Nearly two of every 10 children in Kansas live in poverty.

The numbers are staggering. Almost 134,000 children in our state lack the basic wherewithal to assure health and well-being. It’s heartbreaking and the implications for our society are immense.

If you are a Kansan who cares about the challenge of poverty and wants to make a difference, you probably already know this. The Kansas Leadership Center wants you to join us in helping move the state forward on this issue.

To make progress, the Kansas Leadership Center is partnering with Kansas Action for Children, whose vision is to make Kansas the best place to raise a child. Item No. 1 on our agenda is to change the conversation in Kansas about childhood poverty and in doing so, build momentum to actualize systems and policy change.

We need your help.

I invite you to apply for a three-tiered program to engage more effectively to make progress on poverty. We know you care. Now, you have an unprecedented opportunity to take action in a new way.  By joining other committed Kansans, we’ll discover together what it looks like to exercise leadership to combat poverty in Kansas.

This effort is open to individuals and existing teams of people already working on childhood poverty who are eager to roll up their sleeves and engage deeper.

What will you learn? Our expert faculty is building our program as I write this. Your training and skills acquisition will be grounded in our core belief that leadership is an activity, not a particular role or position. That activity involves mobilizing people to do difficult work.

The first session will be Dec. 2-4 in Wichita. Follow-up rounds of training will go on: Jan. 6-7 and April 21-22.

We’re delighted to host this important training at our brand new, state-of-the-art Kansas Leadership Center & Kansas Health Foundation Conference Center in downtown Wichita at 325 E. Douglas. Our new space is just weeks old and is designed specifically to foster collaboration.

Because we have such a strong commitment to reducing childhood poverty, and because you will be a vital component of making that happen, we’re offering this training at no charge. We’re also pleased to offer our Kansas Leadership Center special room rate at the new Ambassador Hotel, literally just steps away, within easy walking distance.

The responsibility to engage differently lies with each of us and our commitment to skillfully exercising leadership.

Join us in this important partnership.

Apply or if you have questions, please contact Keshia Ezerendu at [email protected] or 316-712-4961. The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Friday, Nov. 1.

Space is limited, so I encourage you to contact us soon.  Also, please share this post with others who you think may have an interest.

Onward!

Ed O’Malley