Lawrence Business Magazine - 2015 Q2

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2015 Q2 Publisher: Mark Kern, Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC Editor-in-Chief: Ann Frame Hertzog Designer: Charles Lewer Chief Photographer: Steven Hertzog

On the Cover

front row: Sean Lim, Corpus Cristi; Sam Hertzog, Raintree Montessori; Abbie Treff, LHS back row: Olivia Ryan, Southwest Middle School; Asia Williams, Van Go Artist & LHS; Charles Arnold, Bishop Seabury Academy, Valedictorian 2015.

Photo by Steven Hertzog.

Special thanks to the Lied Center for the use of the Lied Center Pavilion location.

Featured Writers: Anne Brockhoff Mark Fagan Bob Luder Tara Trenary Liz Weslander Editorial Support /Ad Coordinator: Katherine Diaz Contributing Writers: Katherine Diaz Janice Early Megan Gilliland Mike Krings Contributing Photographer: Patrick Connor

INQUIRIES & ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT:

info@LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com www.LawrenceBusinessMagazine.com Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC 730 New Hampshire, suite 110 Lawrence, KS 66044 Lawrence Business Magazine, is published quarterly by Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC and is distributed by direct mail to over 3000 businesses in the Lawrence & Douglas County Community. It is also distributed at key retail locations throughout the area and mailed to individual subscribers. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reprinted or reproduced without the publisher’s permission. Lawrence Business Magazine, LLC assumes no responsibility for unsolicited materials. Statements and opinions printed in the Lawrence Business Magazine are the those of the author or advertiser and are not necessarily the opinion of Lawrence Business Magazine.

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2015 Q2

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Conte nts Features:

15 Non-Profit:

Rotary Giving Back

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Gotta Dance

Skills and Strength

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Competitive Trampoline

& All Star Cheer

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Life Skills

Sportsmanship & Working Hard

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University Impact

Universities Defining the Community

40

Learning Jobs

Van Go and Cottonwood

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More than Music

Keeping Traditions Alive

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Education with Options

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Language and Culture

Expanded Digital Media Solutions

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International Baldwin

Your ad is placed on local, regional and national websites, and targeted only to your customers in Lawrence, Douglas County or the State of Kansas.

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Futures Start in Preschool

With KERN Group Marketing’s

Private Schools Offer Options

Departments: 7

Downtown in Focus

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Business on the Hill

Maximize Your Media Reach & Budget.

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Professional Spotlight

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City of Lawrence

Call or email us today and let us make sure you reach your market with affordable targeted online solutions.

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Lawrence Memorial Hospital

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Why Local

74

Local Scene

76 Newsmakers 78

New Business

Mission:

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DOWNTOWN IN [FOCUS]

by KATHERINE DIAZ photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

“It’s fun but it can also be very dangerous,” he said. “It’s important for us providing physical education and health and wellness that that safety aspect is very important and that’s why in our swimming lessons that we have, they’re not just learning the strokes but they’re also learning how to keep themselves safe.”

Another measure taken to ensure the safety of all visitors are those standing watch over the Lawrence pools - its well-trained lifeguards supervised by Lori Madaus, Lawrence Aquatics Supervisor. Madaus is the one responsible for overseeing the indoor and outdoor pool, the South Park Wading Pool and staffs the Carl Knox Natatorium during school year.

Take a splash back to the summer of 1969. While the country was jammin’ out to “Sugar, Sugar” by The Archies, Lawrence was completing the construction of its outdoor pool specifically - and conveniently located downtown on Vermont Street.

“Swimming pools, traditionally when they were built back in the 50s and 60s, were built in the commercial hub, the downtown area, at a park or a place of gathering,” said Jimmy Gibbs, Recreation Operations Manager for the Lawrence Parks and Recreation.

Swimming is a popular activity among adults and children during the summer, and by the time children go back to school, most would have visited a swimming pool or engaged in a water-related activity. However, just as the water can be fun, it can also be very dangerous. According to the Kansas Department of Health and Environment in its most recent Drowning in Kansas: Injury Prevention and Disability Program, for children 14 years old and younger, drowning was the third leading cause of injury death in 2012. In Lawrence, however, Gibbs and his team ensure everyone attending public waters is safe. On the other hand, to help individuals enjoy their time at the pool, various swimming lessons are provided at all ages.

“Lawrence is a very unique community in that we have folks that come from all over the globe that go to school here and not everybody has grown up around water,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs has seen many adults, who are international students, that have never swam before. Whether it’s not culturally acceptable or their community doesn’t have the means to provide a source for recreational swimming, these individuals have no experience about having fun or being safe in the water.

“We had to create or craft several years ago how to start helping and teaching those adult classes in being comfortable and being safe around the water,” Gibbs said.

It’s also essential for young children learning how to swim, to also learn and understand the importance of respecting the water, as Gibbs says.

“The responsibility you have for people’s lives - it’s a huge responsibility,” Madaus said. “People trust their children to you, they trust you to watch over and guard them while they’re swimming and the children look up to them.”

The concept of safeguarding the lives of others was greatly upheld by Dr. James Naismith who understood the significance of lifeguard responsibility, as well as the importance of knowing how to swim, as Gibbs explains while taking a deeper look into Lawrence’s pools from the past.

“Dr. Naismith from the University of Kansas - the inventor of basketball - he had a requirement that his athletes had to know how to swim, and that was a big challenge for his African American athletes on his teams,” Gibbs said. “There were literally no integrated swimming pools at the time.”

At that time there were black-only and white-only swimming pools in Lawrence, Gibbs further explained. Though there was a swimming pool, a YMCA-type that used to be downtown in the 1940s and 1950s where Dr. Naismith would take his African American athletes and they would be able to swim there. However, during these times of segregation across the country, the simple idea of swimming was a challenge.

“Dr. Naismith took one of his African American athletes who was a lifeguard in Kansas City to the swimming pool, and this was most likely on a Friday and after the kid gets out the custodial staff starts to drain the pool,” Gibbs said, the reason being was indirectly implied. “So then Dr. Naismith brought in members of the football team to stand guard at these swimming pools so that his African American athletes could swim and use the pool without being harassed.”

The construction of the downtown outdoor pool in 1969 marked a significant time in Lawrence history as it opened to become the first integrated pool in the community. There had been white-only pools in the area, with not one blackonly pool, according to Gibbs. The exception was the pool where Dr. Naismith took his African American athletes. The true lesson, however, to take away from the simple ability of knowing how to swim is what it teaches individuals. Aside from being safe and respecting the water, what matters are the life-long qualities swimming teaches students.

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“Swimming is a lifelong skill. It doesn’t matter how young you are or how old you are it’s a skill teaches you responsibility, it teaches you punctuality and job skills that you can take throughout your whole life,” Madaus said. “ It doesn’t matter what career you choose, swimming teaches you the basic fundamentals of job skills.”

to do if your grandkids are in trouble.”

One can never be too young or too old to learn and develop these skills. Madaus and Gibbs have seen a wide-range of age groups learning the basics of swimming through the swimming lessons offered by the Lawrence pools. Many start as young as six months old, and there are occasional 80 year-olds as Madaus has witnessed.

“We’ve always been in that downtown area, and so we’re part of the experience of coming downtown. You find a place to park, you go to the library, you go to eat, maybe do some shopping, you go to the swimming pool and so all of those things are right there,” Gibbs said. “You’re not having to get in your car and go shopping or go someplace else to eat. I think we’re an important part and will continue to be an important part of the community.”

“First-time grandparents - maybe they never learned how to swim - but their grandkids do or they’ve been invited to somebody’s lake house or out on a boat and they’re terrified,” Gibbs said. “So it’s a process of you’re not going to teach them to swim 50 meters, but we are going to help you get comfortable weighing up to your knees or knowing what

Whether people are going by the pool for lessons or to have fun in the sun and water, one thing for sure is the Outdoor Aquatics Center is part of the enjoyable downtown experience.

From the summer of 1969 onward, the Lawrence outdoor pool remains as a representation of cultural change, a place of learning and developing life skills and, of course, a place to have fun – safely – with family and friends. p

BUSINESS on the [HILL]

by Mike Krings photos provided by KU Marketing Communications & Routledge

Focusing on at-risk youths: changing the idea of what it means to be an educator For decades young people entering the teaching field have prepared for the career by taking classes and student teaching. A new book co-authored by a University of Kansas professor takes a look at how connecting pre-service teachers with at-risk youths and families can change their ideas of what it means to be an educator and, ultimately, make them better teachers.

“Community Fieldwork in Teacher Education: Theory and Practice” details the experiences of students who were enrolled in teacher education coursework with a program for homeless youths and families, with youths in foster homes and in a charter school. Their experiences highlight the value of approaching teacher preparation from a context outside of the traditional method.

“We spend quite a bit of time in class talking about the role of the teacher in a very traditional sense. We see this book as a counternarrative to the traditional model — the ‘apprenticeship of observation’ model — of how people often become teachers,” said Heidi Hallman, associate professor of education. “We highlight the stories of these beginning teachers in these unique roles working with homeless and foster youth, and we look at key things that happened in their experiences and how it may have been different from what they expected.”

Hallman co-authored the book with Melanie Burdick, assistant professor of English and director of composition at Washburn University. It was published by Routledge as part of the Research in Teacher Education series.

The pre-service teachers who took part in the project writing programs with at-risk youths did so through Hallman’s Methods of Teaching English class. The book details a fiveyear study and how the experience helped the future educators question what it means to be a teacher. Perhaps most importantly, the pre-service teachers quickly learned that curriculum is not something that is constrained completely to school. Youths’ experience outside of school, whether it be reading assignments, using social media or other daily activities, all play a factor in how they learn at school. Learners who have extra challenges such as homelessness or growing up in foster care will assuredly approach school curriculum differently than their peers, Hallman said, and directly realizing that helps educators avoid the idea that all students can be taught in the same manner.

The book also details how community fieldwork can help young teachers realize the role they play in students’ lives in addition to being an educator.

Many young teachers say they don’t feel like they are an authority figure until they have taught for several years or that they haven’t earned such a role. Beginning teachers who worked with at-risk youths realized that, even by serving in a tutoring role, they were looked up to by youths, that they could be effective authority figures and that such a role goes beyond discipline. They also realized that students in at-risk settings could not simply be labeled as troublemakers, disadvantaged or unintelligent, but that they were young people with their own unique hopes, dreams and styles of learning.

Current discussions in teacher preparation often state that teachers need to be educated in new ways to deal with challenges that educators of the past didn’t have to consider.

Hallman and Burdick’s book outlines concrete ways teacher preparation programs can incorporate community fieldwork, often labeled as service learning, as a way to ensure teachers are ready to enter a challenging, but supremely important, profession.

“We saw the need for a more comprehensive view of how this could be done in teacher preparation programs like our own,” Hallman said of the impetus for the book.

The text can be beneficial both for teacher educators and beginning teachers looking to be effective educators with an open-minded view of how they can positively influence students inside and outside of the classroom. Too often people have the idea that teachers can hone a set of skills, often referred to as a “toolkit,” that will enable them to be successful teachers in any setting.

“I’ve always been interested in having teachers consider things other than just the mainstream,” Hallman said.

“Teaching is about how you can use your knowledge in different settings with different kinds of youth. I think the greatest benefit of community fieldwork has been an increase in the understanding of context in teaching and pushing back against the myth of the toolkit, or a one-size-fits-all approach.” p 9

PROFESSIONAL [ SPOTLIGHT ]

15 percentage points in six years. This means our schools are successfully supporting 100 more students in earning a high school diploma.

Our blended learning initiative personalizes students’ educational experiences by emphasizing student choice and increasing student engagement. Integrating technology with direct instruction maximizes teachers’ ability to support students’ individual needs.

RICK DOLL Superintendent of Schools USD 497 What is the school district’s most important service?

As a learning community, Lawrence Public Schools’ mission is to ensure educational equity and excellence so that students of all races and backgrounds achieve at high levels and graduate prepared for success in college, careers and life in a diverse and rapidly changing world. This preparation begins at the pre-kindergarten level by making sure children have the skills and supports necessary to be successful learners. As students progress through elementary, middle and high school, we challenge them to become increasingly independent in their learning so they graduate with essential knowledge and problem-solving and critical-thinking skills.

The school district also supports adult learners in acquiring life and employability skills training or earning a GED or high school diploma.

What is your top priority?

Our top priority is student success. The Lawrence Board of Education’s Excellence, Equity and Engagement goals are to raise the achievement of all students, close achievement gaps and engage the community in this important work.

What has been some of the most important aspects of your success?

There are as many examples of school success as there are students. I’ll address three key district initiatives. The school board’s commitment to a districtwide focus on equity, specifically examining the impact of race on student achievement, has helped us increase our graduation rate by

The district will complete a $92.5 million bond issue by the summer of 2016, implementing a community plan for improving school facilities – especially the older elementary schools in central and east Lawrence, enhancing technology and expanding career and technical educational opportunities for students. I can’t wait for the community to see the revitalization of its older school buildings.

How many people does USD 497 employ? How many live in Lawrence? Do you encourage them to live in Lawrence?

As the city’s second-largest employer (The University of Kansas is the largest), Lawrence Public Schools employ 1,823 staff. This includes 1,057 licensed and certified teachers, 712 educational support staff and 54 school and district administrators. More than 80 percent of our staff live in Lawrence.

How do you and the schools make a positive impact on the Lawrence community?

Public education is a great equalizer. An educated citizenry forms the basis for our democratic society. While people may not think of their local schools as drivers of economic development, one of the most important factors in determining the attractiveness of any community is the educational opportunities it affords its residents.

One obvious example of making a positive impact in the community is the district’s development of the Lawrence College and Career Center in partnership with Peaslee Tech. This new campus will offer career and technical education and training for high school students and adults, promoting an educated and skilled workforce and filling an identified need in our community.

What do you see as your personal responsibility and the school’s responsibility to the community?

My personal responsibility is to focus and inspire educators and support staff to meet the needs of all students, to work with the school board to ensure the staff has the necessary tools and resources to do so, and to hold us accountable for student success. Through an annual goal-setting process, the board, with input from teachers, staff and administration, sets the direction of the school district. The district is responsible for the prudent use of state and local taxes to prepare students for success in college, careers and life.

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How do you manage your day-to-day stress of the district?

The most stressful issues for me are those beyond my control, such as Kansas school finance issues. I start each day believing that everyone in our organization is doing his or her best. I spend a lot of time in our schools watching, teaching and learning happen in our classrooms; this keeps everything in perspective. I try to stay in a problem solving, not a blaming, mode when difficult issues arise.

How do you reward excellent work performance?

How do you manage poor performance?

A highly qualified and effective teacher is the single most important factor to a student’s success in school. The dis-

trict seeks to recruit, develop and retain high quality teachers, staff and administration. District and school leaders encourage and evaluate staff.

By emphasizing effective professional development, the district works to improve staff performance. We use a clearly defined evaluation model, adopted in collaboration with our teaching professionals, to maintain excellence and to appropriately manage situations when individuals do not meet our high standards.

