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1/23/2022

0501: Real Men Real Heroes

Hero worship is a characteristic of American culture. For good and bad, it is something our society lives with. Athletes, music stars, and actors or actresses are visible roles in our modern society. And that constant visibility often encourages people to feel like they know these people and fosters a desire to imitate them. 

Our kids see these visible people as the definition of success and meaningfulness. Yet as adults we recognize the chances of anyone making a living playing professional sports or performing to a sell-out crowd in an arena is very small. As a result, it is important for kids to be exposed to all of the different ways people make a living and contribute to society and, in so doing, serve as heroes in their own right, albeit through less publicized roles, like banker, graphic designer, plumber, software developer, or entrepreneur. 

Real Men, Real Heroes based out of Wichita, Kansas is an organization driven by the understanding that it is important for children and young adults to see someone who looks like them engaged in activities that can excite the imaginations and interests of the youth in order to, as shared by Kyle Ellison, Executive Director of Real Men Real Heroes, Open up their minds to new ideas, new thoughts and help with the evolution of who they are becoming.

In this episode, Rachel talks with Kyle Ellison and learns about the history of a program and how it has innovated and changed over time to include a broader base of Kansas children and young adults in 3rd through 8th grade opportunities to look behind the curtain and gain firsthand experience to many societal roles and functions that they may be unfamiliar with and that are often not routinely given extraordinary attention to like certain entertainment roles are given.  
​

Real Men Real Heroes website
Contact <at> realmenrealheroes.org
Real Men Real Heroes Instagram
Real Men Real Heroes Facebook

What You’ll Learn in this Episode
  • About the Wichita based program Real Men Real Heroes
  • Why it is important for young boys to have role models that are not just famous people
  • The history of Real Men Real Heroes
  • How to expose kids to careers that they didn’t know existed

How to Support the Podcast:
Tell a friend about us
Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite app
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook
Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
Send us a recommendation for an episode


12/11/2021

0412: Get To Know a Kansan: Lisa Stewart

Uncovering Kansas was founded based on the idea that we frequently overlook the great things that are right in our back yard. As a matter of fact, right on the home page of our website is this quote from Dagobert Runes:

People travel to faraway places to watch, in fascination, the kind of people they ignore at home.

My guest today, Lisa Stewart is going to tell us about her experience meeting people and exploring Kansas at 4 mph on horseback. It is a good reminder that we all have one fundamental thing in common - we are all Kansans. Whether by birth, by choice, or by circumstance, we are all neighbors. 

Links from the Show:
Lisa Stewart: The Big Quiet website
Kansas Book Festival Episode
Atwood Kansas

Get to Know a Kansan Questions:
Prairie Village Kansas
Somerset Wine Trail
Miami County Farm Tour
Robert Day - The Last Cattle Drive

What You'll Learn in this episode:
  • ​What it is like to travel across Kansas on a horse
  • A reminder that humanity is fundamentally good
  • About the memoir The Big Quiet: One Woman’s Horseback Ride Home
  • That Kansas isn’t flat!
  • The benefit of traveling slowly
  • Why Prairie Village Kansas is a great place to live
  • About the Somerset Wine Trail
  • About Kansas writer Robert Day

How to Support the Podcast
  • Tell a friend about us
  • Follow us on Instagram or Facebook
  • Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
  • Send us a recommendation for an episode

11/21/2021

0411: Get to Know Kansas Small Business

The Saturday after Thanksgiving has become Small Business Saturday - a day set aside to encourage people to shop in small businesses.

At Uncovering Kansas, we want to encourage you to not only shop small, but to shop local. Shop Kansas!
Back in late summer, we asked you to nominate your favorite local business for an upcoming episode. We’ve selected 2 of these shops for today’s episode. We’ll be doing our Get to Know a Kansan format - talking to 2 Kansans about their passion - their shops - and then seeing Kansas through their eyes.
Links mentioned in the show
Modern Cowgirl Boutique website
Modern Cowgirl Boutique Instagram
Modern Cowgirl Facebook

Soul Sister Ceramics website
Soul Sister Ceramics Instagram
Soul Sister Ceramics Facebook
What you’ll learn in this episode:
  • All about Madison Kansas
  • All about Courtland Kansas
  • Two unique ways Kansans are combining agriculture with non-agriculture business

How to Support the Podcast:
Tell a friend about us
Follow us onInstagram or Facebook
Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
Send us a recommendation for an episode

10/23/2021

0410: Kansas Spirits

Happy Fall Kansas! And welcome to our October episode.

