Kansas Leadership Center

Leadership Landscape, your KLC newsletter This month’s KLC newsletter highlights big moments shaping civic leadership—from national recognition for groundbreaking research to fresh opportunities for building your own leadership skills. See ho...

See how we’re equipping youth to take on tough challenges, sharing expertise on a national stage, and offering hands-on programs and resources to help you grow and guide others.

This month’s KLC newsletter highlights big moments shaping civic leadership—from national recognition for groundbreaking research to fresh opportunities for building your own leadership skills.

mailchi.mp/kansasleader...

Kansas could lose millions after Congress cut SNAP funds. Thousands may go hungry In a major policy shift for SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, individual states will have to shoulder some costs.

Big changes to SNAP could shift millions in costs to Kansas—and whether lawmakers act may decide how many families can put food on the table.

✍️ Zane Irwin / Kansas News Service

#ksleg #FoodAssistance #HungerRelief #CivicEngagement

‘We cannot fail’: Wichita’s emerging homeless shelter is finding its footing The former winter shelter transitioned to a privately-run operation on April 1. Operators are optimistic about its future while shelter residents express frustrations.

Second Light, Wichita’s emerging homeless shelter, faces steep challenges—building a campus while housing residents, uncertain funding, little state support, and earning trust from homeless Wichitans.

✍️ @steflugli.bsky.social
📸 Jeff Tuttle

‘Tomorrow is not guaranteed’: Medicaid cuts worry Kansas hospitals and nursing homes Smaller communities like Coldwater, about 125 miles southwest of Wichita, may be more acutely affected by Medicaid cuts.

“I’m going to say a majority of the community is not aware that tomorrow is not guaranteed at Pioneer Lodge,” administrator Diana Thompson says.

✍️ AJ Dome
📸 Jeff Tuttle

When Everyone Leads Program | Kansas Leadership Center Learn to see leadership differently and shift your mindset in our one-day program, When Everyone Leads: How the Toughest Challenges Get Seen and Solved.

Secure your spot—registration closes two weeks before each session!

#WhenEveryoneLeads

Leadership comes in moments—it’s not about authority, but about stepping in with purpose. In one day, #WhenEveryoneLeads equips you with practical tools to make progress on what matters most.

▶ 8/12 (online)
▶ 9/9 (KC)
▶ 10/14 (in-person)

www.kansasleadershipcenter.org/when-everyone-leads-program

Connecting threads on the costs of voting and green energy fights THE COSTS OF VOTING – Even a casual reader of The Journal knows that we treat Americans’ privileges and obligations with a real reverence. High (probably highest) on our civics […]

From election costs to economic shifts, this roundup captures how Kansans are rethinking systems, celebrating community wins and facing challenges with fresh ideas.

✍️ Bruce Janssen
📸 Jeff Tuttle

Decade-plus building slump limits Wichita housing choices Building permit data shows Wichita lacking 17,000 single-family homes after the pace of construction slowed with the Great Recession.

Wichita is missing more than 17,000 single-family homes that would have been built if the community had kept building at its pre-2008 pace. At the current clip, it would take more than 25 years to catch up.

#ksleg #AffordableHousing #KansasHousing #SolutionsJournalism

How Kansas went to war against feral pigs and won If you think that government can’t solve problems anymore, just ask a feral pig in Kansas. If you can find one.

Kansas is showing the rest of the country how to eliminate feral pigs without spending millions.

✍️ Michael Pearce
📸 Jeff Tuttle

Equity — in housing, safety and access — dominates Wichita City Council candidate forum More than 200 attended a forum for District 1 candidates hosted by the Wichita Journalism Collaborative at Wichita State’s University.

As one attendee put it, “I just really wanted to feel out their sense of advocacy—because that’s really all you can do as a city council member.”

This story is being re-published with permission from The Wichita Eagle through the Wichita Journalism Collaborative.

Equity — in housing, safety and access — dominates Wichita City Council candidate forum More than 200 attended a forum for District 1 candidates hosted by the Wichita Journalism Collaborative at Wichita State’s University.

Equity isn’t just a District 1 issue. At a packed forum in Wichita, city council candidates tackled challenges that resonate far beyond one district—like affordable housing, food access, and public safety.

✍️ Ainsley Smyth
📸 Jaime Green / The Wichita Eagle

#ksleg #CivicEngagement

Why Kansas is no longer last for mental health Here's how Kansas has moved up after being labeled worst in the nation for mental health care and access to services in 2023.

Kansas jumped from last to 22nd in mental health rankings, but access to care still depends on where you live.

✍️ AJ Dome
📸 Jeff Tuttle

#MentalHealth #MentalHealthAmerica

Leadership Landscape, your KLC newsletter Big things are happening across Kansas and beyond. In this edition, you’ll meet nonprofits taking bold steps to fight hunger, peek inside a national student success conference where KLC challenged hig...

You’ll also find details on upcoming grants, programs and a final chance in 2025 to seek When Everyone Leads facilitator certification. 😊 Read & subscribe!