While student success is its own reward, the board seeks to provide a supportive environment conducive to teaching and learning, and a fair and competitive compensation and benefits package for staff. With assistance from the Lawrence Schools Foundation and other community partners, we recognize and reward excellent teaching and outstanding teamwork. It’s certainly a thrill to join the Foundation in presenting its annual $10,000 Bobs Award to deserving faculty during the last week of school.

What is the biggest challenge you feel the school district faces?

Kansas school finance issues continue to present the district’s greatest challenge. We must rely on the Governor and Kansas Legislature to take the necessary action to adequately and equitably fund public schools. It is difficult to maintain excellence in education with dwindling financial resources.

Over the course of your career, what has been the single largest change in the Lawrence education environment?

A dramatic and exciting change during my tenure in Lawrence is the district’s emphasis on expanding career and technical educational opportunities for students. The Lawrence College and Career Center, opening in the fall, will prepare students for their chosen future through hands-on learning experiences in an innovative, engaging environment. With direct engagement with business and industry leaders, students will have access to technology and curriculum that is relevant to preparing them for post-secondary enrollment and high-wage, high-demand careers. Our students will be able to earn tuition-free, college credit while attending high school, giving them a great head start on their future.

What do you foresee as being the biggest challenge for education currently and in the future, locally and nationally?

The greatest challenge for public education nationally is the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act, which will have assessment, accreditation and funding implications for our schools. The greatest challenge for us at the local level is having the funding necessary to do what we know is best for students. p

Wages were 23% above projected target After subtracting abatement amounts ($181,318), these projects paid $399,900 in net new property taxes.

The facts & figures of economic development

by MEGAN GILLILAND, COMMUNICATIONS MANAGER, CITY OF LAWRENCE

City releases annual report on city-provided incentive programs to generate economic investment in community.

The City of Lawrence recently released the 2014 Economic Development & Compliance Report. Published annually, the report provides an overview of active economic development projects receiving public assistance. In addition to property tax abatements, the report covers other projects eligible for public assistance through both major and nontraditional economic development support programs. The city uses these programs, including tax abatement; Neighborhood Revitalization Areas; Tax Increment Financing; Transportation Development Districts and Industrial Revenue Bonds to provide assistance for eligible businesses seeking to increase community jobs and investment.

“Our analysis of historical assistance and investment shows that in 2014, for every $1 in public sector investment, approximately $5.40 in private sector capital investment is realized,” said Diane Stoddard, Interim City Manager for Lawrence. “For 2014, there was $4,804,588 invested by private businesses and corporations versus $889,042 in public investment assistance. This investment figure is only direct investment and does not include the multiplier effect of the companies’ investments.”

The City of Lawrence also participates in non-traditional support programs to help initiate and support economic development in the community. These programs include employee training incentives, support for economic development services and facilities like the Bioscience and Technology Business Center, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and the KU Small Business Development Center. The city also provided improvements in neighborhoods which support economic growth. In 2014, the city authorized the addition of affordable housing in East Lawrence through the 9 Del Lofts project. The city will reimburse the developer for up to $270,967 in neighborhood infrastructure investments.

“The City of Lawrence provides multiple support programs for economic development opportunities designed to enhance the local economy and quality of life,” Stoddard said.

“Since these programs involve public funding for current and future community assets, the projects are viewed as an investment in which the city analyzes the risks and returns.

Projects are selected which best balance the goals of growing the local economy with the required amount of investment. Most of our incentives are actually generated from the project itself from revenues that come from the project.”

The city’s Economic Development Coordinator, Britt CrumCano is responsible for the collection and analysis of data for economic development projects. The report profiles all of the companies in Lawrence receiving tax or economic incentives for development.

Recently, the city has used Neighborhood Revitalization Programs (NRA) to promote reinvestment and revitalization of properties, which in turn have a positive economic effect upon neighborhoods and the city in general. In 2014, the city had NRAs at 8th and Pennsylvania, 1040 Vermont, 810/812 Pennsylvania, 1106 Rhode Island, 1101/1115 Indi-

Five companies received property tax abatements in 2014, all of which met or exceeded compliance measures as per their performance agreements. In addition, performance metrics were substantially higher than targeted: Real Property Investment was 28% above projected target ($10.6M+) Personal Property Investment was 7% above projected target ($10.3M+) Job Creation was almost double that projected (166 targeted, 330 realized) 13

ana and 900 Delaware. NRA projects can receive a partial tax reimbursement based on the difference between the property’s original and improved value.

In 2014, the city also provided assistance to Rock Chalk Park for shared infrastructure costs within the park including parking, walking trails, all necessary sanitary sewer, storm sewer, water detention facilities, public and private streets, sidewalks and related infrastructure improvements. The city provided a reimbursement of $11,452,604 for shared infrastructure and reimbursed $1,447,388.89 in permit and development fees for the project.

The full report is available online at www.lawrenceks.org/economicdevelopment, under the Reports section. The city also provides all economic development forms, policies and procedures on the same website. p

NON- [ PROFIT ]

Service Clubs Giving Back

by KATHERINE DIAZ photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Someone was taking a shower. Vickie Randel could hear the water running - but then, abruptly, the water would stop. A few minutes would pass and Randel would hear the water running again. On and off the water would run and shut off, but that was how Evelyne would take her shower. The conservation of water was essential to Evelyne, but for Randel, it was the first time she viewed the use of water differently.

“It was the first time I had experienced that approach to water in person,” Randel recalled, about 12 years later. “I’d read about it, I’d heard about it, but I didn’t give any credence to it because I had never seen it.”

Evelyne had been one of five individuals visiting from Senegal, West Africa through the Rotary Group Study Exchange program. It has since changed, but at the time, the program consisted of two groups of four or more individuals who would travel to one another’s country, but specifically to its Rotary District. Rotary members within the district would host these individuals and Randel, who currently serves as Assistant Regional Rotary Foundation Coordinator, had been one.

Since 1991, Randel has been a devoted Rotarian, providing time and energy to the worldwide organization of Rotary.

For Randel, Evelyne reinforced the concept that there are still many who need aid and assistance, and Rotary is the best organization to accomplish this.

In 1905, in the bustling city of Chicago, Paul Harris launched the first Rotary Club meeting, which consisted of five businessmen, each man from a different profession.The vision Harris held for this organization was to gather, cooperate and learn from one another in a professional and organized manner. By 1909, Rotary was a national movement where clubs now spanned from San Francisco, Calif. to New York City, N.Y., and it now had a new priority - to do and bring good to the community. As the years came to pass, Rotary continued to grow and by 1928, it had extended worldwide.

Today, there are approximately 1.2 million dedicated Rotary members across the globe, who not only contribute their time in meetings, but in volunteering to provide assistance to others locally and worldwide.

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“We are an organization who prides itself in our philanthropy,” said Beverly Billings, President of the Lawrence Rotary Club. “Rotary International is a philanthropic organization - it’s a service organization and our motto is ‘Service Above Self,’ and so we all try to live that in our daily lives and in our work.”

Rotary works at the local, national and international level.

Locally in Lawrence, three clubs exist which are the Lawrence Rotary Club, Jayhawk Breakfast Rotary Club and Lawrence Central Rotary. Each club is consistent with its goals and overall mission, but where it differs is each club has its own agenda and approaches a variety of community projects. The major differences of the three clubs, however, are the locations and times of its meetings. These meetings are held weekly and host professional guest speakers, but the membership of each club varies.

“We have roughly 190 members and about 100 to 120 who come every Monday, and so it’s a wonderful venue for University of Kansas people, community people, even statewide people to come and talk about a particular topic,” Billings said.

Rotary is divided up into geographic regions, according to Randel. The starting point being the Rotary club, the club is then part of a district, the district is part of a zone and the world is divided into 38 zones, lastly Rotary International encompasses all. So while Billings serves as president at club-level, Randel serves at the zone level.

with the polio vaccine. So it’s a huge endeavor that we work on throughout the world.”

Rotary, in its existence, has accomplished what other organizations have been unable to do, which is to provide consistent and organized worldwide aid. Two main reasons justify why Rotary has had such success in helping each other and others locally, nationally and globally. According to Randel, one is it has no political affiliation or agenda, and the second is it has no religious affiliation, in other words, it’s secular and has no religious inclination or character. This has enabled Rotary to be much more effective than any organization can be that does have such an affiliation. In today’s world, that factor is more important than ever because Rotary has a huge volunteer force - the largest organization in the world of volunteers, according to Randel.

“We’re able to do things to help people in countries where an organization with a political bent or religious affiliation would not be allowed to do their work,” Randel said. “[People in another country] don’t have to fear what we’re doing there; they don’t have to wonder about ‘are we trying to convince them to try to do something,’ are we trying to convert them to some religion or some political ideology.’ We simply go in as volunteers and bring assistance to their people.”

This year, 2015, marks the 110th year of Rotary’s existence, but what has truly made this organization successful has been the strong dedication of its members throughout the years.

“My responsibilities at that level have to do with being a liaison for clubs and districts, and assisting them with Rotary Foundation matters and fundraising,” Randel said. “That’s my official work and then I have a district assignment.”

“We have some people who are our heart and soul, and who have been part of our club literally for decades and decades,” Billings said. “We have a wonderful tradition and legacy in terms of our club members and our club history.”

The Rotary Foundation is a separate corporation, which supports the activities of Rotary International, Randel stated. This organization has lived up and beyond its goals and its mission “Service Above Self,” as one of its major projects is the eradication of polio worldwide.

It was 1948 when Buck Newsome first joined Rotary in Elizabeth City, N.C. His second Rotary Club was in Brunswick, Ga., and his third was the Lawrence Rotary Club in 1958 when he became the Professor of Naval Science at KU.

“Rotary International’s most well-known philanthropy is PolioPlus,” Billings said. “We not only contribute money, but send Rotary teams all over the world to inoculate children 16

“It was a good way for a particular military man, who moved around quite a bit, to get re-established in the community,” Newsome said.

Since joining Rotary, Newsome has served as President of

the Lawrence Rotary Club and became District Governor of Rotary for eastern Kansas, and his family’s legacy in Rotary goes beyond that still.

“My dad was a Rotarian and started the first Rotary Club in Durham, N.C.,” Newsome said. “He ended up being the President of Rotary International, and was gone for about a year, he and mother, traveling all over the world.”

Newsome’s father imbued the value of serving others at a young age, and due to his commitment to the organization Newsome has been witness to some of the greatest changes in Rotary’s history. One being the classification system, in which each club had one, or possibly two individuals in each profession, such as a lawyer, a banker, an engineer, etc. Now, that classification system is lost, and one will find several individuals representing a single profession.

The second greatest change was the acknowledgement of women into Rotary.

“Our club had an ordeal about bringing women into Rotary,” Newsome recalled. “Former mayor, who was a Rotarian, resigned when he found out they were bringing women in he was against it as did some other people.”

Times have changed, however, and today there are more young women than young men who are Rotary members, according to Newsome. Throughout its history and its legacy, Rotary has demonstrated its ever-lasting dedication

to the improvement of local communities, disaster-stricken countries and development of countries.

“There’s a saying in Rotary that when a country needs help, they don’t have to call Rotary because Rotary is already there,” Randel said. “We have such capacity and such leverage because we work together and we don’t work against each other.”

Whether Rotarians have come together to support those during Hurricane Katrina or building a library in New Orleans for homeless or primarily homeless adults, Rotary holds its values in high regards of serving others above all.

“When you’re at a point in your life when you’re pretty well settled, know what you’re all about and if something seems to be missing a little bit in your life, you could think about joining an organization like Rotary, whose motto ‘Service Above Self’ is apparent. It’s a good way of utilizing your talents in an organized fashion to do organized good, rather than just going out and haphazardly doing something different everyday,” Newsome said. “It’s a good way of contributing to your community and to your city and to the world, really. We all owe something, it varies with each of us, but make sure you’re willing to commit yourself - don’t go in half-heartedly and then fall out.” p

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Prompt Care

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Physician Recruitment Focus of LMH plan to Best Serve Community

by JANICE EARLY, MBA, Vice President of Marketing and Communications at LMH

Recruitment of well-qualified physicians and health care providers to serve the community’s medical needs well into the future is a primary focus of Lawrence Memorial Hospital.

LMH is actively engaged in monitoring the number of physicians and advanced practitioners, which include advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs), serving the community. LMH works closely with hospital-employed and private physician practices to assist with recruiting efforts. According to industry benchmarks based on population, the community is particularly in need of primary care providers. The recruitment goal through 2017 is five additional family practice and six more internal medicine physicians.

Recently LMH expanded its commitment to the Eudora community with the addition of three new providers. Dr. Joseph Hawkins, Dr. Maribeth Orr and Nurse Practitioner Lorelei Witt joined Dr. Elizabeth Stamper at the Eudora Family Care practice. LMH and Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates also welcomed Dr. Leo Martinez, an ear, nose and throat specialist, to our community this spring. By the end of summer, two general surgeons, Dr. Jared Konie and Dr. Blake Conklin, will join Lawrence General Surgery; Dr. Martha Allen, an internist, and Dr. Jennifer Schrimsher, an infectious disease specialist, will join The Internal Medicine Group; and Dr. Heather Cunningham will join the LMH Oncology Center staff.

Attracting and retaining outstanding physicians is good for the community on many levels. Aside from increasing the capacity to diagnose and treat more people in a timely manner, the addition of new physicians and advanced practitioners contributes to the economic development of the community. New health care providers in our community mean the creation of more jobs as additional nursing and support staff are needed.

Keeping health care strong at the local level is the hospital’s goal. LMH invites the community to

join in welcoming these new providers, who are focused on serving the health and wellness needs of area residents: Joseph Hawkins, MD – Board-certified in family medicine, Dr. Hawkins graduated from the University of Kansas School of Medicine and has been in family practice since 2011. He and his family come to Eudora Family Care from Marysville, where he has practiced the last four years.

Maribeth Orr, DO – A graduate of Kansas City University of Medicine and Biosciences, Dr. Orr has been a board-certified family physician since 2005. She grew up in the Eudora area and most recently practiced in Shawnee and De Soto.

Lorelei Witt, APRN-BC – A board-certified family nurse practitioner, Witt completed her master’s degree in nursing at KU Medical Center in 2006. She has experience in cardiology, occupational health, wellness promotion, and family health care management of acute and chronic illnesses. She grew up and continues to live in the area.

Leo Martinez, MD – Board-eligible by the American Board of Otolaryngology, Dr. Martinez diagnoses and treats all types of adult and pediatric ear, nose and throat disorders. His special interests include treating allergy and sinus disease with minimally invasive, imageguided endoscopic sinus surgery, as well as obstructive sleep surgery and general head and neck surgery. Dr. Martinez grew up in Leavenworth and completed his medical degree at KU School of Medicine in 2008, before completing a surgical internship and otolaryngology residency at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. He is practicing at Lawrence Otolaryngology Associates in Lawrence. p 19

Gotta Dance

by ANNE BROCKHOFF photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Visit the Dance Gallery in west Lawrence during the school day and you’ll find a serene, earth-toned space. The four dance studios will likely be dark, and the fitness center empty. Swing by a few hours later, though, and you’ll be greeted by well-choreographed chaos.