We are carrying through the Halloween theme from the previous episode. When Geoff originally pitched the idea, I was sort of like “Wha? Say it again.” He wanted to focus on spirits. Several meanings contained within the word spirit. Not only the spirits we usually think about when we prepare and celebrate Halloween but the holiday spirit and the associated community spirit that often runs alongside the holiday. Halloween is, at least in America, sort of the official kick-off to the longer holiday season. And what do many people choose to celebrate with… other than food? You guessed. Spirits! Liquor, wine and beer. We are going to focus on two of these (liquor and beer) in this episode. 

Kansas has had an interesting and peculiar history with alcohol and a key figure of historical importance. Carrie Nation. And while we, as Kansans, appreciate that history, our state is arguably still haunted by her ghost. Efforts are underway to exorcise the ghost of Carrie Nation but until the rite of exorcism is completed, artisans and entrepreneurs wanting to operate within the alcohol beverage industry must possess courage and bravery. And we have a panel of three representatives from three different Kansas companies located across the state to discuss and share their company story with you.
Links mentioned in the show
Kansas Territory Brewing
Boot Hill Distillery
Boiler Room Brewery
Dodge City Episode
What you’ll learn in this episode:
  • About the unique opportunities and challenges of running a brewery or distillery in Kansas
  • Kansas was the first state to implement prohibition and the last state to repeal prohibition
  • How some of Kansas’ liquor laws make it difficult for businesses to thrive in Kansas
  • How breweries and distilleries are bringing a sense of community to small towns
How to Support the Podcast:
Tell a friend about us
Follow us onInstagram or Facebook
Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
Send us a recommendation for an episode

9/25/2021

0409: Elizabeth Krebs and the Hiawatha Halloween Frolic

There is a stereotype about the crotchety old person who watches out their window and when kids step one foot onto their lawn, they run out onto the porch, shaking their fist and yelling ‘get off my lawn you hooligans!'

Well, today we are going to learn about a Kansan who has impacted our culture simply because she wasn’t the kind of person who would fall into that stereotype. Instead of shaking her fist and yelling at the neighborhood kids, she looked for a way to be more creative and more positive in her approach to keep the kids off her lawn.

What exactly did Elizabeth Krebs do to change culture as we know it? Well, find out in my interview with Katie Miller, President of the Hiawatha Chamber and Visitor’s Bureau.

One note about the audio in this interview. There are some audio problems that I wasn’t able to fix in editing. I didn’t hear them during the actual recording, so I wasn’t able to address it at that time. My apologies about that. They aren’t going to take away from how much you will learn in the episode, I promise!
​

Links mentioned in the episode:
Halloween Frolic facebook page


What You’ll Learn in this Episode:
  • Our modern Halloween traditions were started by Kansan Elizabeth Krebs in Hiawatha, KS
  • What the Halloween Frolic is all about
  • The longest continuous Halloween parade has been going in Hiawatha since 1914
  • Who is Elizabeth Krebs
  • What to expect if you attend the Halloween Frolic in Hiawatha, KS
  • Children’s author Bill Martin Jr., author of the famous book, was born in Hiawatha
  • Riverdale, in Archie comics is based on Hiawatha

How to Support the Podcast:
Tell a friend about us
Follow us on Instagram or Facebook
Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
Send us a recommendation for an episode

8/22/2021

0408: Svensk Hyllningsfest

This month, Rachel talks with Ryan Biergert, festival co-chair of Svensk Hillingsfest, a festival that celebrates our state’s Swedish Heritage, hosted in Lindsborg. According to the Kansas Historical Society, the first Swede arrived in Kansas in 1864, and he encouraged others to emigrate and file claims for land in what is now Lindsborg Ks. By 1890, there were 17,000 Swedes in Kansas. 

Lindsborg is a town that celebrates its Swedish history, and not just during the festival. Visit any time of the year, and you’ll feel the Swedish culture everywhere you go. There is a lot to see and do in Lindsborg, and I hope you add it to your list, whether you go during the festival or at another time of year. 

