped things up by coming together again for a favorite tradition, school showcases, and to celebrate a few exceptional staff with our KIPP Five Value Awards.

Our staff brought this energy and motivation to our first day of school for our KIPPsters, because they deserve nothing short of our very best. We can't wait to see what learning journeys our K-12 scholars embark on this year, and are so excited to be part of it all!

Welcome Amari Duncan, KCAP's new Board Chair!

KIPP Capital Region is proud to announce that Amari Duncan began serving as Board Chair this July, becoming the first person to succeed the region's founding Board Chair in its two-decade history - a milestone made even more meaningful by Amari's own roots in our school community.

Amari has been part of KIPP Capital's board, most recently serving as Development Chair. In that role, she helped guide the philanthropic efforts behind our 20th anniversary celebration, which contributed to a successful event and strong fundraising outcomes that will benefit our students and families. Her steady leadership and deep commitment to our mission made her a natural choice to lead our Board into its next chapter.

Amari is a member of KIPP Tech Valley Middle School's 8th Grade Class of 2010 and serves as the Director of Philanthropic Impact at Girls Inc. of the Greater Capital Region.

We're grateful for Amari's commitment to our students, families, and community, and we look forward to all that lies ahead under her leadership.

KIPP Capital Receives Grants from Albany County

We're honored and excited that Albany County Legislature has granted KIPP Capital Region $26,100 in grants to support two important initiatives in our schools:

The Purple Power Project: This project tackles health equity gaps head-on, bringing 400 5th and 9th grade girls across KIPP Capital Region age-appropriate health education, Health Equity Kits, and mindfulness programming.

Peer Mediation Program: In partnership with Mediation Matters, this program empowers KIPP Capital High School students to engage in non-violent conflict resolution to reduce peer-to-peer violence and bullying.

These initiatives will further foster KIPP's commitment to our students in and out of the classroom and develop our KIPPsters into the capable, confident leaders they're destined to become. Thanks again to the Albany County Legislature for helping us make this happen.

Support our KIPPsters during our Coat Drive!

Our Coat Drive is happening right now and it's how we're kicking off the 2026-27 school year at KIPP Capital Region!

This year, we're aiming to raise $120,000 to invest in our KIPPsters, and the Coat Drive is our first step toward that goal.

It's warm now, but we know what's coming. When tempatures drop, a warm coat can mean the difference between a KIPPster who's ready to learn and one who's distracted by the cold. Your generosity makes sure every student walks into school this winter warm, confident, and ready.

Have a coat to donate?

Reach out to development@kippcapital.org and we'll help you get it where it needs to go.

Can't drop off a coat? You can still make a difference.

Click below to give, and your gift will go directly toward keeping a KIPPster warm this winter.

Thanks for standing with our KIPPsters and helping us start the year strong.

Donate Now

Together with families and communities, we create joyful and academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose - college, career and beyond - so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world.