Girls of all ages flood the building between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. Monday through Thursday to take one of the 15 or so classes slated for each night. They stream into the studios, cluster in the kitchen and do homework in a quiet side room—all of which makes studio director Tim Flattery very, very happy.

“As soon as 4 o’clock hits, we’re pretty much booked in every studio,” Flattery says.

About 200 girls from Lawrence and surrounding communities took ballet, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, tap, tumbling and acrobatics classes during the 2014-15 dance season, and about 55 of those participated in the Dance Gallery’s competitive troupe. Those numbers are on the rise, the Dance Gallery’s owners say.

“We spent last year doing all the right things to continue to grow—remodeling the studio, bringing Tim on board and just adding a few of the accessories parents like to have,” Grant Ryan says, who with his wife, Kristen Ryan, bought the studio last year.

“Our enrollment is up,” Kristen Ryan agrees.

Their success underscores a national trend. Dance is big 20

business these days, thanks in part to the popularity of television shows like Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance?” and “Dancing with the Stars” on ABC, according to research company IBISWorld.

The nation’s 8,264 dance studios were expected to generate $2.1 billion in revenue in 2013. Both numbers are on an upward trend as the economy improves and more people turn to dance for fitness and fun, according to IBISWorld.

Certainly Lawrence has plenty of choices for children and teens. Besides the Dance Gallery, local studios include Point A Dance Studio, which offers classes for kids ages six through 18, while its sister studio, Point B Dance, serves the 16+ crowd in its location near Bob Billings Parkway and Kasold. Dazzlers Christian Dance operates from a 6,000 square-foot studio in Hillcrest Shopping Center and has a range of options for girls age three through high school.

North Lawrence’s DancEHuges Studio’s schedule includes recreational, technical and competitive dance, while Lawrence Gymnastics & Athletics teaches parent-tot movement, ballet, jazz, tap and hip-hop. The Lawrence Arts Center has the area’s largest dance program, with some 60 classes ranging from ballet to jazz, tap and modern. It has in recent years added a pre-professional dance company and boys-only classes. Budding enthusiasts can also experience dance through the Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department.

“Dance has definitely gained momentum,” Kristen Ryan says. “In terms of Lawrence, we’re right there in providing opportunities.”

The Dance Gallery dates back to the early 1980s, making it one of the city’s longest-lived studios. Founder Karen Fender moved to several locations as it grew, finally settling in its current spot near the intersection of Legends Drive and Wakarusa Drive.

The Ryans came to Lawrence in 2007, and their daughter, Olivia, began taking classes at the Dance Gallery. She loved dancing, and her parents were equally impressed with Fender.

“The tradition, the excellence in training, the opportunity for kids—she really built a phenomenal program,” Kristen Ryan says, who is also the principal of Southwest Middle School in Lawrence. “She was a firm believer in proper technique, the importance of ballet, hard work and practice. That’s what made her successful.”

When the Ryans heard Fender was thinking of retirement, they approached her about buying the business. Fender announced the transition in December 2013 after about 10 months of discussions.

The studio then closed for two-week holiday break, and the Ryans set about renovating it. They painted the walls and replaced the flooring, upgraded the dance studios and sound system, installed a small kitchen and unveiled a new logo.

“We didn’t mention we were doing a whole new facelift ahead of time,” Flattery says. “When the girls came back, they were like ‘wow!’”

The Ryans officially took ownership of the studio in Janu21

ary 2014. They were confident in their ability to manage the business, but knew they needed a dance professional to oversee its programs. That’s where Flattery came in.

“We have seen a continued growth by bringing Tim on, with his professionalism and experience,” Grant Ryan says, who is also a senior vice president and commercial relationship manager at Sunflower Bank.

Flattery studied dance at the University of Kansas, where he also performed with the Rock Chalk Dancers. After completing his bachelor of fine arts degree, he interned with New York’s Broadway Dance Center and worked as a cast member and dancer for Holland America Cruise Line before returning to Lawrence to teach at the Dance Gallery and other area studios.

Now, Flattery oversees 13 instructors, including two professionals who’ve danced with the Tulsa Ballet and the Joffrey Ballet. He travels regularly to take master classes and workshops, and encourages instructors to do the same. He wants them to develop and experience new things, and then bring what they’ve learned back to the Dance Gallery, Flattery says. The idea is to balance creativity and new energy with the consistent teaching and solid dance foundation the studio is known for.

“That’s what helps set us apart,” Flattery says, who also volunteers as KU’s Rock Chalk Dance coach. “We have teachers who are willing to go and do that and keep broadening what we do.”

The Dance Gallery’s Facebook page is filled with grinning girls in sparkly costumes, often clutching gleaming trophies.

While the dancers will cherish those highlights for years to come, the impact goes far beyond what you see in photos.

Dance benefits students physically, helping them build range of motion, coordination, strength and endurance, as well as in less visible ways, according to the National Dance Education Organization’s website. It helps students learn to express their emotions and so contributes to psychological health and emotional maturity. It also builds social awareness, teaches cooperation, develops communication skills and contributes to cognitive development.

“Movement provides the cognitive loop between the idea, problem or intent and the outcome or solution,” the NDEO’s website states. “This teaches an infant, child and, ultimately, adult to function in and understand the world.”

The Ryans and Flattery agree. Dance helps girls (and while boys are welcome, the Dance Gallery’s roster is currently all-female) develop countless skills necessary for success in all walks of life.

“It teaches all of the habits of any sport—courage, hard work, teamwork,” Kristen Ryan says. “I always tell my daughter: dance isn’t really about dance. It’s about how to 22

live your life.”

Dance also benefits the community, partly by creating jobs, the Dance Gallery employees an office manager in addition to its director and instructors, and generating tax revenue.

The Ryans partner with Eileen’s Colossal Cookies’ Lawrence store to provide birthday cookies for dancers and use other local vendors whenever possible.

“Everything we do here we try to do locally,” Grant Ryan says. “If we order letterhead or dancewear, or have work done on the building, we try to support local businesses.”

The Ryans also welcome private coaches and personal trainers into their fitness center, spurring a bit of growth in that sector of Lawrence’s economy.

“We’re providing new opportunities and jobs that help someone else’s career prosper,” Grant Ryan says, who recently added the 3,800 square-foot fitness center, bringing the Dance Gallery’s total square footage to about 14,000.

“As business owner, if we’re helping them, that will eventually come back to us.”

Access to the fitness center helps improve students’ strength, conditioning and cardio, all with an eye toward making them stronger, healthier athletes. Parents who want to get in a workout while waiting for their kid’s class to end can use it too.

The Dance Gallery added another line of business this year as well—selling dance clothing, shoes and gear. Sales weren’t the main goal, though. Convenience was.

“The main line of business for the Dance Gallery is enrollment fees,” Grant Ryan says. “Those other lines of business are geared more toward enhancing the customer’s experience.”

Other “enhancements” include free Wi-Fi, a flat screen television, ample coffee in the kitchen and large observation windows in the studios. It all contributes to the experience, but quality dance education remains the priority.

“We’ve got a good, good range of kids, and we offer all different kinds of styles of dance,” Flattery says. “We’ve got a great ballet program here, too, which is the foundation of everything else.”

The dance season begins in August, and students rehearse their routines through the fall. For those in the troupe, competitions begin in January. The studio presents a final recital at the Lied Center each May, and this year’s season will conclude in June with the Stage One National Dance Competition in Branson, Mo. Classes continue through the summer, with the addition of a Cinderella-themed summer camp and a boot camp for advanced students.

Some students take private lessons throughout the year, and the studio hosts community-based Irish and folk danc23

ing groups. Dance Gallery also rents rehearsal space to KU sororities and fraternities preparing for the Rock Chalk Review, an annual musical variety show that raises funds for charity.

Many students begin as preschoolers and continue through high school. Others come and go as it fits their schedules.

Some want to dance on high school or college drill teams, or even continue professionally. Many simply enjoy dancing recreationally. All are welcome, Grant Ryan says.

“Our goal is we want to be flexible,” he says. “We want to provide the best customer experience for all the parents and students.” p Dance Gallery practices.

Right: Tim Flattery, studio director, instructs Olivia Ryan.

by ANNE BROCKHOFF photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

COMPETITIVE TRAMPOLINE

&

ALL STAR C HEER

Mention tumbling, trampolines or cheerleading to most parents, and they know exactly what you mean.

Unless you’re talking about those activities at GForce Athletics in north Lawrence, that is.

There, tumbling is a power sport, the Olympic-style trampolines can propel experts within reach of the gym’s 26-foot ceiling and athletes travel with four competitive All Star cheer teams. G-Force has recreational programs, too, but educating Lawrence residents about the many options is challenging, says co-owner Hallie Godfrey.

“That’s one struggle,” Godfrey says, who cheered at Fort Hays State University and the University of Kansas and shares ownership in G-Force with Jimmy Godfrey, her husband and head coach for KU’s Spirit Squad; Gail Kiefer and Michelle Leeker. “The lack of knowledge in the community is something we’re working on.”

That’s not surprising, considering that only about six percent of the 102,205 gymnasts who compete with USA Gymnastics, the sport’s national governing body, do trampoline and tumbling, and All Star cheer is still often confused with school-sanctioned, noncompetitive cheerleading.

But interest is growing. G-Force, which opened in 2004, drew almost 200 students from Lawrence, Topeka, Tonganoxie, Eudora, Basehor, Kansas City and Manhattan during the 2014-15 school year. Things slow in the summer, but G-Force still offers a range of classes at its Lawrence and Topeka locations.

Competitive cheer combines elements of gymnastic tumbling, dance, acrobatics and traditional cheerleading into a 2-1/2 minute musical routine, according to the U.S. All Star Federation. There’s also a prep cheer squad, which showcases similar skills but only practices part of the year.

Power tumbling is performed on an elevated spring runway that helps tumblers propel themselves forward while executing acrobatic maneuvers, according to the USA Gymnastics website.

Trampoline, which made its Olympic debut in 2000 at the Sydney games, demonstrates speed and skill, while the double-mini combines trampoline with tumbling. It begins with a vault-like approach run, and competitors then perform skills on a two-level trampoline before dismounting.

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“That one is really hard,” Godfrey says.

The National Acrobat Competition team is less demanding, with just one hour of practice a week. It combines power tumbling and dance, allowing kids to demonstrate age-level skills ranging from rolls and backbends (preschool level) to back handsprings (intermediate) and back flips (advanced).

“NAC is our stepping stone where kids get involved and see if they like the competitive side,” Godfrey says.

Kids who do participate in G-Force’s programs benefit in specific ways she says, and better health is just part of it.

“Gymnastics not only increases strength, grace and flexibility, but also encourages hard work, discipline and determination,” USA Gymnastic’s parent guide states. All of that, Godfrey says, adds up to better self-confidence.

“That comes with any sport,” she says. “It comes from seeing the progress in their skills.”

G-Force often hires its more advanced athletes as student instructors, giving them valuable work experience and putting them on the path to become coaches themselves. Many of its students have also received power tumbling and cheer scholarships and have competed at the college level.

Hers is a niche business, Godfrey admits, but it still adds to the local economy by creating jobs and boosting revenue.

“A lot of time, parents drop off kids and then go do their grocery shopping, or go downtown on Mass,” she says. “Sometimes I think we keep Sonic in business!” p

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Life Skills Sportsmanship & Working Hard

by BOB LUDER photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

KAN Do Hoops is a basketball academy in Lawrence where young boys and girls go to learn the X’s and O’s of the sport. Scores of aspiring athletes are taught the fundamentals – dribbling, passing and shooting.

On a recent rainy spring evening at Lawrence High School’s West Gym, about 30 boys in fifth through seventh grades were shown in repetitious detail the finer arts of moving away from the ball, setting proper screens and running around those screens.

All that replication of the basics, the blowing of whistles, breaking down the game’s smallest details is when KAN Do Hoops Owner, President and Head Coach Nick Marshall is fully in his element. He’s a basketball coach, a teacher of the game.

Yet, those aren’t the moments of practice Marshall covets most. Even more important are the group-huddle sessions, typically held at the beginning, middle and end of practice.

While that’s when Marshall perhaps most resembles a teacher leading class, he does NOT talk about basketball, at least not directly. These are the moments Marshall feels he is fulfilling the true mission of KAN Do Hoops – to mold upstanding young men and women who one day will make significant contributions to the community.

At the beginning of this particular practice, Marshall started by asking his players if they were working hard, not only on the court during practice, but in school. One youngster blurt28

ed out that he was making A’s in all his classes. Marshall led the entire huddle in an enthusiastic round of applause.

“We have as our motto – play hard, play smart, play together, have fun,” Marshall says. “We’re not big on wins and losses. We stress education, education, education.

We want to mold good, strong young people who do well in school and are good citizens. “Not everyone is going to make it to the big leagues.”

Don’t believe Marshall? Then just ask Lee Ice, Youth Sports Supervisor with the City of Lawrence Parks and Recreation Department, who is quick to produce a sheet of paper sent to him from a colleague and culled from a recent sports journal. It looks at six sports: men’s basketball, women’s basketball, football, baseball, men’s ice hockey and men’s soccer and, among other things, shows the percentage of high school and college athletes who make it to a professional league. Among high school athletes, 0.03 percent of men’s and women’s basketball players make it to the pros.

Football is 0.08 percent. Really want to make it to the top levels of your sport? Become a baseball player; 0.50 percent of high school players make it.

Ice, who’s been at his current job for 26 years, typically has his hands full scheduling and administrating hundreds of games, teams, tournaments, camps and clinics for sports ranging from basketball, baseball, softball, volleyball and indoor soccer. Much of that activity has brought a huge surge to the Lawrence economy, filling hotels, restaurants and other businesses.

For instance, with volleyball alone, there were 11 weekends through the first five months of 2015 where tournaments

filled the Sports Pavilion, each with anywhere from 60-94 teams. Some of those tournaments have brought about bookings of up to 200 hotel rooms in town, and many local businesses have reported business has doubled during these weekends. In fact, Ice has had to send some teams visiting for tournaments to hotels in Topeka and Kansas City because all local hotels have been filled.

Ice says it’s impossible to handle teaching every kid in his programs life and leadership skills. Instead, he teaches his coaches during periodic meetings and clinics what’s truly important to the kids.

“Teaching athletic skills is the easy part,” Ice says. “The harder part is, what’s a kid going to use later on in life? What are they going to use 10 years from now?”

That’s why Ice says, in his countless meetings with coaches, he always emphasizes keeping everything in perspective. It’s not about winning and losing, but more on teaching values such as respect, being on time and teamwork.

“What coaches should be proudest of,” Ice says, “is when a kid comes back years later and is a doctor or lawyer or successful in whatever field they’ve chosen. Kids I used to coach are now coaching for me. To see them pass on things

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I taught them is very gratifying.”

Kathy Allen, Club Director of the Lawrence Juniors Volleyball Club, couldn’t agree more with Ice’s last statement.

While she says LJVBC is a sports club and doesn’t offer any specific classes on leadership skills, she hopes her girls – 10 teams ranging in age from 11-under to 18-under – pick up those skills by playing volleyball.