What You'll Learn in this Episode:
  • What you'll be able to see and do at Svensk Hyllingsfest this September
  • While in Lindsborg, you can also visit Raymer Society
  • Stop by the Birger Sandzen gallery
  • Places to stay when visiting Lindsborg
  • Other things to do in the area of Lindsborg like Maxwell Wildlife Refuge and Coronado Heights

How to Support the Podcast:
  • Tell a friend about us
  • Follow us on Instagram or Facebook
  • Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
  • Send us a recommendation for an episode


7/25/2021

0407: Kansas Book Festival and Author Tim Bascom

This month, Rachel talks with Tim Bascom, author and Executive Director of the Kansas Book Festival. The Kansas Book Festival is a great opportunity to learn about Kansas - authors who are from Kansas or write about Kansas or topics that are germane to Kansans. Spending a day at the festival will no doubt open your eyes to something new. 
​

After covering the festival, Rachel and Tim talk about Tim’s experience spending part of his childhood in Ethiopia. Tim gives us a feel for what it is like to grow up in two very different cultures and how it continues to shape him today. 

Links to topics discussed in the episode:
Book Festival website: Kansas Book Festival
Book Festival Facebook page: Kansas Book Festival - Home
Tim Bascom’s website: Tim Bascom, Author – Writing my way around the world
Troy, Kansas

Ethiopian Restaurants on the Kansas side of the state line of the KC metro:
Elsa’s - Overland Park Elsa's Ethiopian Restaurant: Home
Selamta - Lenexa Selamta Ethiopian Restaurant and Bar - Restaurant in Lenexa



What You’ll Learn In This Episode:
  • What the Kansas Book Festival is all about
  • Who are the speakers at the Kansas Book Festival
  • About Kansas author Tim Bascom’s experience splitting his childhood between Kansas and Ethiopia
  • Why Ethiopian food is so good
  • Where to find Ethiopian restaurants in Kansas

7/10/2021

Bonus Episode: Pittsburg Covid Update

If you haven’t listened to our September 2020 episode which was an interview with public officials from Pittsburg Kansas about how they were managing the pandemic, I’d encourage you to go back and listen to it. This episode is a follow-up to see how things have changed since that interview.

​We’ve all been through this shared experience, and although it meant something a little different to all of us, being able to follow the story of covid in one specific town gives us an appreciation of how we pull together to get through our toughest challenges.

How to Support the Podcast:
  • Tell a friend about us
  • Follow us on Instagram or Facebook
  • Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
  • Send us a recommendation for an episode


6/24/2021

0406: Zero Reasons Why

Our topic today is a very important, very heavy one: mental health. Rachel introduces you to a very important and innovative program in Kansas that is working to make the stigma that surrounds talking about mental health issues a thing of the past. 
​

Zero Reasons Why is a program that is teaching teens the skills they need to be able to make mental health a normal part of our daily lives. Rachel talks with Kyra Fuchs, who is a teen council member of Zero Reasons Why. 

Because this is such an important topic, we want to provide some resources in case you, or someone you love is struggling with mental health issues and could use some help: 
  • The national suicide prevention lifeline is 1-800-273-8255
  • You can text the crisis line by texting 'Home' to 741741
  • And, if you are struggling with mental health, but not suicidal, you can find a lot of mental health resources at www.mentalhealth.gov.

How to Get in Touch with Zero Reasons Why:

Zero Reasons Why website

The Playbook referenced in the episode

The social media accounts for #ZeroReasonsWhy:
Instagram
Twitter
Facebook

How to Support the Podcast:
  • Tell a friend about us
  • Follow us onInstagram or Facebook
  • Buy a Kansas Travel Journal 
  • Send us a recommendation for an episode

5/25/2021

0405: Oak Grove School and the History of the Osage Trail

Built in 1877, the Oak Grove Schoolhouse has been a gathering place for the community of Lincoln Township for generations. In this episode, Rachel talks with Cary Pruitt and Roger Pruitt from the Oak Grove Schoolhouse Historical Society. 

Part family history, part Kansas history, partly a story about family legacy, we think you'll find this episode to be informative, entertaining, and important. 

