Kansas Communities

The Department of Religious Studies at the University of Kansas received a $60,000, two-year grant from the nonprofit group Interfaith America to create partnerships with community groups addressing the spiritual connection to health issues.

Twenty graduating recruits completed 14 weeks of rigorous training with the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center and will now return to their agencies across the state to begin serving their communities.

Rebekka Schlichting, assistant professor of the practice at the William Allen White School of Journalism & Mass Communications, released the series “Baxoje Basics” this past month. Her episode “In Honor of Pete Fee” captured the last interview with the revered elder of the Iowa Tribe of Kansas and Nebraska.

OASIS at the University of Kansas helps caregivers of autistic children learn evidence-based strategies founded on behavioral science, serving as a critical bridge between diagnosis and intervention.

The Hall Center for the Humanities led University of Kansas faculty and staff on the annual Mini Wheat State Tour to Atchison, where participants explored local history, met with community leaders, visited historic and cultural sites, and learned about ongoing preservation efforts.

The Kansas Direct Support Workforce Initiative has announced the recipients of the 2025 Direct Support Worker (DSW) Awards, recognizing exceptional Kansans who provide critical, person-centered care and support to individuals with disabilities across the state.

The Arts Accessibility Forum, funded through a grant from the Kansas Arts Commission, aims to bring together arts professionals with members of the disability community to discuss methods of increasing the number and quality of accessible arts experiences across Kansas and beyond.

The Positive Psychotherapy Clinic in the University of Kansas School of Education & Human Sciences has served Kansans from 48 counties, with plans to continue growing services. Clinicians report seeing improvements in clients as early as the first session.

Community and industry leaders, policymakers and scholars will gather at the University of Kansas in October to discuss how to share and protect one of Kansas’ most important resources: water. The 2025 Kansas Economic Policy Conference will take place Oct. 23 at the Burge Union with a livestream option.

A recent report from the Institute for Research on Innovation & Science shows more than 7,000 KU research-funded employees leveraged their experience to build careers in all 50 states and the District of Columbia from 2011 to 2023 — and nearly 40% found employment in Kansas.