“I’ve been in this business 25 years,” Allen says. “We’re in our second generation and have kids who have played here now coaching in our program. That’s a great source of pride for me.”

When parents approach Ice with interest about their children one day earning college scholarships, he says typically he encourages another avenue.

“If you want your kid to get an education paid for, then go to the library,” he says. “There’s a lot more (scholarship) money there than in athletics.”

One (athletics) can lead to the other (academics), however, according to numerous studies done on the subject. A recent study completed by a couple of women at the University of Kansas analyzed high-school testing, graduation and attendance data and found that the state’s student-athletes go to school more often and have higher graduation rates (98 percent to 90 percent) than non-athletes. A study done

by Dr. Roger Whitley in collaboration with the North Carolina High School Athletic Association showed that the average grade-point mean average of student-athletes was 2.86 compared to only 1.96 for non-athletes, while attendance, discipline referrals and dropout rates also favored athletes.

A couple of local coaches who did pay for their education through playing basketball are pushing the same values as Ice.

Nick Marshall and Grant Ryan teaching and coaching.

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With his Kansas United program, Jeff Hawkins, who played guard for the Kansas Jayhawks from 2001-06, “hangs his hat,” as he puts it, on his young athletes performing community service. When joining the program, each student-

athlete is presented with a list of expectations. At the top of that list is a requirement that each perform at least one community service project per season. Other expectations include attending all games, practices and meetings on time, respecting authority and maintaining control and good physical condition.

“Our biggest thing is giving back to less fortunate,” Hawkins says, whose mother was a long-time educator in Kansas City, Kan. “We want to teach kids to take care of things they can control, like attitude and effort. We want to teach them skills they can use for life after sports. We sneak in that message through basketball.”

One of Hawkins’ teammates at KU was former All-America forward Wayne Simien. Simien serves as Campus Director at KU for a ministry with the moniker Called to Greatness.

Simien discovered a faith in Jesus while a student-athlete at KU, and today he not only passes along his skills and knowledge to young people through a series of basketball camps sponsored by the ministry, but also shares that faith and what it has meant in his life after sports.

Matt Duncan, Director of Operations at Next Level Baseball Academy, which has 400 boys ages 8-18 in Lawrence, Topeka and Kansas City, believes his sport is perfectly suited for life and leadership skill-building. The slower pace of the game allows for more time for such interaction, he says.

“The cool thing about baseball is that players really spend more time together,” he says. “There’s a social aspect. Quiet kids get on the field and get comfortable. I’ve seen kids blossom socially on a baseball field.”

Because baseball is not a full-scholarship sport at most colleges, academics are always stressed in his program, Duncan adds.

“I make a promise to parents that, at the end of the day, your kid is going to be a better player and a better person,” he says.

Jeff Hawkins teaching and coaching.

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Duncan’s Next Level Baseball is headquartered at Team Performance, an indoor baseball/softball training facility in south Lawrence that, not yet one year into its existence, already serves 1,300 youngsters looking to improve their batting and pitching skills, as well as strength and conditioning.

“We want to be clear that Team Performance is not just a building,” says Aaron Clopton, managing partner.

“Our core is programming, and that programming revolves around maximizing total performance. We take a holistic approach. We want to raise standards, but spread it around to a lot of various areas.”

One of the areas Clopton says Team Performance focuses on is leadership. Every youngster who comes into Team Performance has an opportunity to join a leadership group which meets monthly and learns, among other things, how to present, communicate and raise funds.

“Our whole business model is on delayed gratification,” Clopton says. “Putting in time when no one else is. That there’s an investment in waiting until the end for the payoff.” p

Owen Robbins (top) and brother Miles (middle) getting batting instuctions/coaching.

Owner Matt Duncan (bottom) giving pitching instruction.

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Certified Environmental Drycleaner

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UNIVERSITY

IMPACT

3 Universities & 3 Student Populations Help Define Our Community

by ANNE BROCKHOFF

Driving east on 23rd Street, you might spot the Haskell Indian Nations University sign, or glimpse its stadium. But did you know it draws students from 40 states? And sits on 320 acres? Or that it’s been an integral part of Lawrence for more than 130 years?

You didn’t? Don’t feel bad. Douglas County has three universities, perhaps the highest density in Kansas, and as familiar as they are, there are a lot of folks who don’t know. In fact, Haskell, the University of Kansas and Baker University each contribute to the regional economy and quality of life in ways far beyond the readily visible students, symbols and sports.

“It’s really important to having that community feel and vibe that makes Lawrence a special place,” said Tim Caboni, KU’s Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs.

All three universities were founded in the latter half of the nineteenth century, and each evolved in its own way—KU as a publicly funded research and teaching institution, and Baker as private entity. Perhaps the most unique, though, is Haskell.

When it was formed in 1884, Haskell offered mostly agricultural education to elementary students, but by 1927 was an accredited high school. It evolved into a vocational-technical

photo by STEVEN HERTZOG

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college, and became Haskell Indian Junior College in 1970.

Haskell continued to grow in size and scope and, in 1993, it adopted the current name to reflect its role as a national center for education, research and cultural preservation.

“The length of time Haskell has existed and the changes that have occurred from the way it was originally established and what it’s doing currently—that in itself is an incredible story of resilience and making a difference in a positive way,” said Haskell President Venida Chenault.

Haskell is one of two universities funded by the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and it offers four baccalaureate programs and two associates degrees. It’s a truly intertribal university, with 800 American Indian and Alaska Native students representing 150 tribes from throughout the country. That yields an incredibly rich experience for both students and area residents.

“We have students from back east, from New Jersey, to the Navaho reservation, to the tribes in the Northwest,” Chenault said. “Our experiences, our cultures, our languages, our world views are not all the same.

“There’s diversity within diversity.”

Many of Haskell’s students return to their tribes to launch economic development initiatives, teach and otherwise con-

tribute to their communities after graduation. In some cases, they help rebuild structures that have collapsed under the weight of poverty, unemployment and other social issues, Chenault said. In others, they help expand the infrastructure, education and programs of thriving tribes. Still other graduates seek jobs and experiences elsewhere.

Haskell is primed to prepare them all.

“We need well-qualified professionals and employees at multiple levels in a number of tribes,” Chenault said. “Haskell is a key player in providing that human capacity.”

L-R Russell Bradley, Haskell Board of Regents; Dr. Venida Chenault, Haskell President; Sally Jewell, Secretary of the Interior and Thomas Zuni, Navajo and Haskell Graduate American Indian Studies.

Haskell is also an economic driver. Its operating budget of approximately $15 million feeds back into the community through institutional purchases of goods and services.

Many of the university’s 200 faculty and employees spend their paychecks here, and the student body, about 95 percent of which lives in on-campus housing, supports local businesses and services.

The university attracts thousands of out-of-towners and alumni to the area, thanks to homecoming, commencement and other events. Haskell’s cultural center, museum and its Indian Art Market (held annually on the second weekend in September) brings in even more, which boosts lodging, food, retail and entertainment revenue.

The university will soon undertake an economic study to better understand Haskell’s impact on Lawrence, and Chenault expects the results to be impressive.

“Most models look at about three times (your budget) in terms of economic impact,” she said. “We do have a footprint.”

Front L-R Stephen Prue, Alista Thorne, Barbara Wolfin, Venida Chenault, Dominic Goseyun. Middle L-R Charlie Perry, Beverly Foley, Christina Davey. Back L-R Marc Crooked Arm, Jacob Dixon, Peter Henry, Trevor Pueblo, Allyson Prue, Sarah Gowen

That footprint isn’t only financial. Haskell employees and alumni are involved in organizations such as the United Way of Douglas County, Douglas County CASA and Lawrence Cultural Arts Commission, and its administration regularly collaborates with city and county officials on a range of issues.

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Haskell partners with KU in student exchanges, music events and its elementary education students work with the Lawrence and Eudora school districts. It’s involved with the GaDuGi SafeCenter, a sexual assault support services provider, and the Willow Domestic Violence Center, both of which operate in Douglas, Franklin and Jefferson Counties. The Haskell Interfaith Council, the Kansas/Haskell LIGHT Campus Ministry, Lawrence Indian United Methodist Church and others fortify relationships between students and the city’s faith groups.

“One of my priorities was to build the relationship between Haskell and the community. We’re not done,” Chenault said, who would like to see art walks and other events to bring residents onto campus.

“I want them to understand what we’re doing here, and see how significant this university is nationally,” she said.

Chenault’s is a worthy goal, and it’s one shared by KU. “We want to get off the hill and be part of Lawrence,” echoes Caboni. “We want Lawrence to know the campus is open and welcoming. We want folks to be part of KU, too.”

Certainly sports are a highlight, as is the Lied Center, Spencer Museum of Art (closed for renovation until mid-2016) and the KU Biodiversity Institute & Natural History Museum.

Countless smaller exhibits, events and activities also contribute to Lawrence’s cultural life.

KU faculty, staff and students collaborate on arts, music, dance and theater events, including the Free State Festival in June. They also volunteer, most notably through the annual Big Event. The 2015 version had planned to send 3,600 KU volunteers to 311 job sites across Lawrence before being canceled due to adverse weather. It will return next year, Caboni said.

“It’s just one way the students say thank you to the community that supports us so well,” Caboni said.

KU’s presence also produces measurable gains, including productivity and earnings, knowledge creation, new products and services and an enlarged workforce, according to an economic impact study completed by the Kansas Board of Regents.

The KBOR system’s 32 members, including KU, generated $7.3 billion in sales and $3.4 billion in wages and salaries in 2010, the most recent year for which figures are available.

That translates into an $11.94 return on each dollar in state tax support, according to the study.

KU tops the KBOR list when it comes to the scale of that impact. With an operating budget of $863 million in 2010, it had an overall sales impact of $1.8 billion and paid $1 billion in wages and salaries.

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“We have a tremendous effect,” Caboni said. “What would the community miss without the $1.8 billion economic impact? Lawrence would be a different place.”

KU is Kansas’ largest employer KU is Kansas’ largest employer, Caboni said, and its 13,000 employees include 1,600 faculty at the Lawrence campus; 1,100 at the medical center in Kansas City, Kan.; and more at the Overland Park, Wichita and Salina locations. Thousands of additional staff and employees work to keep all of those facilities and functions running smoothly.

“We generate our own power, maintain a fleet of vehicles, make sure the walls are painted and the grass is mowed, and people are fed,” Caboni said of the main campus. “We do all the things a small town would do.”

KU patronizes local vendors whenever possible, its employees shop here and its 27,983 students contribute through their spending on housing, food, transportation, clothing, entertainment and other goods and services.

The university also helps create new businesses and jobs through efforts like the Bioscience & Technology Business Center (BTBC), which fosters the bioscience and technology industries through a partnership between KU, the City of Lawrence, Douglas County, the Kansas Department of Commerce and the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce.

The BTBC works with everything from private sector startups, KU spinouts and student-run enterprises to established companies. Launched in 2010, the BTBC now has 30 tenants that together have 150 employees and an aggregate payroll of more than $8 million, Caboni said.

“This focus on growing our own is going to be very important,” he said.

Other initiatives include KU Innovation & Collaboration, which works with entrepreneurs and corporations to bring technologies and innovations to market, and RedTire, a program that helps rural businesses find successor owners.

KU also plays a vital role in the state’s health. In addition to training medical professionals, a variety of programs extend and enrich care in rural and underserved areas. The University of Kansas Cancer Center (the state’s sole National Cancer Institute) is a regional asset, and ongoing research benefits patients in a myriad of ways. Want an example?

Eight of the 17 most commonly used cancer drugs were developed at KU, Caboni said.

KU’s 13 schools, including medicine and pharmacy, offer more than 360 degree programs, helping prepare students for a range of careers. It also bolsters workforce readiness through its Dwayne Peaslee Technical Training Center, a partnership between business and industry, the Economic Development Council of Lawrence and Douglas County, City of Lawrence, Douglas County, the Lawrence Chamber of Commerce and Unified School District 497. Its programs range from carpentry and welding to computers, manufacturing and industrial electricity.

Continuing education is also a priority for KU. Its Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center is the state’s central law enforcement training facility, providing basic, specialized and distance learning programs for about 5,000 Kansas officers annually.

KU’s Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute staff brings real world training to fire departments with equipment such as a grain engulfment rescue training vehicle that has a grain bin, grain hopper and metal cutting station and can simulate the environment in which most such rescues occur.

“They work with local fire departments to help them learn that if someone falls into a grain silo, there is a very specific way you save that life,” Caboni said. “That’s huge for a state as agriculturally focused as Kansas.”

Baker University, in Baldwin City, is also essential to the regional economy. Founded in 1858, it’s named for Osmon Cleander Baker, a distinguished scholar and bishop of what is now the United Methodist Church, according to Baker’s website. It’s a private university, so funding comes from tuition, investments and private donations rather than taxpayers.

The university had 3,116 students in 2014-15. About a third of those were enrolled in College of Arts and Sciences and School of Education undergraduate programs at its Baldwin City campus, with the remainder attending locations in Kansas and Missouri.

Top: Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little at commencement.

KU Graduation 2015. Photos courtesy KU Marketing Communications

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Baker has 751 faculty and staff with a combined payroll of $5.4 million. Murray said 124 of those live in Baldwin and help underpin the local economy. The university itself also patronizes local vendors.

What does that add up to? In answer, Murray pointed to a 2014 report commissioned by the Kansas Independent College Association. According to the report, the KICA’s 18 member colleges and universities had a total payroll of $177.6 million and together spent $181.1 million on goods and services in 2012-13. Some 62 percent of students stay in the state after graduation, and former students employed here added another $720 million to its economy. Out-ofstate students contributed $15.6 million to its coffers, while visitors brought in some $14.1 million.

That brings the total effect to $980.8 million, or 0.8 percent of Kansas’ gross state product, according to the report.

The cultural impact is harder to measure, but equally valuable. Baker offers art, theater, music and educational programming during the year, and most of it is free and open to the public, Murray said. Together with athletic events,

student orientations and commencements, they bring thousands of visitors to southern Douglas County.

That will likely increase with the opening of the Baker Wetlands Discovery Center later this year. The center will include 900-plus acres, offering miles of trails and a glimpse of Douglas County’s most diverse habitat.

“The center will serve as a tremendous educational resource to Douglas County residents,” Murray said. “People of all ages will have the opportunity to learn more about the wetlands and the natural ecosystem.”

Less visible but no less important are Baker volunteers. In addition to fundraising and events, they work with a wide range of education, church, civic, recreation, athletic, arts, government and health care organizations, Murray said.

“Baker students, administrators, faculty and staff are well known for being active volunteers in their communities,” Murray said. “Baker is valued as a key partner in the communities they serve.” p

Baker University President, Lynne Murray and May 2015 graduate Kacee Britton under the new House of Hanover Gate. Photo credit Mark Hutchinson.

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Learning Jobs Van Go & Cottonwood

by BOB LUDER photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

It’s a beautiful spring day, and bodies hustle and bustle about with abundant and infectious energy and enthusiasm as two of Lawrence’s prominent social service agencies go about the daily business of changing challenged lives for the better.