Oak Grove Schoolhouse website 

What You’ll Learn In This Episode:
  • The mission of the Oak Grove Schoolhouse Historical Society
  • ​How a one room schoolhouse became a central gathering place for the community of Lincoln Township
  • Why it is important to pass down family history from generation to generation
  • The importance of low water fords in the migration of pioneers settling in Kansas
  • The history of the Oak Grove school district
  • The importance of the Osage Trail in the history of Kansas
  • How Laura Ingalls Wilder, Washington Irving, the Benders are connected to the Osage Trail
  • How the geography of Kansas contributed to the development of the Osage Trail
  • The rough-and-tumble history of Ladore Kansas
  • How the arrival of the KATY Railroad impacted the founding of Parsons Kansas
  • A great gift idea for teacher appreciation day

4/25/2021

0404: Prairiesta

This month, Rachel talks with Connie Blanke about Prairiesta, a festival that happens every 10 years in Russell, Kansas. Whether you are able to make it out to the festival or not, you'll learn a lot about community spirit, the importance of honoring our history, and what it takes to put together a festival.

Prairiesta website
Deines Cultural Center
Episode: Big Kansas Road Trip - The Experience


3/24/2021

0403: Gordon Parks: Renaissance Man

In this episode of Uncovering Kansas, Rachel interviews guest Kirk Sharp of the Gordon Parks Museum. For many the name Gordon Parks will be familiar. To others, only a vague recollection. And for some the name will be unknown entirely. No matter which group you are in, come along for the ride and join in and listen as Rachel learns about Gordon Parks and uncovers only a fraction of the eventful life of this Kansas-born man. 

And if you’re like the Uncovering Kansas production team, then after learning a little of Gordon Parks you’ll quickly begin seeking more information. For example, after recording the interview Rachel devoured one Gordon Parks book and when finding another book by him was not in the library system’s inventory she quickly sent off an email to the library making the case for and requesting its inclusion. 

Enjoy the episode! And we hope to see you on the road soon as the Kansas climate warms and vaccinations are delivered and bodies and imagination that have likely been more dormant than usual for the better part of twelve months begin again to explore the world around them.

Gordon Parks Museum website

Books and Films by Gordon Parks
Fort Scott
Gordon Parks Celebration
Gordon Parks Museum Facebook
7 Gordon Parks Images that Changed America - several of the images that we discussed in the episode are here


2/21/2021

0402:Wichita Life ICT with Landon Huslig

Rachel chats with Kansas resident and fellow podcaster Landon Huslig of Wichita Life ICT. They discuss cultural aspects and details of Wichita and create from the specific a backdrop for a broader, more personal, discussion about their passion and support of Kansas, generally, including a similar objective each has for their respective podcast. 

Update / Correction (dated February 23, 2021 & March 15, 2021)
Co-producer, Geoff, here with an update / correction. This month's guest mentions Naismith inventing basketball while in Kansas. The game of basketball was invented by Mr. Naismith while he worked as an instructor at the International YMCA Training school in Springfield, MA. And while the sports legend certainly improved on the sport he created while teaching at the University of Kansas and while without a doubt Kansas and Kansans hold him in such high esteem they are eager to call them one of his own, the production team at Uncovering Kansas wanted to clarify this for our current and future listeners and readers. I am sorry for overlooking my own note and not including this clarification when originally posting the show notes above. The error is mine.


​Wichita Life ICT website (and podcast)
Instagram, Twitter, Facebook: @WichitaLifeICT
Dockum Drug Store Sit In
Keeper of the Plains
Wichita River Fest
Uncovering Kansas episode on Comicon
Air Capital Comic Con
Taco Fest Twitter: @WichitaTacoFest
Andover KS
Coronado Heights
Little Jerusalem State Park
Mushroom Rocks
James Naismith
John Brown

​

1/23/2021

0401: Jan Kraybill, Professional Musician

In this month’s episode of Uncovering Kansas Rach talks with Grammy-nominated musical artist Jan Kraybill. If y’all could have seen Rachel’s eyes when she slotted this interview. She doesn’t geek out over too many things. Rachel is pretty level-headed. But she does enjoy a classical music concert, there’s no denying that. 

When Geoff, our co-producer, listened to the initial post-production he smiled and nodded as Jan communicated a response she receives after mentioning she’s from Kansas City to strangers she meets in her travels. Rachel and Geoff receive similar responses. In fact, the communication dynamic is so memorable and powerful Geoff included it in a story he wrote in November 2019. Be sure to listen close when Jan and Rachel start to discuss meeting new people while traveling. Have you received similar questions about the Kansas City area? 

