June 2023
District Director Notes
As the District Director for the Cottonwood District, I also have responsibilities as the Community Vitality agent. There are two programs that K-State Research and Extension helps manage for communities across the state. These two programs are First Impressions and the Kansas Community Empowerment.
What is the first impression your community leaves on its visitors? K-State Research and Extension’s First Impressions program can improve your community’s image and quality of life for your citizens. First Impressions allows you to see your community through the eyes of a first-time visitor. A volunteer visitation team from a similar community will visit your community. This visitation team will explore your community’s residential, retail, and industrial areas; local government entities; schools; and other points of interest. Teams are trained and follow clear guidelines as they evaluate appearances, access to services; friendliness, and other community attributes. The program helps your community: evaluate the success of current development initiatives; set goals and priorities for new development; identify ways to strengthen community services; and identify initiatives for community support agencies, civic groups, city/ county leaders, or community economic development organizations. The results from the visitation team are presented at a community meeting. Community improvement opportunities are identified and utilized in community planning and improvement. Both Hays and Great Bend are involved in the First Impressions program. The two communities are at different stages of the program.
The Kansas Community Empowerment program was formerly known as the K-State Research and Extension Kansas PRIDE Program. The Kansas Community Empowerment (KCE) program is a partnership of K-State Research and Extension, the Kansas Department of Commerce, Kansas Masons and Kansas PRIDE, Inc. The KCE is dedicated to serving communities across the state to encourage and assist local government and volunteers in making their community a better place to live and work. Through the KCE program, local communities identify what they would like to preserve, create, or improve for their future. Then, working with the resources of K-State Research & Extension and the Kansas Department of Commerce, community volunteers pull together to create their ideal community future.
For more information on either of these programs, visit the K-State Research and Extension webpage or contact me at [email protected].