At Cottonwood Incorporated, a sprawling office and warehouse campus on the city’s south side where individuals with disabilities are supported with a vast array of life skills and jobs training, employees remove labels from canned goods, bag, box and seal any variety of other goods and manufacture straps to hold cargo in place during shipping.

Most, if not all of the couple hundred employees wear earto-ear smiles, eager to offer greetings to visitors.

Things are quieter but just as active across town at Van Go Inc., an organization tucked into the northeastern corner near downtown Lawrence, just across the street from the railroad depot. A group of about 10 youths are learning about video production and, in fact, are making their own documentary about Van Go itself. It’s the latest project in the agency’s ongoing mission of using art to change the lives for the better of at-risk youths - those suffering from living in poverty, as part of dysfunctional families, dealing with mental and behavioral health issues or any combination thereof.

For those lucky enough to find their way to one of these agencies, Cottonwood and Van Go are lifelines to lives they might never have imagined.

“I’ve learned that I have a future, and I’m learning what I want to do with that future,” says Annastasia Payne, who came to Van Go more than a year ago as a troubled 16-yearold struggling from social anxiety and depression. “When I started working here, I was having trouble making friends and meeting new people. Getting this job helped me out of my shell. It taught me how to be a better employee.

“I recently had my first solo art show, and I would never have had that opportunity if not for Van Go.” A wall pieced together by a row of cubicles in the front office at Cottonwood, plastered with dozens of pictures of disabled individuals posing proudly at their daily jobs, says what many perhaps cannot say themselves. They work at local fast-food chains, convenience stores, Montessori schools and other countless employers. These folks, like the youngsters at Van Go, have taken full advantage of opportunities afforded by the support they’ve received.

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Cottonwood Incorporated started in 1972 with 30 employees in an 8,000 square feet of space. Today, the company employs 209 in a massive compound of 66,000 square feet and supports between 580-600 people with developmental disabilities. In 1995, through the federal government’s Developmental Disability Reform Act, Cottonwood became the Community Development Disabilities Organization (CDDO) for Douglas and Jefferson Counties, making Cottonwood the single point of entry connecting all individuals with developmental disabilities to the network of services in the area.

According to Peggy Wallert, Director of Community Relations/Development, Cottonwood focuses on teaching its consumers “soft” skills – how to make and maintain eye contact, respecting personal space, perhaps something as simple as how to properly shake a hand. Many who come to Cottonwood suffer from autism, making many of these skills challenging.

“Getting and maintaining a job requires a wide range of skills,” Wallert says. “People who come into our system are people who are going to need our help throughout a lifetime. That means we need to accomplish three things: have a deep understanding of the disability, get people to express what it is they like and then support them in any way we can.

“What we try to do is make it so these people have the most seamless, independent life possible.”

What makes Cottonwood unique is that it is both a business and a work training center.

Individuals are trained by a staff of job consultants on what to expect and how to act at a job interview. There are classes on how to dress for success and how to count money.

They can receive help with job placement through two avenues. Work Services is an onsite work program that provides employment on a variety of contracts Cottonwood Industries has with other businesses. JobLink is Cottonwood’s community employment division, assisting individuals with jobs in the Lawrence community. Once a month, Work Services and JobLink come together to form JobConnect, a work club that stresses those “soft” skills so important in becoming independently employed.

Hundreds of Cottonwood clients go to work for Cottonwood Industries, the business side of Cottonwood that manufac-

Annastasia Payne, working on Van Go project

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tures, among other things, those cargo straps for the U.S. Department of Defense, which averages $10 million in sales annually and is the company’s largest contract. Many Cottonwood consumers work at both Cottonwood Industries and in the community.

The result has been a huge boon to the Lawrence economy.

“Since the mid-1980s, Cottonwood has helped develop more than 2,300 jobs in the Lawrence area,” says Phil Bentzinger, Director of JobLink. “We have 240 people employed in 180 businesses. In a college town that experiences a lot of turnover in the labor force, that’s provided some stability.”

Bentzinger points to a study, Research and Practice with Severe Disabilities (RSPD), that showed from 2002-07, supported employees funded by vocational rehabilitation throughout the country returned an average monthly net benefit to taxpayers of $251.34, an annual benefit of $3,016.08, per employee and generated a cost-benefit ratio of 1.46.

“It’s been generally a good experience,” says Mark Maranell, general manager at Ekdahl Dining Center in the University of Kansas Memorial Union, which has employed 56 Cottonwood consumers since 1996. “Employees we get from Cottonwood like having this job, they care about their job, and they want to do a good job. They’re available to work at times of day when a lot of our college students can’t work. And, they’re long-term employees who are dependable, which helps keep our turnover costs down.”

Jon Smiley, owner of Cork and Barrel, a wine and spirits retailer with two locations in Lawrence, said he also has had positive experiences with employees he’s hired from Cottonwood.

“It’s been great,” Smiley said. “They’ve been efficient and

Top: Mary Owen, right, working at Cottonwood with the cargo straps.

Bottom: Mary at her job at Cork and Barrel.

on time, and they’re very hard-working. They’re a part of our family.”

Smiley said, typically, employees from Cottonwood come into the stores early in the mornings and work in stocking and cleaning.

“Absolutely, we’ll hire more Cottonwood folks here in the future,” he said. “It’s been a great partnership.”

Wallert says, “It’s a partnership that works for everyone.”

The artwork of the employees who work at Van Go is omnipresent throughout Lawrence. In fact, it can safely be said that Van Go’s young artists have transformed the landscape of the city with their colorful, high-quality works of art.

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Annastasia Payne with Max Falkenstien and the bench she created for him.

Perhaps nothing has had as big an impact, at least visually, as Van Go’s Benchmark program, a summer project in which employees commission with Lawrence companies and organizations to design, build and decorate benches that specifically reflect that company’s/organization’s interests or purpose. Typical price for a bench is $1,000, and Kristen Malloy, Director of Programming at Van Go, says there are more than 250 benches displayed throughout the community.

Remember Annastasia Payne, the young artist who credits Van Go with bringing her out of depression and her social shell? Her favorite project is a bench she created for Max Falkenstien, legendary KU sports broadcaster that is radiothemed and sits inside Allen Field House.

“It’s awesome to see how many people walk by it every day,” Payne says.

Van Go started in 1997 when Lynne Green, the organization’s executive director, recognized a need for a population of at-risk youth to have after-school engagement. At first, Green, a social worker and art gallery owner, provided outreach to public housing driving a 1972 Checker limousine.

Eventually, money was raised through a public capital campaign and the space Van Go now occupies a few blocks east of downtown was established. Like Cottonwood, Van Go’s space has expanded greatly over the years. What started as 3,500 square feet is 12,500 today.

constantly surpassed federal guidelines for employment, education and basic skills proficiencies.

In 2005, Van Go was awarded the Coming Up Taller Award, a national award given each year to exemplary programs that enhance the lives and learning of young people through the arts and humanities. Green accepted the award in Washington, D.C. from then-First Lady Laura Bush and has a picture of the occasion on a cabinet in her office.

“We were very proud of that,” Green says. “We’re the only Kansas organization to win that award.”

For the employees of Van Go and Cottonwood, sources of pride are as abundant as the high energy and smiles that decorate their work spaces each and every day. p

“She saw art as a vehicle for self-expression and self-esteem,” Malloy says. “We give youngsters on-the-job training and pay them an hourly wage. And, we build in social training around that, developing leadership and job skills.”

Van Go accepts youths 14-21. The JAMS (Jobs in the Arts Makes Sense) program is for the 14-18 year-olds; the older youths are in the TAT (The Arts Train) program. To stay employed at Van Go, employees must do two things: attend school every day and show a willingness to learn and try hard every day.

The impact Van Go has on the youths that attend and to the community is as real and large as that of its neighbors at Cottonwood. A survey of Van Go alumni conducted in 2012 showed that 91 percent felt Van Go prepared them for future employment; 94 percent felt their lives were made better by working there. Since its inception, Van Go has

45

More Than

by LIZ WESLANDER photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Music Education in Lawrence Teaches Life Skills, Builds Community and Keeps Traditions Alive While almost everyone enjoys listening to music in one form or another, many do not fully appreciate the potential benefits that learning to play music can have for both individuals and the community. A number of local music-education businesses and organizations say that more people should take “note” of the positive effects of music education, including building life skills, enhancing cognitive ability and creating community connections.

Lawrence Piano Studio

Eric Sakumura, Owner and Founder of Lawrence Piano Studio, has been providing piano instruction in Lawrence for 32 years. Sakumura has Bachelor’s degrees in both Piano Performance and Chemistry from the University of Kansas, and first started teaching lessons while he was working on his teaching certification in chemistry. Sakumura and his team of 10 assistant piano instructors, most of whom are music majors from KU, teach group lessons for younger children and individual lessons for people of all ages. While Lawrence Piano Studio has a number of advanced piano-performance students, Sakumura said that cultivating life skills and an appreciation for music is the studio’s primary goal.

“I don’t have all of my students on what I would consider to be a concert track,” Sakumura said. “That’s not really the point. I think the point is that you enrich your soul by learning to play music and then you decide how you want to incorporate it into your life. If we can make this an enjoyable process, then students will have skills that they can draw on for the rest of their lives.”

The curriculum at Lawrence Piano Studio includes note reading, music composition, blues improvisation and performance. Sakumura compares the process of learning to read music to learning a new language, which is why he likes to include composition in the studio’s instruction.

“I think that composition is a very important thing for students to participate in because Top: Eric Sakumura instructs Eli Stone.

Bottom: Classroom

46

Music

you wouldn’t teach someone how to read without teaching them how to write,” Sakumura said. “The students learn how to take the notes on the page and play them on the keys, so I want them to figure out something on the keys and then learn how to put the notes down on the page.”

Lawrence Piano Studio holds recitals each semester at the Lawrence Arts Center. While students are not required to participate, Sakumura encourages students to perform because it helps them learn to deal with nerves and leads to a sense of accomplishment.

“We are not looking for perfection by any means,” Sakumura said. “With performances I emphasize learning how to move on from mistakes when they happen, because they do happen.”

Lawrence Children’s Choir Top : Colorado Trip St. Fidelis and Hays Bottom: Colorado Tour Singing by Fire Pit

Sakumura said there are numerous studies that cite the benefits that learning to play music has on brain development and academic outcomes. He would love to see parents who have their children in multiple sports place one of those sports aside and invest that money in music lessons.

“Music makes for a more-rounded individual,” Sakumura said. “Over the years I’ve had probably thousands of people tell me that they took piano lessons when they were younger, and that they wish their parents would have never let [them] quit, but I’ve never run into someone who has told me they were really upset that their parents made them learn how to play the piano.”

Lawrence Children’s Choir Lawrence Children’s Choir is another long-standing organization dedicated to musical education in Lawrence. Founded in 1991 by sisters Janeal Crabb Krehbiel and Marilyn Crabb Epp, LCC offers choral education for children in preschool through 10th grade via various levels of choirs, all of which meet at West Middle School. Three choirs for younger students, called Capo, Cadenza and Choristers focus on developing singing fundamentals such as rhythm, tone and basic music reading.

LCC’s Tour Choir is the organization’s top-level, audition-based choir for children in fifth through 10th grade and is made up of 80 students from Lawrence and surrounding communities. The Tour Choir rehearses for 90 minutes each week, learning more than 20 songs each year, many of which are in fourpart harmony and/or foreign languages. As the name suggests, LCC Tour Choir travels throughout the state and country for performances, and it has also performed in Latvia, Lithuania, Germany and England in the past several years.

Lawrence Children’s Choir’s Artistic Director Carolyn Welch said that because most elementary schools do not have school choirs outside of regular music

The Benefits of

Music Education

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT:

• Playing music can help students improve grades and test scores • Music students perform better on college entrance exams • Music majors are the most likely group of college graduates to be admitted to medical school • Playing music can help under-achievers • Playing music can make a person emotionally healthier • Music can help stroke victims regain language capabilities Source: A Summary of Current Scientific Literature Concerning Music and the Mind. Compiled by The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy.

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class, Lawrence Children Choir’s lower level ensembles fill a niche for younger children who enjoy and excel at vocal music. At the middle school and high school level, Lawrence Children’s Choir is distinct from school choirs in the same way that club athletic teams are distinct from school athletic teams, Welch said.

“We have excellent programs in our public school, but LCC is operating on a different level because we have some of

the best singers from all of the schools,” Welch said. “We hope that the kids that sing in LCC take their additional experience back to their school ensembles and act as leaders.”

Like Sakumura, Welch believes that musical education cultivates numerous life skills. The Tour Choir’s 90-minute rehearsals require physical stamina and concentration, Welch said, and memorizing complex music and lyrics is a great

Peter Lague, owner Americana Mucic Academy

mental workout. Lawrence Children’s Choir also hones manners, Welch said.

“Choir members are expected to be polite and delightful when we travel,” Welch said. “If they don’t have good manners when they leave on a trip, they certainly have good manners by the time they come back.”

Like many sports, choir also emphasizes teamwork, Welch said.

“I call choir the ultimate team sport. You have to work hard together to be very precise,” Welch said. “When you’re in choir it’s not about you; it’s about being part of the beautiful and wonderful whole.”

Americana Music Academy Creating music with others is also a central theme at Americana Music Academy, a local non-profit with the mission of “carrying on the tradition of American roots music.”

Americana operates out of a 3-story blue and pink historic house near 15th and Massachusetts Streets teaching individual music lesson and acting as a venue for community building and outreach.

Americana Mucic Academy Greg Pelligreen giving Tristan Delnevo blues guitar lesson

Executive Director Peter Lague said that American roots music encompasses a number of musical styles that have been passed down via a variety of cultural communities in the U.S. “We don’t exclude any variety of American music,” Lague said. “We teach rock, jazz, and blues in addition to the traditional folk, bluegrass, and mountain music.”

A staff of 14 teachers, most of whom work as part-time independent contactors for Americana, teach individual lessons in the many rooms spread throughout the Americana house. The instructors’ areas of expertise cover the spectrum of stringed instruments, as well as percussion, piano, singing and songwriting.

While lessons are Americana’s bread and butter, a calendar full of community jams and camps is its heart and soul.

Americana hosts a weekly Saturday jam, open to anyone in the community, where a group of musicians that can range in number from eight to 30 gather to play folk and rock music. Americana also hosts regular jams specifically for beginning musicians as well as a ukulele jam, an old-time fiddlers’ jam and a monthly songwriters’ circle.

“You can sit at home and play by yourself, and yes it helps the brain and helps the mechanics and everything like that,” Lague said. “But when you step out of your comfort zone and play with others, you start to create something that’s completely different. It’s not just about you playing, it’s about sharing something with somebody else, and that’s where the community part comes in.”

Americana puts on day camp sessions during the summer where children can explore American roots music, folk art and dance. The camp includes opportunities for making instruments out of simple materials like clay and gourds and also gives kids the chance to make music together in a relaxed setting.