So, turn up your volume if you’re going to multitask while listening, or grab your favorite set of earbuds and your beverage of choice. Find a comfy spot and settle in. Relax and listen to Rachel and Jan take a meandering audio backroads drive through the subjects of music, Kansas, travel and more.

And, as always, thanks for listening and sharing this podcast with others. 
​

Show Notes:
Jan’s website
See a video of Jan
Beethoven Walks Into a Bar Podcast
Sam Ramey - operatic bass
Mark Schultz - contemporary Christian
The Prairie Museum of Art and History
Salt Mines in Hutchinson
Cosmosphere
Humanities Kansas Hotline 1-888-416-2018

12/26/2020

Poetry Out Loud Kansas

In this month’s episode, Rachel talks with Deb Kohn and Cheryl Germann, Co-Coordinators of the Poetry Out Loud program in Kansas. They uncover the way that Kansas students can compete while also learning about poetry and performance. 

Kansas Poetry Out Loud website
See a video of Sarah Katsiyiannis, Khadija Ceesay, and Santiago Vasquez
Poetry Out Loud Kansas Facebook Page
Twitter: @KansasPOL
"Flight Path" a poem by Geoffrey Allison (read, in this episode, by Rachel)
Building a Bookshelf


11/24/2020

Bulldog Adventures with Tony Helfrich

Picture
In this month’s episode, Rachel talks with Tony Helfrich, Director of Adventure Programs at McPherson College. They uncover the way that a passion for Kansas outdoors can add to the richness of experience for students at McPherson, while also teaching them life skills along the way. 

McPherson College
Bulldog Adventures - @mcbulldogadv (instagram & twitter)
Shotgun Sports Program -  @mcshotgunsports (instagram & twitter)
Horsethief Canyon
Maxwell Wildlife Refuge
Quivira  National Wildlife Refuge 


10/25/2020

Flint Hills Discovery Center

In this month’s episode, Rachel talks with Stephen Bridenstine of the Flint Hills Discovery Center. Rachel uncovers the draw of the place. Hint: it sounds as though it caters to all ages, nature lovers and science lovers. The center is located in Manhattan, KS and so it can be both a destination in its own right as well as temporary exploratory stop as you and your family are out wandering the Sunflower State.
This month’s links are:
Flint Hills Discovery Center website
​Lesser Prairie Chickens
Flint Hills Foundation
Flint Hills Learning Center - including maps


9/26/2020

Behind the Scenes During Covid in Pittsburg

Hello, Kansas! Uncovering Kansas Podcast co-producer Geoff here, with this month’s show notes. 

I pitched the idea for this month’s episode to Rach back in late May and, paraphrasing now, it went a little something like this: “Not now,” I had said. “I understand things are still in a fragile state. But when we start to come out of the pandemic, I think we should send out invitations to several communities across Kansas. Offer them a chance to share a little about their community’s COVID story. However they want to tell it: it’s their story, after all. Whatever they want to share. The good. Or the bad. The uplifting, or sad. People will shoot straight. They won’t hide from the tougher bits they had to work through.”

We recognize we aren’t clear of the pandemic yet. There are new spikes in places. And concerns as winter approaches. There’s still work to be done. Together. And that’s why this may be the best time to share this episode. To remember the parts of the challenge met. The best efforts in the face of uncertainty. The human element.

We’re grateful to everyone who follows and listens and shares this podcast with others. Because of you, we’re growing. Because of you, we’re in a position to share bits and pieces of Pittsburg’s COVID-era story with the world. That’s right, Kansas. Uncovering Kansas has listeners from outside the (mostly) rectangular-shaped heart located smack dab in the center of the United States of America—the place we call home. Folks is interested, as ya might say. So, again, THANK YOU.
​
Stay safe and healthy, and we hope you enjoy this month’s episode.

Pittsburg Chamber of Commerce

Crawford County Travel Site

8/26/2020

Neighboring in Kansas

PictureA Garden Box
Rachel sits down with kristopher swanson from The Neighboring Movement, a Wichita based community development organization. They talk about how to uncover the unique assets you have in your own neighborhood, and the similarity and parallel of the missions of both organizations. Uncovering Kansas: to inspire Kansans to learn more about the gifts we have within our state. The Neighboring Movement: to connect people with their neighbors as a way to help restore the social fabric and health of our neighborhoods.

