Artwork stating 'Education Destroys Barriers', 'We Demand Treatment', and 'I Need A Chance'

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  • Kansas increasingly meeting the need for rural broadband speed

    Kansas has increased access to high-quality broadband, especially in rural areas, by using $60 of the $250 million Congress allocated to Kansas for coronavirus-related costs. The Statewide Broadband Expansion Planning Task Force had already made recommendations to the state legislature, which were approved in the 2020 session. Companies who won the bids to expand access quickly deployed about 350 miles of fiber and fixed wireless service in some areas. Other grant-funded initiatives will continue to improve access, particularly to low-income areas.

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  • Civic engagement academies helping Kansans train for local government's learning curve

    Civic engagement academies throughout Kansas provide participants with behind-the-scenes views of how their local government operates. Participants meet with emergency responders, learn how city officials put together a budget and hear from those who maintain municipal utilities. Understanding the inner workings of city operations helps citizens become more engaged in bettering those operations and find ways to be involved outside of running for office. Participation often brings to light city resources they didn’t know existed, which they are quick to share with their fellow residents on social media.

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  • A 'Zoom boom' boosted civic engagement across Kansas. But will it continue?

    When courthouses and in-person government meetings shut down because of COVID-19, officials satisfied Kansas’ open meeting mandate by using pandemic relief aid to equip buildings with the technology needed to live stream proceedings and allow constituents to comment remotely. Crowds watching on platforms like Facebook Live were substantially higher than in-person attendance had ever been. Several cities linked agendas online and found creative ways to include public comments in meetings. Advocates are looking to maintain the public’s increased civic engagement as courts and government offices are reopening.

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  • Farm-to-table took off during the pandemic. Is it here to stay?

    As the COVID-19 pandemic hit and grocery store shelves became bare, many consumers sought to purchase meat directly from farmers. The Shop Kansas Farms group on Facebook has more than 148,000 members with about 800 producers who are selling their goods. While there needs to be more education for farmers on how to sell their livestock and for consumers on the intricacies of buying from processors, people in other states are creating their own groups to better connect consumers to vendors.

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  • City governments in Kansas didn't launch the tech revolution. But they're embracing it

    City websites have embraced technology, allowing residents to pay bills, request permits, and attend council or commission meetings online. The shift, which was accelerated by the pandemic, also made the websites crucial information hubs, informing residents about everything from tax increases to street closings. The shift increased efficiency, for example decreasing in-person visits to City Hall, reporting problems like potholes any time, and officials are fielding fewer calls because information is readily accessible. Conducting business online also led to greater transparency into city business.

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  • Is a pandemic a good time to start a business? For some, the answer's yes.

    A handful of entrepreneurial individuals in Kansas have found success in starting businesses during the pandemic by leveraging customer needs and pandemic relief funding. Although this business plan isn't "foolproof," in Kansas and nationwide, the number of entrepreneurs who filed applications increased significantly compared to previous periods.

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  • Language barriers can pose a steep hurdle for Kansas governments to overcome during COVID-19 pandemic

    Several Kansas state entities translated and distributed information in multiple languages during the COVID-19 pandemic. The El Dorado Public School district provided information in Spanish on their website and on student laptops, iPads, and handouts. In addition to a multilingual hotline, the state’s health department released an accessible micro-website, created by CivicPlus, that translates information into over 100 languages, including sign language, and uses closed captioning for videos. The microsite template was so effective, the company is offering it to other jurisdictions for other scenarios.

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