The Benefits of

Music Education

SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH HAS FOUND THAT:

• Playing music can help students improve grades and test scores • Music students perform better on college entrance exams • Music majors are the most likely group of college graduates to be admitted to medical school • Playing music can help under-achievers • Playing music can make a person emotionally healthier • Music can help stroke victims regain language capabilities Source: A Summary of Current Scientific Literature Concerning Music and the Mind. Compiled by The Foundation for Universal Music Literacy.

“A lot of funky instruments that came out of the American tradition of making simple instruments,” Lague said. “It’s the tradition part of that that we want to keep going. We don’t want to lose that connection to community and creativity.” p 49

EDUCATION WITHOPTIONS Private Schools Offer Options for Students

by TARA TRENARY photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

With the challenges we face in the world today, providing our kids with the best education possible has become paramount. Though cliché, it has never been truer: Our children are our future.

yBishop Seabury Academyx Bishop Seabury Academy was founded in 1990 by a group of parents interested in forming an independent high school in Lawrence. It is a nonprofit organization financed by student tuition and a member of the Independent Schools Association of the Central States (ISACS), which provides accreditation, professional development and support services to its member schools throughout the Midwest. Though the school’s board does not run the school, it does hire and fire the head of school, set goals for the school and look after its fiscal workings.

To be selected as a teacher at Bishop Seabury, candidates are required to have undergraduate degrees, and Schawang prefers an additional degree in their specified field of expertise. Students must fill out an application, provide transcripts and complete an interview, and their grades must be up to par to be accepted.

Don Schawang, Bishop Seabury Academy Head of School addressing students and staff

Lawrence parents have many varied options when it comes to choosing a school for their children. Though many will automatically go the public-school route for various reasons, including good local public schools, private-school options are there to be explored. Because parents want the best when it comes to their children, a private-school education might be the best choice for your family.

Educators agree that parents need options when it comes to choosing the right schools for their kids. Most importantly, they need to explore and be educated about those options. “When students feel more comfortable, they’re going to be more academically successful,” says Don Schawang, Bishop Seabury Academy Head of School. “Education is so important. Every parent has a right to look at what environment is best for their kids.”

Luckily for this community, options are not few and far between.

And each private school here has a very different approach, a good thing for those parents who are unsure exactly what will work best for their children. Following is a look at some private schools in Lawrence and what they have to offer your child.

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“It’s a matter of the right fit,” Schawang says.

Tuition assistance is provided through the FAST program, which recommends awards for families based on certain financial criteria.

The school, grades six through 12, operates under two hemispheres, academic and character development, both of which are equally important.

“We specifically are a college-preparatory school,” Schawang says. “Our school is for students who love to learn.

The academic achievement is very strong.”

At Bishop Seabury, it is understood that students are planning to attend a four-year college after graduating. With this in mind, the school offers a core curriculum required for college admission and academic success at the college level.

It also offers “Honors” classes to junior and seniors who want to distinguish themselves academically.

“We are not populated by geniuses but are for a range of motivated students who want to be challenged,” Schawang explains.

Focusing on character development is another aspect of Bishop Seabury that contributes to its success.

“You’ve got to have the individual respecting and supporting

the community,” Schawang says.

This development starts with the school’s focus on studentcentered learning. Classes are small with lots of individual attention and have tables, not desks, to promote healthy discussion. The school holds “Morning Meetings” every day, during which students are able to chat with a staff adviser and other students on life topics of their choice. Students are also required to change lunch seating every couple of weeks to encourage social interaction.

“We try to create an environment where everybody knows everybody else,” Schawang says. “It inspires more thoughtfulness.”

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51

Students must get involved in two seasons of nonacademic activities, with sports and theater being strongly encouraged, as well as serve community-service hours through the school’s Community Service Program. Middle school students must serve 20 hours; high school students must serve 30 hours plus complete a service project of their choice.

Overall, Schawang says Bishop Seabury’s goal is to help its students become the very best they can be as young adults contributing to society. “When you come into the school, you can feel something different here. Students are happy and respected; teachers care. This is a place where it’s cool to be smart,” Schawang says.

yCentury Schoolx Century School is a nonprofit organization founded in 1994 by a former KU professor of applied behavior science as an alternative to public school. This year-round school for ages three through 12, financed by student tuition, is dedicated to the requirements of modern families. Parents can schedule their own arrival and departure times, as well as attendance, eliminating the need for before- or after-school care.

The school is located in a house so students feel like they are at home, and it’s in the heart of downtown Lawrence so they can learn what it’s like to be part of the community as a whole and get involved as much as possible.

Classes at Century School are mixed-age with no more than 12 students and one teacher per class, making it ideal for personalized attention from teachers. Because of this individualized approach, teachers are able to address each student’s needs and behaviors proactively.

“It’s a truly efficient model,” says Jon Stutler, Century School’s Principal Teacher.

From its inception, Century School is rooted in behavior analysis and focuses on encouraging kids to practice helpful behaviors through positive reinforcement. Teachers, to address each individual child’s needs, are constantly evaluating the social, physical and emotional aspects of students and their education.

“You can’t think of kids as a group; they are an entity of one,” Stutler explains.

This “entity of one” concept is evident in the school’s approach to education. The self-paced atmosphere balances its mixed-age classes with younger students learning from older students’ examples. Teachers are the “world’s best cheerleaders” for their students and emphasize making good choices in all areas, such as friendship, citizenship and academics. And everything at Century School is taught to mastery.

“Our school is an example of a really positive, attractive community of teachers and students all pulling in the same direction,” Stutler says. “It’s not just one thing that makes us unique; it’s that so many of these things have been thought out and improved upon.”

At Century School, the relaxed, competition-free environment is a haven for students who benefit from a more one-on-one approach and teachers who enjoy the freedom of working very closely with each and every one of their students.

“More than anything, our parents have access to the teachers, who ultimately give them the confidence that their kids are in the right hands,” Stutler says.

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Top: Century School classroom Bottom: Century School

New media center at Corpus Christi

yCorpus Christi Catholic Schoolx What began as Lawrence Catholic School in 1997 in response to growing demand for Catholic education in the community, Corpus Christi Catholic School is a unified school system owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and financed by the parish. However, those who are not members of the parish pay yearly tuition. The school promoted its first class in the spring of 2007. In August 2011, its first school year began with grades six, seven and eight, aligning Corpus Christi with the most traditional Catholic schools in its archdiocese. Today, it is a preschool through eighth-grade school.

Garrett Maurer and Sean Lim in science lab

Accredited through AdvancED, Corpus Christi’s curriculum meets the requirements of the State of Kansas, the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas and the North Central Association for Accreditation. Students take State of Kansas standardized tests, among others, and teachers must be licensed through the state and certified through the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas.

Corpus Christi aims to be a “home away from home” for its students, Corpus Christi Principal Mary Mattern says, with Christ-centered classes on the smaller side, each averaging 17 students and one teacher. To make sure students get the

Corpus Christi Catholic School Come Experience the Difference 53

education they and their parents expect, teachers look at students individually and put a learning plan together for them that will keep them steadily moving forward. They know each child personally and have been “taught to teach to every student.”

“We expect a lot out of the kids,” Mattern explains. Infusing the Catholic piece into the curriculum is one of the things that sets Corpus Christi apart from the rest.

Students at Corpus Christi are also very involved in giving back to the community. From donating to the homeless shelter and the humane society, to participating in Just Food and Habitat for Humanity, to collecting coats for area Native American reservations, Corpus Christi is “constantly, as a school, challenging ourselves to make a difference,” Mattern explains.

Technology and the arts are also a large focus at Corpus Christi. A new multimedia center, built large enough so multiple classes can use it simultaneously, keeps the school ahead of the game.

“This multimedia center is worth its weight in gold, as scheduling of classes both on the master schedule as well as individual teachers’ lesson plans is much easier,” Mattern says.

High tech doesn’t stop there: Each middle school student is given a MacBook Air for use at school, and each classroom is equipped with a minimum of four laptops as well as a Polyvision ENO board.

“It’s not just the numbers here,” Mattern concludes. “It’s truly about the child and what we can do for them.”

yPrairie Moon Waldorf Schoolx The only Waldorf school in Kansas to date, Prairie Moon School opened in Lawrence in 2004 to provide its students with a multisensory approach to education, blending artistic, practical and academic work. In 2007, it earned the right to use “Waldorf” in its name after being designated a developing Waldorf school by the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA). Prairie Moon meets AWSNA and Waldorf Early Childhood Association of North America (WECAN) standards. This preschool through eighth-grade school also offers a tuitionassistance program.

Getting Waldorf-trained teachers in Kansas can be difficult, so the school also hires teachers with a bachelor’s degree and a commitment to work toward a Waldorf Teaching Certificate. To further support their training, the school brings in teacher trainers and hosts multiple training opportunities per year for its own faculty and faculty visiting from other schools across the country. Teachers also work with mentors (Master Teachers) from other Waldorf schools to hone their Waldorf skills.

A Waldorf education strives to mold students into creative, motivated, confident adults by educating the “whole” child and providing an enlivened education. It emphasizes developing its students’ intellectual, physical and social skills while also recognizing their spiritual nature.

“How we teach is different,” says Melissa Watson, Prairie Moon Administrator. “The data isn’t important, it’s how [students] learn. How connected they stay to the act of learning is very important.”

Left Corpus Christi Corpus Christi first graders in the Story Corner Katherine Stienman and Taylor Eastland begin to dissect pig.

Top of page and right: Praire Moon class rooms.

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Your Local Friends

Prairie Moon’s nurturing, homelike environment fosters an academic, artistic and practical education for its students.

An importance is also placed on honoring spirit, cultivating freedom and fostering harmony with the natural world. The school aims to “remove the anxiety and fears around academics” in their students, Watson says. It also tries to keep students at their appropriate age and protect their development as a child.

“We’re really looking at what’s appropriate for the child at each age level.”

Prairie Moon teachers work to foster their students’ natural love of learning using music, art, movement and song to bring their lessons to life. They stay with their students from first grade, learning each child’s personality and needs intimately, and developing a relationship in which the teacher guides the student in an exploration of their world. Traditional textbooks are not used at Prairie Moon; students create their own textbooks while interacting with their teachers during lessons.

“For a student to develop a lifelong love of learning, that student must understand how it is they learn best,” Watson explains. “[Our students] education runs deep. How much a child holds onto is directly related to how much they loved it when they were learning it.”

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yRaintree Montessori Schoolx Raintree Montessori School was founded in 1978 by a small group of people with a vision for a beautiful place lovingly and intentionally prepared for children. Its founders saw a need in the Lawrence community for an optimum, all-day learning environment for kids with working parents. It is a member of the North American Montessori Teachers’ Association (NAMTA), the Association of Montessori Internationale (AMI) and the American Montessori Society (AMS), which means it must follow the tenets of all of these associations. Its teachers, called guides, are required to have a bachelor’s degree and at least an AMI or AMS certification.

“Maria Montessori’s work continues to be validated by current research,” says Lleanna McReynolds, Head of School at Raintree, a toddler (age 18 months) through adolescent (14 years old) school.

“She was one of the first to design and use concrete learning materials, and just this year, a research study validated the importance of cursive handwriting, something Montessori students learn from the moment they enter Raintree.”

Raintree follows a “triangle” model: teacher, child and environment.

It places a heavy emphasis on emotional development, with teachers staying with their students for three years. The mixed-age classrooms are like families, working communities whose members care for one another.

The school uses multisensory instruction, where children get lessons on an array of subjects at more and more advanced levels.

Toddler and preschool classes offer one-on-one instruction, while elementary and adolescent classes are done in seminars. Students develop their own textbooks, and teachers have the freedom to adapt the environment and tailor lessons to meet the specific needs of students. Everything is laid out and available at all times, and students work at their own pace. There is also a focus on “lessons of grace and courtesy.”

“What we are after is creating a working environment which allows the child to concentrate,” McReynolds explains. “The children have a choice, but within guidelines. Freedom, but with responsibility.”

One of the most important aspects of Raintree, McReynolds says, is the study of peace. Maria Montessori, founder of the Montessori school, was a nominee for the Nobel Peace Prize three times, seeking a peaceful world through her work with children across the world.

“From the moment children enter the school, they are encouraged to help each other,” McReynolds explains. “Tying a classmate’s apron, learning how to serve a guest or hosting a bake sale for others in need are simple yet profound gestures, all in preparation for life beyond the walls of our school. Just as Montessori envisioned: education for peace.”

Top to bottom: Joe Sears works with student; Diego Klish, Will Hedges, Micaiah Mercado study group; Ann Anderson works with Kwabena Peasha on math; Sam Hutfles, Erkinder Class, feeding chickens Raintree Chess Club, placed 3rd at State and 7th at the 2015 USCF National Elementary Championships (L-R) Bryce Erickson, Dhruv Duvver, Coach Diana Ortega-Ariza, Sam Hertzog, Nathaniel Slemmer, Elijah Paden

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ySt. John Catholic Schoolx The first Catholic elementary school in Lawrence, St. John Catholic School opened in 1956 as a parish school for children attending the church. Many years passed, and multiple changes ensued in the school and the community’s need for Catholic education. St. John and Corpus Christi parishes merged, and The Lawrence Catholic School was developed. Years later, the parishes split, and two schools were formed, St. John and Corpus Christi. In 2007, St. John developed a preschool, and Spanish language was added to the curriculum. In 2011, middle school grades were added, making St. John the kindergarten through eighth-grade school it is today.

St. John is certified by the State of Kansas and accredited

by AdvancED and the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. It is owned and operated by the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas, and financed by the parish. However, those who are not members of the parish pay yearly tuition. Administrators attempt to hire only Catholic teachers, who must have a bachelor’s degree and, preferably, a master’s degree in their field of study.

“We really keep an eye on our community,” says Pat Newton, St. John’s Principal. “We are very Lawrence.” She says many of their students are children of University of Kansas faculty members, who support the school’s values and goals—spiritual, academic, behavioral and environmental.

St. John is also a Kansas “Green” School. It won a Green School Award in 2013, meaning it puts a huge emphasis on the environment and “anything God made.”

St. John’s instruction style focuses more on main line academics—science, math, literature, arts, physical education and health. It takes the Common Core guidelines and infuses the Catholic faith.

“The challenge is to keep all those areas in the forefront and not drop them,” Newton says. “There’s a spiritual slant to the Common Core.”

The flexibility of being a private school is also a very important aspect of St. John School. Class sizes are small, no more than 15 students per class. Teachers meet regularly to look at their students’ skills and levels, and are able to adjust the curriculum, if necessary. And they work closely with parents to make sure their students’ needs are being met.

St. John Principal, Pat Newton (top) makes her rounds at the St. John Carnival.

“The glory of a private school is that we can turn on a dime,” Newton says.

Ultimately, “We just want kids to be happy and successful, to feel good about themselves,” Newton explains. “If you’ve got that in place, everything else follows.”

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yVeritas Christian Schoolx Originally named Douglas County Christian School, Veritas Christian School opened in 1978 with the belief that a Classical Christian Education gives students the best opportunity to succeed academically. In 2004, it became a kindergarten through 12th grade school, offering a complete educational process to its students. It is financed by student tuition and has a scholarship program to help families in need. The school’s No. 1 goal is to help students develop a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Veritas is a member of the Association of Classical and Christian Schools (ACCS) and the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), requiring the school to maintain high academic standards, policies and testing.