After listening to this episode we hope you go out and talk to your neighbors. Learn something new about their unique gifts and build a stronger relationship that creates a more enriching environment for you to live in. 
Neighboring Movement website
The Neighbor Next Door Podcast
Asset Based Community Development Institute


7/25/2020

Comics Culture in Kansas

Pictureby Kansas City artist Arie Monroe
Your co-producer, Geoffrey, here with show notes for the latest episode of Uncovering Kansas. Rachel talks with the hosts of the WORST COMIC PODCAST EVER. A fabulous episode of nerdom and the sharing of shared passions.

If I were writing a comic book script about these guys and their show it would begin like this:

Summary
Three longtime friends have a shared interest: comics. They decide to produce a comic books podcast and share it with the world. The content will be earnest. And smart. And, at times, when necessary, it will be serious because comic books, as a medium, are uniquely positioned due to their mix of both approachability and fantasy, to explore a multitude of topics impacting society writ large.

PAGE ONE
PANEL1 (half page)

We see an old dining room table set up in the middle of a room (garage, basement, backyard shed - ART decides and we'll keep consistent throughout; whatever is chosen, consider adding bits of related paraphernalia (e.g. power tools on wall rack if garage, a stack of holiday decorations in once corner if basement, etc.)). The table is the gravitational center around which three different sized bodies orbit at varying degrees: three middle age men (John, Jerry, and Cullen). Cullen [see character description notes] carries an oversized Mac desktop, making ready to place it on the table. Jerry [see character description notes] untangles a rats nest of audio and ethernet cables already on the table, along with a couple microphones and mic stands. John [see character description notes] stands at the end of the table (farthest from viewer/reader), staring at the other two men. He holds a piece of chalk in the open palm of one hand.  An old timey movable chalkboard looms behind him. We see PODCAST NAMES written across the top and several columns of suggested names underneath—all of which have been crossed out. 
…

Listeners, the comic book themes I best remember are ones where the hero overcomes life’s struggles through the help of a friend. Sometimes the friend is another superhero. Better still, it is not. It’s a co-worker from the day job the hero’s alter ego keeps. Or it is words of encouragement issued by the owner of the alimentari located in the Italian neighborhood where the hero grew up and who knew the superhero BEFORE the “powers” and is, therefore, unimpressed by them and just talks straight and tells the hero like it is. 

I went to high school with the hosts and producers of the WORST COMIC PODCAST EVER, although we ran in different circles. Sure I dig their podcast content. But what I dig even more is their lasting friendship. Relationships that transcend and extend prove more powerful than special powers and abilities. It may be THE special power—the most powerful of all the superpowers. Knowingly or not, in addition to comic fandom content, Jerry, John, and Cullen share their special bond through the Worst Comic Podcast Ever. I appreciate that. Hell, I applaud it. Thank you, gents.

Links to various tidbits discussed in this episode
Worst Comic Podcast Ever website
The Hero Initiative
Planet Comicon - Kansas City
Smallville Comicon - Hutchinson (3rd weekend in June - non Covid years) Jon Robinson 
Free State Comicon - Lawrence
Free Comic Book Day

Comic Book Artists in Kansas:
Megan Levins
Ande Parks
Greg Smallwood
Jason Aaron

6/21/2020

Kelly Yarbrough - Artist

Greetings Uncovering Kansas listeners and supporters. June 2020's episode is about art and science and connections. Rachel sits down and talks with Kelly Yarbrough, an artist and a Kansan by choice. Of course, Kelly discusses her artistic process. She also talks about how the seasons and science of Kansas influences her creative effort. What becomes apparent is that Kelly is a connector. Whether as an artist to her audience, or as a citizen in her role as a territory rep for the Kansas Creative Arts Industry Commission, or in her roles with the Tallgrass Artist Residency Program or as Director of Community Programming at Prairiewood Preserve, Kelly creates and facilitates connections that enrich her audience and greater community through the promotion of art and creativity. It's a great episode. We look forward to sharing it with you. As always, we share a few links below related to topics discussed in the episode.

