The Nia Project is the culmination of our experience and continued passion to address intractable issues facing girls and women.  Through the Nia Project, we will offer programming, partner with and financially support organizations committed to the work of uplifting and improving opportunity for Black girls and women.

Trace Warren and I co-founded Trace's Place - A Community Resource for Girls and Women in 2000. A year prior we started a mentoring program called My Sister's Keeper (MSK).  We changed the name to Trace's Place, because our ultimate goal was to open a home for girls. A safe place to live, go to school and be provided all of the necessary supports. Robin Anderson was a mentor and Robin Jones was a supporter. We ran MSK for more than 15 years. We all worked full time, raised our families and along with many other volunteers, poured our hearts and souls into mentoring and personal development work for these girls.  At some point along the way, we realized that although we were making a difference, the work was only scratching the surface and the challenges facing girls, and quite frankly their families were more than we had the capacity or resources to resolve.

Fast forward to 2020 and the launch of The Nia Project! 

The Nia Project puts a twist on traditional programs and services.  Nia Projects are broken up into smaller chunks, with specific beginning and end dates. This allows us to be nimble and flexible and pivot to where the need is. The Nia Project places high value on volunteerism and community engagement. Through Nia Projects, we will use community might,  to address community concern. 

This is our story and through the work of this  organization we will strive to have an impact and add value to the lives of girls and women in our community.

The Nia Project, in many ways, is Part II of the work that has gone unfinished.

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"Black people don't have a Kauffman Foundation" . . . This is a quote that I heard many years ago and it has always stuck with me. On one hand, it is a painful reminder of the economic inequities in this country, however, on the other hand, Black people have ascended to all levels of industry. We have more than a handful of black millionaires and billionaires. I have a sneaking suspicion that Kansas City has more than it's fair share of black wealth, but that wealth hasn't resulted in improvements for the larger black community. Black people may not have a Kauffman Foundation, but Black people have discretionary income, incredible generosity, creativity and talent, and I believe we have everything we need to begin to shift and reshape the trajectory of this community. The Nia Project is our idea of how we can begin that work!  

​-Terri Barnes