It provides yearly national testing using TerraNova assessments, which are used across the country as benchmarks. Teachers must have a bachelor’s degree in their specific area of study and be licensed through the State of Kansas or certified by ACCS or ACSI. The ultimate goal is to create lifetime learners long after their academic careers have ended, explains Kelli Huslig, Administrator at Veritas. “[Our students] are ready for whatever is next on their journey.”

Veritas is a Classical Christian School, a form of education aimed at teaching students specific subject matter

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but also training them to think and learn. It implements the Trivium into its instruction: grammar (elementary), where students learn fundamental data of subjects; logic (middle), where they learn reason, argument and logical thought; and rhetoric (high), where they learn to use intelligent, well-crafted expressions of argument and persuasion.

Class sizes are kept small, to no more than 15 students.

And all academics are Christ-centered, with an extensive athletics and fine arts program. High school students have the option of participating in the Dual-Credit Program, earning both high school and college credits. And in order to graduate, seniors are required to complete a “Capstone Project,” which consists of a four-chapter paper on a controversial topic of their choice and a presentation in front of the school community defending their position on the topic.

“The beauty of Lawrence is not only do you have so many private schools, at the same time, you have a really good public school system,” Century School’s Stutler says. “As Lawrencians, we are all very lucky to have options.” p

Left page and above, Veritas classrooms.

A student-mentoring program creates camaraderie among all ages. Junior high and high school students are divided into male/female groups that meet weekly to talk about personal topics important to students at that moment. A teacher is also involved.

“We believe in the power of mentoring,” Huslig says. “It is a crucial part going forward with our youth.”

Parent involvement is also crucial at Veritas. It’s not only encouraged but also required.

“Parents know their kids the best and are the best teachers for their kids,” Huslig explains. “It’s a team effort.”

At Veritas, teachers are committed to educating the whole child using a team-driven, Classical Christian approach. A strong family atmosphere adds to the appeal of the school.

“If people want to have a role in their child’s education and desire for them to know Jesus as their personal savior with strong academic standards, this is a good option,” Huslig says. “It’s about what fits the family.”

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Language and Culture

by LIZ WESLANDER photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Globalization is the defining feature of the modern world. Now more than ever, the social, political, economic and environmental issues that affect one nation affect the entire globe.

While the effects of globalization may be more subtle in Lawrence than in other places, an increasing international and immigrant population mean that both the University of Kansas and several local organizations are working to embrace the educational opportunities and challenges that an increasingly diverse population presents.

KU has been bringing international students to Lawrence for decades and is currently in what KU’s Director of International Student Services Charles Olcese calls a very aggressive growth mode in terms of recruiting even more international students to the university. Olcese said that the desire to increase KU’s international student population is a response to both globalization and to the changing demographics of the state.

“Higher education is recognizing that students need to be prepared to work in professional atmospheres that are more international and more diverse,” Oclese said. “Also as the population of 18-22 year-olds continues to shrink in Kansas, the university is looking to recruit more students from other states as well as internationally.”

The centerpiece of the university’s plan to attract more international students is a newly launched first-year experience program for international students called the KU Academic Accelerator Program (KUAAP). The program is a collaboration between KU and the Cambridge, Massachusetts-based company Shorelight Education, which offers incoming international freshmen small classes, cultural field trips, extensive support services and English-language instruction.

Oclese said the hope is that this program will help increase both the number and the diversity of the university’s international student body.

“We realized that while we had a healthy international student population, it was concentrated in just a few countries,” Oclese said. “This will help us in further diversifying and in62

creasing enrollment from places like Latin America, places in Asia that we haven’t touched and Africa.”

In the spring of 2015, there were 2,145 international students enrolled at KU accounting for 9.3 percent of the total student population. International students were divided evenly between undergraduate and graduate programs.

Although there are about 100 nationalities represented among the KU international student population, students from China far outnumber other countries with 781 Chinese students studying at KU this spring. Other countries with more than 100 students at KU this spring included India with 253 students, Saudi Arabia with 169 and Korea with 109.

“We’ve had a large number of students coming to us from China since about 2005,” Oclese said. “If you look at any major university in the U.S., you’ll see China represented by a large margin. China has a rising middle class and has a lot of students that they cannot accommodate.”

The university understands that an increased international population comes with both advantages and challenges for the KU and Lawrence community. Oclese said that both the university and the Lawrence community have great a volunteer network that work to address needs and help international students feel welcome.

One area that presents a potential challenge, Oclese said, is the impending demolition of KU’s Stouffer Place Apartments. Stouffer Place was an affordable housing option designed for graduate students, non-traditional students and students with families and has traditionally served as a hub for networking and community building among international students.

“As we look at increasing the international student population, we are trying to measure and address how the community receives these students and asking ourselves how we prepare campus and how we prepare the community,” Oclese said. “We will be looking at ways to pull these groups together. Track where they will be living and help them network. It’s an exciting time and we feel like it’s a positive thing.”

One local non-profit organization, Small World, has been working to address some of the needs of Lawrence’s international community for 47 years. Small World provides affordable English classes, exclusively for women, two mornings a week during the academic year. The organization was founded in 1968 by a small group of Lawrence women who had lived in foreign countries with their husbands who were on sabbatical leave. Having felt the loneliness of living in a foreign country where they did not speak the language, these local women established Small World as social club for wives of international students.

During its first 20 years, Small World focused on domestic activities such as cooking, sewing and crafts, while also providing basic English classes. In 1990, Small World restructured to an academic focus, and now teaches six different levels of English classes to about 140 students a year.

“I think Small World would have died on the vine had we not made that change,” said Small World Director Kathy Mulinazzi. “When it’s 20 degrees outside, it’s hard to get someone who comes from a country with a warm climate out of the house for crochet.”

Mulinazzi said that the ethnic make up of the Small World has varied over the years depending on the world political climate.

“When I first came to Small World, the majority of the students were Tawainese , Korean and Japanese,” she said.

“Today, we have a lot of students from China, Saudia Arabia and Mexico, as well as Iran and Iraq.”

About 80 percent of Small World students are family members of people affiliated with KU, said Mulinazzi. The other 20 percent are people who have immigrated to Lawrence – usually from Mexico. Small World classes are held at First Presbyterian Church on Clinton Parkway, but are not religiously affiliated. Mulinazzi said that Small World continues to serve only women because there are many women in the

program from cultures where women do not attend school with men for religious reasons.

Another organization working to meet the education needs of Lawrence’s international and immigrant population are the schools of USD 497. Four of Lawrence’s elementary schools, Hillcrest; Cordley; Schwegler and Sunflower, have teachers who are endorsed to teach English Language Learners (ELL), as do all four middle schools, and both high schools. In May of 2015, there were 945 students enrolled in LPS that speak a first language other than English in their household. While 59 different languages are represented in USD 497 ELL population, the languages most spoken are Spanish (42%) with Arabic, Chinese and Laotian following in percentage. In all ELL schools, Spanish language is the most spoken with the exception of Sunflower, which has slightly more ELL students speaking Arabic than Spanish.

The Plymouth Language Program, like other local organizations, is cognizant of the challenges and opportunities that come with an increasing international community in Lawrence, but is unique in that it attempts to address the educational needs of the whole community by offering free English classes, affordable Spanish classes and multicultural education.

The Plymouth Language Program started in 2009 by Plymouth Congregational Church at 925 Vermont Street. Plymouth Language Program Director Joshua Spain said the program serves about 80 students a year and the program’s students are divided evenly between students studying English and students studying Spanish. Trained volunteers teach language classes on Tuesday and Thursday evenings. While some of the program’s English students have relatives affiliated with KU, Spain said about 40 percent of the English learners are immigrants from Latin America.

In addition to language instruction, the Plymouth Language Program works to foster multiculturalism in the Lawrence community by giving all of its students a chance to social-

Sally Dickinson (left) and Jane Imber teach class.

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ize via conversation groups and regular fiestas. Spain said that these events provide a chance for people of various cultures to talk and listen to each other in an environment where everyone is on equal footing. The hope is that participants will not only learn about other cultures, but also gain insights on their own culture.

“There are opportunities for mutual growth when it comes to multiculturalism,” Spain said. “When you encounter someone from another culture, it allows you some objectivity in looking at your own culture. It allows you to critically examine and understand why we do, and don’t do, things a certain way.”

Spain said he has found that people in Lawrence are often surprised to learn that the city has significant international and immigrant populations. He said this is partly because international enclaves are highly concentrated in certain areas of Lawrence, a phenomenon that concerns him because of the potential for immigrant communities to become isolated.

“If you go out to 25th and Ousdahl, or shop at Checkers, or spend time south of 23rd Street you will begin to see these people,” Spain said. “This is really unfortunate because it follows a pattern of a lot of other towns and cities where you have ghettoized communities of immigrants in one place and white middle class suburbs in another and never the twain shall meet.”

In an effort to provide further opportunities to explore the themes of citizenship and multiculturalism, the Plymouth Language Program also recently started a series of Monday evening workshops where students enrolled in their English classes can delve into subjects such as civics, health, employment and managing the stress of adjusting to an unfamiliar culture. Workshops for students in Spanish classes focus on the theme of global citizenship and include discussions on topics such as pandemics, terrorism, race and ethnicity, the United Nations Security Council and the World Health Organization.

“Because of globalization, issues today are not confined to political borders,” Spain said. “Working with people from other nations and other cultures to confront global issues is more important than ever and is going to become increasingly important.” p

International Baldwin City

by KATHERINE DIAZ

Alexia Nyoni has traveled approximately 9,000 miles across the Atlantic Ocean on an 18-hour flight from Harare, Zimbabwe for the past four years to attend Baker University. With a population of more than 4,000 residents, Baldwin City has been the home away from home for Nyoni, who is currently studying accounting and business administration.

“The people [is something that I appreciate about Baldwin] and how everyone is open and friendly,” Nyoni said. “A lot of people are willing to accept differences and find out more about where you’re from, find out the languages you speak and I like how they’re willing to diversify their interests and experience different things.”

According to Steve Rottinghaus the Director of Public Relations at Baker, this academic year, the university had 22 students from 13 different countries, which include France, Nevis & St. Kitts, Canada, Jamaica, Australia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Japan, Kenya, Zimbabwe, Germany, Belarus, Bahamas and the United Kingdom.

“We definitely have some students worldwide, but numbers-wise it doesn’t compare to the bigger schools,” Rottinghaus said. “But it’s definitely something that we’re proud of.”

The majority of students are from Kansas and Missouri, but there are students who come from coast to coast. Rottinghaus credits the sports coaches who do a great job in reaching out to youth potentials. Baldwin may be a small town, but it has much to offer and students are eager to be involved in the community.

“Baker students work closely with Baldwin City residents and organizations,” Rottinghaus said. “They regularly volunteer at schools and civic organizations in the city. They develop organizational and fundraising skills to assist in community endeavors, such as the local food pantry.”

Baker also encourages Baldwin residents to participate in events hosted by the university, such as theater events, musical events and also in the

Alexia Nyoni

Quayle Bible Collection by visiting the exhibit, according to Rottinghaus. This mutual relationship has been effective in providing a welcoming and energetic atmosphere for Baldwin residents as well as for all who attend Baker.

“We have a close-knit campus community where everyone feels welcome,” Rottinghaus said. “A senior student from Zimbabwe has taken the initiative to organize social events for all international students, and coordinates activities for International Education Week to make them feel at home and create awareness for the entire campus community.”

That student being none other than Nyoni herself, who’s seen the attendance of international students at Baker grow by almost 50 percent. For Nyoni, someone had suggested Baker to her, although she didn’t think she’d actually attend. Soon, Nyoni found herself riding a plane across the Atlantic with Baker as her destination to study and also to play tennis. During her freshman year, most of the international students had been athletes from Canada or soccer players who’d been recruited from Canada or England. Now there are a variety of students from various countries and, to Nyoni, it’s a great thing to see how Baker is spreading out to different parts of the world.

“You’d think it being such a small school not many people would have heard of Baker, but it’s actually growing in popularity,” Nyoni said.

Baker and Baldwin might not have a large international group, but the international students that it has add a diverse aspect to it, especially being in Kansas, according to Nyoni. What has helped attract more of these students to the university includes recruiting connections, but the one to credit is word-of-mouth, Rottinghaus stated.

“When international students have a positive experience at Baker, they will let their friends know,” Rottinghaus said.

From an academic atmosphere, Baker has demonstrated its commitment in ensuring that student learning will lead to productive personal and professional lives, according to Rottinghaus. Through 65

community service projects, Baker students learn that true leadership is that which provides service to others.

“On campus, in Baldwin City and across the country, students volunteer their time and resources to help create meaningful social change,” Rottinghaus said. “Students learn to work with people from diverse backgrounds to identify and accomplish common goals.”

Staff and faculty make it a priority to provide students with the tools and expertise to help them succeed in their career goals. One example Rottinghaus emphasized was the Baker University School of Nursing in Topeka, where students have exceeded the scores on state exams.

“I’m always amazed at how so many of our students at the nursing school have jobs lined up two to three weeks before graduation,” Rottinghaus said.

A college community, whether small or big, will consistently provide incoming students the resources needed to achieve their goals, both academic and social. Each community is unique based on the students who attend the university as it helps diversify the learning experience; giving real-life insight to what to expect after moving the tassel to the left on the graduation cap.

“It’s really great coming to a small place and realizing it might be different, but different is not always bad different, it’s actually good different,” Nyoni said. p

WHY [LOCAL]

by MARK FAGAN

Diploma-Completion Program Rings Bell for Driven Adults Each spring in Lawrence, hundreds of students walk across a stage, shake the principals’ hand and leave their home stadium with tassels turned, diplomas in hand and traditional futures ahead.

But the relative handful who earn a special trip past Rick Henry’s desk inside a former elementary school oftentimes reach a more satisfying conclusion.

They ring a bell.

“What they say about success being a journey, not a destination, is true,” says Jacob Atwood, a 30-year-old restaurant server who completed his high school education this spring, earning him his opportunity to ring the wall-mounted bell at the Centennial Adult Education Center, 2145 La. “This is an accomplishment that has built confidence in me.

I’ll be able to take the next steps now…to finding the career I want to have someday.”

is what most people think of, but a lot of people don’t think about what that means. It means a better quality of life. It’s a better situation for their families. And it means earning something and gaining something that was, before now, out of reach. It’s the whole area of satisfaction, of self-image, of pride.”

Students walk through the center’s doors after following any number of paths. Some are a year or two out of high school.

Many are in their 20s or 30s, sometimes encouraged by employers to finish their educational jobs and pick up additional skills. Others are of retirement age, looking to complete something left incomplete long ago.

Atwood is among more than two dozen adults to graduate this year through the Lawrence Diploma Completion Program (LDCP), which offers online courses and in-person resources for people 18 and older. Students who finish the program receive a diploma through either Free State High School or Lawrence High School, depending on where the student lives. The Lawrence school district also has a program to help adults earn General Education Development (GED) credentials, which signify that a student has attained academic skills equal to those of those who have graduated from high school.

