K-State regional community visits

OGDEN Community Center

September 1, 2022 Ogden

This project brings together  Manhattan Area Habitat for Humanity ,  Manhattan Area Technical College , the Ogden community, and  K-State College of Architecture, Planning & Design  students and faculty to collaborate in providing affordable net-zero housing to strengthen and sustain communities.

Some of the wonderful projects presented by the Net Positive Studio at the Ogden Community meeting.

SAVE Farm event was an engaged community partnership conversation about an innovative agricultural training organization designed to provide education and healing for service members, veterans and their families on a pathway to a career in agriculture. 

K-State Research and Extension, Pottawatomie County and Wamego Public Schools' Central Elementary School working together to promote childcare excellence.

Ford County and Dodge City Visit

A productive conversation about workforce needs in the community and strategies for meeting those needs. it was a platform designed for learning from local industry, education and community stakeholders  dodgedev.org  about efforts undertaken, in progress, or needed to better prepare and support workers and industry, families and community.

September 27, 2022 Dodge City

Conversation about the workforce development needs in the community and strategies for meeting those needs.

Listening and learning session.

Rattlesnake Creek watershed

A discussion was held about water management partnerships in the Rattlesnake Creek watershed and how farmers and WaterPACK, a grassroots organization, use K-State water management resources such as KANSched and Evapotranspiration Weather Stations. Engagement with stakeholders, including the Nature Conservancy, K-State Research and Extension and the private sector.

Water PACK is a proactive voice for irrigated agriculture.

Emergency Management: Preparing for and responding to disasters

Discussion was held with the Ford County Office of Emergency Management and its collaborative efforts to prepare for and respond to emergency situations. The office partners with K-State Research and Extension and others to provide a coordinated effort to encourage emergency preparedness and respond to disasters. Past efforts specific to tornado and wildfire response and what is needed to prepare for and support future efforts were discussed.

Greater Kansas City Area Visit

Urban food systems

The discussion focused on urban food system issues and what K-State and others are doing to ensure a safe, equitable, and efficient urban food system in Johnson and Wyandotte counties.

November 1 - 2, 2022 Olathe

This session included a tour of the WIC Community Garden.

Postsecondary access and equity luncheon

It was a collaborative gathering of high school leaders, college access providers, and community and workforce professionals with the common goal of assisting students in understanding their postsecondary options.

It included a discussion about how to strengthen education and access partnerships, as well as how to develop strategies for creating inclusive postsecondary pathways

Responding to industry needs in the Kansas City region

A facilitated discussion with local industry and community stakeholders in biomanufacturing, advanced manufacturing, and supply chain logistics about how higher education in the Kansas City metro area is collaborating to meet industry needs

Central Kansas and Salina Visit

Aerospace innovation

Salina is a premier location for advanced air mobility flight training, testing, and research, as well as a home for emerging aerospace companies, and the discussion focused on what aerospace innovation means for the greater Salina community.

 Global Aeronautics Initiative (k-state.edu) 

December 5, 2022 Salina

Rural mental health and well-being

A discussion was held with local partners as they take a comprehensive approach to addressing mental health in their rural communities.

 Central Kansas Mental Health Center - (ckmhc.org) 

The coalition provided steps to manage the surge in resource demand and is exploring ways to help individuals enhance their mental health and psychological well-being.

Responding to industry needs

A facilitated conversation at Great Plains Manufacturing about ways that education in the Salina region is partnering to meet the needs of industry.

 Great Plains Manufacturing (greatplainsmfg.com) 

Lessons learned from local industry, education, and community stakeholders about how the Salina region is advancing through innovative collaborations and support.

Shawnee County Visit

K-State 105: Learning together to advance Kansas communities and businesses

A facilitated conversation about the newly launched K-State 105, which is a community and business advancement initiative that works with partners across the state. 

January 23, 2023 Shawnee

GO Topeka is an early partner in the initiative.

GO Topeka, NetWork Kansas, K-State Research and Extension, and other local business and community leaders were engaged for more information and invited to participate in a discussion.

Mobile Access Partnership (MAP): Taking comprehensive services to the unsheltered homeless through innovative multi-agency collaboration.

We learned about a novel strategy for tackling homelessness and saw a number of mobile units that were all intended to deliver comprehensive services to the unsheltered homeless.

Experts from the agency spoke about their comprehensive game plan for assisting vulnerable individuals to exit homelessness.

Filling classrooms with quality teachers

A panel of educators talked about ways to get more qualified teachers into Kansas classrooms as a result of the state's widespread teacher shortage.

Sedgwick County Visit

Urban design shaping civic and public life: A Downtown Wichita partnership with the College of Architecture, Planning & Design

A facilitated discussion about how K-State design and planning students and faculty have collaborated with Wichita businesses, city agencies, and nongovernmental organizations to reveal local needs, knowledge, and visions for the future of downtown.