Big things are happening across Kansas & beyond. 📰🔗👉 mailchi.mp/kansasleader... 🤩

In this edition, you will...
😇 meet nonprofits taking bold steps to fight hunger
🎓 peek inside a conference where KLC challenged higher ed to think differently
💪 see how our staff showed up through hands-on service

At the Kansas Leadership Center, we believe in the profound influence of leadership. Our grants are designed to unlock this potential, paving the way for lasting progress on your biggest issues.

These grants are more than just funding; they're a gateway to building a culture of leadership within your organization. Imagine the impact of empowering your team to tackle tough challenges head-on.

Ready to elevate your organization or community through the transformative power of leadership? Mark your calendar—and start preparing to apply for a 2026 Leadership Transformation Grant. The application window will be open August 11 to September 14.

Learn more: kansasleadershipcenter.org/grants/

Why Kansas is no longer last for mental health Here's how Kansas has moved up after being labeled worst in the nation for mental health care and access to services in 2023.

Kansas jumped from last to 22nd in mental health rankings, but access to care still depends on where you live.

✍ AJ Dome
📸 Jeff Tuttle

#ksleg #MentalHealth #SolutionsJournalism

Getting past the stop sign for housing in southeast Kansas After lagging other parts of the state in meeting the demand for housing, southeast Kansas is working to catch up.

Communities in southeast Kansas are rethinking what housing looks like to meet rising demand with limited resources.

#ksleg #KShousing #AffordableHousing

Kansas Health Foundation Awards $423K to 87 Kansas Nonprofits Fighting Food Insecurity KHF awards $423K in mini grants to 87 nonprofits launching projects to combat hunger and food insecurity statewide, with training and support provided by KLC.

Big investment. Statewide effort. Meet the 87 nonprofits receiving grants to address hunger across Kansas.

#HungerFreeKansas #CivicEngagement #ksleg

Build on #WhenEveryoneLeads with #YourLeadershipEdge. In 2 days, sharpen your leadership skills—work on a real challenge, strengthen communication & learn how to navigate complex problems.

📅 Aug. 13-14 (Online)
📅 Oct. 15-16 (Wichita)

🔗 www.kansasleadershipcenter.o...

#KLCpath

Remembered, with honors Crack! The sweet, sharp sound of a well-hit baseball spreads through a central Wichita neighborhood. The ball whistles in the wind. A crowd of parents and community fans whoop and […]

Wichita’s League 42 honors the lasting legacy of Mel and Linda Gregory, two key supporters who helped build the league from the ground up, with a season-long tribute stitched into every uniform.

✍️ AJ Dome
📸 Courtesy of League 42

Leadership comes in moments—it’s not about authority, but about stepping in with purpose. #WhenEveryoneLeads equips you with practical tools to make progress on what matters most.

📅 Aug. 12 (online)
📅 Sept. 9 (Overland Park)

🔗 www.kansasleadershipcenter.o...

Secure your spot today!

Little Geneseo draws UFO tourists without the use of tractor beams The state’s UFO capital of 236 souls has staked its tourism claim and raised its deflector shields to ward off any competitors.

With alien sculptures, cosmic murals, and a quirky museum, tiny Geneseo has declared itself Kansas' UFO capital.

✍ Beccy Tanner
📸 Jeff Tuttle

"We don't need fewer arguments in this country. We need better arguments."
- Eric Liu @citizenuniversity.bsky.social @theklc.bsky.social

Opinion: Isn’t the world mean enough already? Columnist Mark McCormick laments how anti-DEI comments after a D.C.-bound plane crash turned a tragedy into cruel discourse.

Amid profound local grief following the Kansas Day plane collision, Mark McCormick reflects on the politicization of tragedy and urges empathy over cruelty in the face of collective loss.

📸 Hugo Phan @hphan848.bsky.social / @kmuw.bsky.social

From Clay Center to Caldwell, murals paint Kansas towns for the better Clay Center, Salina, Great Bend and Caldwell, among others, add murals to carve out new identities and even get a bankable jolt.

Murals are transforming small Kansas towns, turning blank walls into economic sparks and new sources of civic pride.

✍ Stan Finger
📸 Jeff Tuttle

Leadership Landscape, your KLC newsletter This edition of the KLC newsletter highlights young people taking action—from standout moments at the National Civics Bee to bold conversations in Mobilizing Youth to Lead. You’ll also find practical ...

You’ll also find practical ways to build your own leadership capacity, stories from the field, and a closer look at what it means to see challenges through others’ eyes.

Collage of photos from the Kansas Leadership Center’s Leadership Landscape newsletter, featuring diverse individuals engaging in leadership activities—speaking at podiums, participating in group discussions, and attending youth and civic engagement events. Center image includes the newsletter title “Leadership Landscape” with the KLC logo over a scenic landscape background.

This edition of the KLC newsletter highlights young people taking action—from standout moments at the National Civics Bee® to bold conversations in Mobilizing Youth to Lead: mailchi.mp/kansasleader...