IN THE COUNTY LEGISLATURE OF JACKSON COUNTY, MISSOURI
Title
A RESOLUTION recognizing MINDDRIVE for its contributions during National Mentoring Month.
Intro
RESOLUTION NO. 22156, February 2, 2026
INTRODUCED BY Donna Peyton, County Legislator
Body
WHEREAS, MINDDRIVE was established in 2010, originating as a creativity class led by Steve Rees at DeLaSalle Education Center, and soon evolved into an independent not-for-profit organization co-founded by Steve Rees and Linda Buchner, with early support from Bridgestone America; and,
WHEREAS, from its humble beginnings with 8 students, MINDDRIVE has steadily expanded to serve approximately 250 students annually across two locations, with more than 370 youth completing multi-year pathways and earning industry credentials or completing major client-connected engineering projects; and,
WHEREAS, MINDDRIVE partners with Jackson County school districts to provide students with school-day credit and market value assets through hands-on engineering and design work, while also offering after-school programming at the Ignition Lab in partnership with Operation Breakthrough; and,
WHEREAS, MINDDRIVE provides evening opportunities in welding, drone racing, automotive design, and eSports, and is launching an auto repair program that equips students with foundational skills in diagnostics, maintenance, and repair which directly benefits low-income families by improving transportation access and household stability; and,
WHEREAS, students have completed nationally recognized projects, including the award-winning electric vehicle conversion of a 1969 Chevelle SS promoted by Travis Kelce, and are currently working on Jason Kelce's 1986 Chevy K10 diesel hybrid repower, projects that have garnered national attention and provided unparalleled real-world learning experiences; and,
WHEREAS, MINDDRIVE's long-standing Electrathon racing program engages students in designing and building lightweight electric race cars for regi...
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