Kelly’s website
Tallgrass Artist Residency
Mattfield Green, Kansas
Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve 
The Bank - contemporary art space
Matfield Station
Kansas Creative Arts Industries Commission
Prairiewood Preserve
Prairie Festival at the Land Institute

5/27/2020

Thrive Allen County

There is no ‘they’ that fixes what needs fixing, or improves what needs improving. There is ‘us.’ You. And me. Kansans understand this. In this month’s episode Rachel talks with Lisse Regehr of Thrive Allen County, an organization convening, coordinating, and championing the ideas and efforts of Allen County residents. Listen to examples of a community converting an abandoned cement factory into usable community space and volunteers shaping trails for health and wellness. Efforts undertaken to improve the lives and conditions not only of its residents but those who visit, those today and tomorrow. 

Episode Links
Wichita Eagle article- 14 Regional Podcasts to add to your Playlist
Uncovering Kansas - Manhattan for Nature Lovers episode
Thrive Allen County website
Links to all of the trails discussed on the episode
Robert Wood Johnson Culture of Health Prize
Rural Health Initiative
A Bolder Humboldt
Uncovering Kansas - Kansas Framework for Growth episode

​

4/25/2020

Everyday Wanderer

Picture
In April 2020’s episode of Uncovering Kansas, Rachel talks with Kansan Sage Scott, a travel blogger. They talk about travel vs vacation; of inspiring someone to travel and explore rather than attempting to influence visiting a specific spot or locale; and they give shout-outs and share BIG love for Abilene and Nicodemus Kansas.  Sage Scott arrived in Kansas via a circuitous route. But she is plugged in now. Shining bright, lending her passion for, and experiences with, travel with the entire world. Please, listen to the episode. Share it with family and friends. And send us any comments or feedback you have.

We understand everyone is self-isolating right now. And travel may not be possible. But before you know it, we’ll be traveling and exploring again because of the efforts of dedicated people—in Kansas and elsewhere—to flatten the curve and slow the spread of the virus. 
​

Everyday Wanderer
Abilene Kansas
Brookville Hotel
Mr. K’s Farmhouse
Volga German History Museum
Nicodemus Kansas
Brown vs Board of Education

Everyday Wanderer links to articles mentioned in the show:
Abilene
Nicodemus article
Kansas
Women’s history month 
Brown v Board
Life Lessons for your big 0 birthday



3/22/2020

Kansas Framework for Growth

Economic Development in Kansas is changing. A banner program and important effort driving this initiative is the Kansas Framework for Growth, a comprehensive strategy for economic growth in the coming 15-20 years. More than 1,000 Kansans have given their input into the process. We first heard of the strategy and program as citizens. And, wanting to engage in the process, we attended two different events. In this episode, Rachel talks with Deputy Secretary of the Kansas Department of Commerce, Patty Clark, about the outcome of the study and current status of the program.

Note: This episode was recorded before the effects (closures and self-isolation protocols, etc.) related to the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. We are unaware of any curtailments to the rollout process of the Kansas Framework for Growth and, because we believe in the importance of the effort, are releasing this episode per our original schedule for March. Please visit the website to discover how you can get involved and any impacts or changes to the calendar or events as a result of pandemic protocols.   

Kansas Framework for Growth
Kansas Department of Commerce
Kansas Main Street Program
 
Get to Know a Kansan (links)
Symphony in the Flint Hills
Kansas State Parks (Cabin reservation info)
Depot Theater Company
Dodge City (Amtrak information)
Dwight D. Eisenhower (Presidential Library)

2/15/2020

Goodlife Innovations CEO, Mike Strouse

Kansans,
Were you aware that there is a group of Kansans providing thought leadership in the area of caring for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and seniors? In this month's episode, Rachel talks with Mike Strouse, CEO of Goodlife Innovations. Remember KC Pop Co? They are one of Goodlife's innovative life enrichment and skill development programs. Rachel sits down to listen and learn (uncover) how they are delivering the kind of life people they support want to lead, and how other agencies are looking to them in order to implement similar models across the country.
How do you more cost effectively deliver the kind of lives that people want to lead? That’s what it’s really about. ~Mike Strouse, CEO Goodlife Innovation
Goodlife Innovations Website
Learn more about a Neighborhood Network
Learn more about the Worforce 101 workshop
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    Uncovering Kansas

    The podcast about culture, travel, people, history, and enterprise in Kansas.

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