February 21, 2023 Wichita

The discussion highlighted examples of service-learning in the urban design of downtown Wichita: downtown catalyst sites, Delano District, ICT Pop-Up Park and community dialogue for Chester I. Lewis Park.

Addressing food access challenges

Sedgwick County agents collaborated with local partners to address the challenges of access to healthy food in the Wichita community.

The session emphasized that there is no single solution to Sedgwick County's food access challenges, but that it takes many perspectives and many workers to help the hungry.

Textron Aviation and the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering: Partnering on innovation and workforce development

The k-State team engaged in a conversation to spotlight current partnerships between Textron Aviation and the Carl R. Ice College of Engineering and surface areas of further collaboration.

K-State engineering students, faculty, and administration joined Textron Aviation employees in a discussion and tour.

Crawford County Visit

Community services and partnerships to improve health outcomes in southeast Kansas

The K-State team joined the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas to discuss the region and the challenges that residents of southeast Kansas face, as well as efforts to remove barriers to good health, workforce training, and partnerships, including the K-State SNAP-Ed program for nutrition education.

March 28, 2023

Students feeding students: How school-based container farms benefit students and support their communities.

A facilitated discussion about Pittsburg High School's hydroponic farm project. School staff and students discussed about the innovative operation with Community Green Farms, a local PHS partner, on its farm-to-school initiative.

Using community cooperation to advance economic prosperity

A panel of Pittsburg project leaders discussed how collaboration can be a catalyst for positive community change and how higher education can better support community development with representatives from K-State Research and Extension and NetWork Kansas.

Block 22 is a unique public-private partnership among Pittsburg State University, the city of Pittsburg, and developers to create a living-learning entrepreneurial center at 4th and Broadway streets in downtown Pittsburg.

Finney County Visit

Preparing for careers in the agriculture industry

Participated in a conversation with industry partners to discuss opportunities and pathways for careers in agriculture in the region.

April 25, 2023

The session was joined by K-State and Garden City Community College in an effort to address agriculture industry needs in the southwest region.

Building adaptability and resiliency through K-State Research and Extension education for immigrant populations Participated in a facilitated conversation with Finney County stakeholders about how they have embraced change in their local demographics through intentional collaborations.

The session focused on Extension’s collaborations with local partners to bring nutrition and horticulture education to immigrants within Garden City

The future of the Ogallala Aquifer in southwest Kansas

A facilitated conversation about the future and viability of the Ogallala Aquifer, and how agriculture is leading the charge of water conservation in southwest Kansas. 

Learned about current ideas and future projects, but also help K-State explore future partnerships to further the life span of the aquifer.

Thomas County Visit

Serving rural schools

K-State and area school system leaders discussed the need for quality teachers, creative hiring successes and opportunities.

May 10, 2023

K-State and area school system leaders discussed the need for quality teachers, creative hiring successes, and opportunities.

Advancing Kansas communities and businesses

A facilitated conversation about the newly launched K-State 105 initiative, which is a business and community advancement initiative that works with partners across the state.

Learned more and participated in the discussion with the Innovation Center, NetWork Kansas, K-State Research and Extension, and local business and community leaders.

Fall 2022 - 2023 Community Visits

Allen County Visit

How community development propels Kansas businesses and communities forward

A facilitated conversation with Humboldt and K-State community leaders who share a common goal of revitalizing Kansas communities.

October 5, 2023

Enhancing student engagement in higher education

K-State and Allen Community College for a conversation centered around partnership and engaged student learning.

Learned how engagement and applied learning experiences inspire students to practice and acquire skills needed to succeed in their fields.

The group discussed how higher education institutions cultivate an environment that fosters learning and growth.

Housing: Collective efforts for a complex problem

Participated in a conversation with SEK Inc., Thrive Allen County and other partners on regional collaborative efforts to address affordable housing.

Learned from local partners and community stakeholders about efforts to better support communities.

Safe water management for the health of all

Conversation with local Barton County entities and K-State of current projects and resources to spread awareness of good water practices for locals, the region and generations to come.

November 8, 2023

K-State 105: Advancing Kansas communities and businesses.

A facilitated conversation about the newly launched K-State 105 initiative, which is a business and community advancement initiative that works with partners across the state. Learned more and participated in the discussion with the Innovation Center and local business and community leaders.

The discussion centered around identifying ways in which K-State and other key partners can collaborate to leverage resources more effectively in order to enhance service delivery within the region.

How support for childcare can lead to community growth

Quality, affordable childcare is part of a critical, yet challenging, economic infrastructure for many Kansas communities.

K-State and child care advocates from Smith County and the surrounding region engaged in a conversation on how organizations are working to address child care needs in their communities

Community open forum

A dialogue about university and community connections and the student experience. 

February 6, 2024

Responding to child care needs through collaboration and partnership

A facilitated conversation with Jackson County's child care task force, K-State Research and Extension and local partners with focus on addressing local child care needs and efforts.