Both programs are available to adults who, for one reason or another, never managed to close their secondary careers with enough credits to fill a transcript. And in today’s competitive economy, the difference between having and not having earned a diploma mean more than finding the right job, or earning additional money over the course of a career.

Earning a diploma or a GED credential can mean the difference between employment and unemployment, or something even more significant.

“It pays off in a number of different ways,” Henry says, who is entering his third year as the district’s Director of Adult Education Services after 24 years as a teacher and secondary principal elsewhere in Kansas. “The financial payoff

Jacob Atwood

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But whatever has gotten in the way, Henry says, doesn’t have to hold anyone back.

“You know the saying, ‘When you come to the end of your rope, hang on?’ We’re the knot,” he says. “We’re the knot that people are hanging onto. They’re accomplishing things they never thought possible, and the things that people have been telling them their whole lives that they never would.”

Atwood, for one, attended two high schools in Topeka before dropping out his sophomore year. He’d been unable to make classes fit into his schedule as he worked full- and part-time jobs to help his family pay bills.

By 2006 he’d arrived at the Lawrence Adult Education Center, inside a former elementary school just south of Lawrence High School. He managed to pick up a single course credit before concluding that earning the full 23 credits he still needed for graduation would be too much to handle.

By January 2012, however, he was back. He took the program’s online courses, working on his laptop from home and stopping by the center for in-person instruction and, at times, accepting off-site encouragement and support.

“If I went a couple weeks without showing up, they’d call and check on me,” Atwood says. “The relationships with the teachers, and others who were invested in me, pushed me forward.”

The Lawrence Diploma Completion Program is tailored to meet the needs of such nontraditional students. The program: • Offers a full range of core courses at ninth-, 10th-, 11thand 12th-grade levels. Courses span four core subject areas, such as math, language arts, science and social studies, and also branch into electives and other areas, including fine arts, physical education, foreign languages and health. Advanced-placement (AP) courses also are available.

• All courses are provided online, and students are expected to complete work at their own pace. Students may connect from off-site or stop by the center’s large classroom, which used to be the library, to use desktop PCs or a laptop. Teachers are available to provide assistance when needed.

• The center is closed in July but open to program students from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.

While students in the GED program are required to take their courses on-site, students in the diploma-completion program only need to show up once per semester. That’s to take final exams.

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And ring the bell.

“It’s really loud,” Henry says, with a proud smile. “And everyone in there claps. I get chills up and down my spine every time.”

The price is right, too. Students who enroll in August don’t pay tuition, Henry says. Those who wait until January pay a $50 administrative fee, although he’s willing to make arrangements for prospective diploma-completion students who might find that to be an insurmountable barrier.

“If someone wants to be in our program,” he says, “I’m going to figure out a way.”

Atwood knows the value. A server at Mad Greek, he wants to start taking classes at Johnson County Community College. He’s been planning a wedding.

Now he’s happy to be sharing his story with district officials and anyone else — especially fellow adults who, like him, simply needed a chance to finish what they’d started, no matter how long ago it had begun.

“I saw an 80-year-old man graduate,” he says. “If he can do it, and I can do it, anyone can do it.” p

Futures Start in PreSchool

by TARA TRENARY photos by STEVEN HERTZOG

Preparing young minds for future challenges and opportunities is a tough job. Our economic future depends on the next generation and the foundation parents and the community provide early on. How do parents offer the best start possible to ensure their children become thriving, independent adults ready to take on this ever-changing world?

There has long been debate about the importance of earlychildhood education, with some questioning how beneficial formal learning is for younger children. Various studies, including the 40-year High/Scope Perry Study (began in the 1960s) and the ongoing Carolina Abecedarian Study (begun in 1972), have shown that a quality early education greatly benefits all children by the time they head to “regular” school and well beyond. These studies also show a positive economic impact on both the families of the children attending preschools and on the economy as a whole.

Many local early-childhood educators agree children taught at a young age can benefit in many ways: They have improved social skills, are better prepared for a traditional school setting, are more equipped to learn, achieve higher grades, develop enhanced attention spans and, in general, are better behaved. And some researchers have discovered that young children participating in preschool programs are more likely to graduate from high school and go to college, less likely to become involved in crime during adolescence and young adulthood, and will have fewer behavioral issues.

No matter how you view the importance of early-childhood education, educators agree children benefit from receiving some form of education during their early development years. The specific form of instruction best suited for your child, however, may differ from that of others. Through experience, knowledge of your child’s personality and learning style, and a little research into what is offered in the Lawrence community, you can find the right program for your child.

“Parents need to be as informed as possible as to the options that are out there,” says Jon Stutler, principal of Century School, a private school for children aged three through 12. “We want to make sure we are the appropriate place for that student.”

Century School’s preschool approach is very personal, explains Preschool Director Sara Rowden. She says that her preschool teaches children the basics, such as reading, math, language, independence, safety and social skills, and art, but its approach is individualized to meet the specific needs of each child.

“No two children learn the same, so no two children are taught the same,” she says. “We are just as dynamic in our approach as the child is dynamic.”

Top: Jennifer Baker Power demonstrating to Emersyn Eiberger Middle & Bottom: Raintree garden and play area

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Other Lawrence preschool administrators agree there’s no onesize-fits-all program.

“Montessori preschool classrooms are ‘prepared environments’ filled with concrete materials offering optimum conditions for learning,” says Lleanna McReynolds, Head of School at Raintree Montessori, speaking about the school’s multisensory approach, not unlike a one-room schoolhouse, where children are surrounded by classmates getting lessons on an array of subjects at more and more advanced levels.

In a Montessori program, children work at their own pace, independently learning concepts from materials designed for selfcorrection and physical exploration. This unique approach to learning is designed to develop a child’s intellectual, physical and psychological abilities through self-motivation with little or no adult intervention.

“A student will advocate for themselves and then maybe, just maybe, change the world,” McReynolds says.

Students changing the world is a goal toward which early-childhood educators strive, though many approach it in different ways.

Prairie Moon Waldorf School starts with a nurturing, homelike environment, teaching not only academic skills but also artistic and practical skills, all the while honoring spirit, cultivating freedom and fostering harmony with the natural world.

“It’s about being a whole child; feed the mind, body and soul,” explains Lauren King, Prairie Moon Development Coordinator.

“That’s really what we strive to do.”

At Prairie Moon, the preschool is designed to provide a comfortable transition from home life to school life. Students start their day outdoors in the school’s gardens, where they are encouraged to explore, climb trees and get dirty. When they move indoors, teachers use oral storytelling, not books, to tell students stories. Throughout the day, students practice art and movement, all the while following a schedule that remains constant.

And daily transitions are always done in song.

“Here, we feel children should experience a daily ‘rhythm,’” King continues. “It’s more of an experiential education.”

Educators agree preschool is all about the “experience” for children, and each preschool has a different approach when it comes to how a child receives his or her preschool education.

As Fred Rogers once said, “Play is really the work of childhood,” and the Lawrence Arts Center (LAC) preschool takes this idea to heart.

“We play, and that is just what we do,” says Linda Reimond, LAC Preschool Director. “That is part of our philosophy.”

Top to Bottom, Lawrence Arts Center Allison Haworth with Henry Walkiewicz, planting flowers Charlie Corwin, Landry Thompson, Salome Stolz, paint boxing Class performing on stage Max Neis, Darby Bates - Paint Boxing

She says their instruction includes a lot of open-ended activities and discovery without time limits. “[Children] do it themselves,” she says. “There’s not a right or

wrong way; when they show interest, they’re allowed freedom to work with it.”

There’s also no written curriculum at LAC. As long as there’s a creative aspect to it, teachers can use it to teach their children.

Some LAC teaching tools include: a writing center with different ways to “write” using things other than pencils, such as a spray bottle full of paint, and a junk box area with a variety of everyday items for children to explore.

LAC also incorporates artistic activities to teach basic skills, such as reading, writing, math and science, which include creative movement, music, drama and dance.

“It’s a lot of discovering instead of telling,” Reimond says.

Lawrence Community Nursery School (LCNS) also believes in the power of play, with a focus on social and emotional development, and with the help of parents and the community.

The “Little Red School House,” as it is known, is the second-oldest cooperative preschool in the country and the first integrated preschool in the U.S. As a cooperative, parents share in the planning and implementation of the school programs and work alongside school officials to help the school run efficiently. Not only do parents work in classrooms with teachers and students, they also clean the school, maintain the grounds and serve on committees and the school board.

“This is definitely that feeling of, ‘It takes a village to raise a kid,’” says Stephanie Duncan, LCNS Director and Lead Teacher. “It’s like a big family here. Kids excel because they have so much support.”

Above: Century School Below: Prairie Moon

There are myriad preschool choices in Lawrence with very different philosophies and styles, but what’s the best choice economically for local families?

“We try to help everyone,” Duncan says. She says her preschool allots five percent of its projected tuition income for scholarships but explains it is already affordable because of parent contributions, including snacks, cleaning services, maintenance help, etc.

Reimond says 15 to 20% of the LAC students overall, not just preschool students, receive some sort of financial aid, which comes from personal and business donations, the City of Lawrence and sponsorships and fundraisers, including concerts and a yearly “Dinner Under the Stars.” More than $100,000 is allotted per year for scholarships.

“Although we are a private school, we’d like to remain as financially accessible as possible so as to be socio-economically diverse,” Prairie Moon’s Administrator Melissa Watson says.

Prairie Moon has a tuition-assistance program put together by its board, and money is raised throughout the year to support this program and others. For preschool children, Prairie Moon offers up to 20% off tuition for families that qualify. The school is also a Department for Children and Families (DCF) Child Care Subsidy provider.

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“As we grow, more funds open up,” King explains.

Raintree Montessori, “charges much less than what most Montessori schools charge in other cities of comparable size,” McReynolds explains. She says from its inception in 1978, working families have been the focus. The school charges about half the amount of tuition that most Montessori schools charge, she explains. And it does have an emergency program set up to help current Raintree families in financial crisis.

Though Century School does not currently have a tuition-assistance program, it is something administrators aspire to gain in the future. The school does have an account earmarked for future scholarships when enough money is raised.

Learning the social skills needed to succeed later in life is one of the most important parts of this early education, not to mention enhanced communication skills and emotional development. For children to excel later in life, a path must be paved for them early by their families and their communities. And preschool can be a big part of this early foundation.

“Children learn more in the first five years of their life than any other five-year period,” LAC’s Reimond concludes. “We are very fortunate in Lawrence because there’s a wide array of philosophies. We all want to help make children the best 3-, 4- or 5-yearold they can be.” p

Lawrence Community Nursery School “Little Red School House” and families.

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BUSKERFEST 2015

THE LOCAL

[SCENE]

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ART TOUGEAU

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NEWS [MAKERS] OrthoKansas, LLC executives appointed to AAOE councils Dena Johnston, Chief Operating Officer/ Administrator for OrthoKansas,LLC was recently

appointed to serve a two-year term on the Communications Council for the American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE). She will serve as a public relations representative for AAOE and oversee the development and maintenance of the association’s web site, listserv(s), newsletters and serve as a communication liaison for their members and organization.

Stephanie Swan, Chief Financial Operating/ Co-Administrator was also appointed to serve a second term on the Education Council for the American Academy of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE). She will assist in the development of educational content, programming and opportunities for members of AAOE. AAOE is a national organization dedicated to providing education and resources to orthopaedic practice executives and their staff members.

Johnston has been with OrthoKansas,LLC since 2007 and prior to becoming the Administrator/ COO, she previously served as the Director of Therapy Services, Program Development & Marketing. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from Kansas State University in May 1999 as well as her nursing degree in the spring of 1999. Prior to her work in administration, she spent 4 years working in the nursing field for both hospital and family practice settings both in Topeka and Lawrence. She is a member of American Academy of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE); the Midwest American Association of Orthopaedic Executives (Midwest AAOE); National Association of Professional Women (NAPW), and is a 2007 graduate of Leadership Lawrence. She is actively involved in the community and serves on various boards and committees throughout Lawrence/ Douglas-County.

Swan has been with OrthoKansas,LLC since 1999 and previously served as the Billing Office Supervisor. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Management from Ottawa University in 2008. Prior to her work in administration, she worked as an Xray Tech and Business Office Coordinator in the Lawrence medical community. She has been a member of American Academy of Professional Coders (AAPC) since 2000; American Academy of Orthopaedic Executives (AAOE) since 2001 and received her Certified Medical Professional Executive (CMPE) designation from MGMA in March 2014.

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]PEOPLE ON THE MOVE OrthoKansas, LLC welcomes Tyrel Reed, Physical Therapist to their growing therapy department.

Reed is a 2011 graduate of the University of Kansas, where he received his Bachelor of Science in Education and was a member of the University of Kansas men’s basketball team from 2007-2011, which included the 2008 National Championship team. He is a 2015 graduate of The University of Kansas Medical School where he received his Doctorate in Physical Therapy. Reed has experience in both inpatient and outpatient settings and has a special interest in sports performance and injury prevention in young athletes.

Reed joins the staff of 21 providers, which includes Board Certified Orthopaedic Physicians and Surgeons, PA-C’s, and Physical & Occupational Therapists.

Select One Security is proud to announce the purchase of Overfield Security. The Overfield Security staff is now a part of the Select One team.

Select One Security President and Owner, Ryan Kruse states, “We are tripling the size of our company with the acquisition of Overfield’s large base of business making Select One, the largest local security provider in the area headquartered in Lawrence, Kansas. We are also doubling the size of our employee base. Scott has done a great job growing the business over the years. We are excited to offer the current and new customers more services including our new everything mobile platform called Total Connect to monitor and automate our home and business from your fingertips. These are very exciting times for our customer base and the future of our company.”

Select One Security has been selling and installing residential and commercial electronics since 2003.

The Chamber of Lawrence is pleased to announce the hiring of Lindsey Slater as the new Communications Director.

Slater will be responsible for maintaining and enhancing the integrity of the organizational message through the design and implementation of professional and effective communications across a variety of media.

“I am so excited to join The Chamber to help tell the stories of the great things they are doing for local business,” Slater said. “The current team at The Chamber is truly a great one and I can’t wait to get the word out about business in Lawrence and Douglas County.”

Slater comes to The Chamber from WOW! 6News where she served as news director for nearly two years.

Slater was first hired by 6News in 2007 as a reporter and anchor. She also spent time as the producer of the 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. newscasts. In 2012, she was Lawrence Habitat for Humanity’s first-ever Communications Coordinator. She returned to 6News in 2013 to lead the news team responsible for bringing Lawrence its local news, weather and sports.

“We are so excited to have Lindsey join The Chamber,” said Chief Operations Officer Bonnie Lowe. “Her vast communications experience will ensure that The Chamber’s message will be shared across all media to keep stakeholders up to date on the great things happening here.”

Mize Houser & Company P.A., Certified Public Accountants, is pleased to announce that Andrew T. Spikes, CPA has been admitted as shareholder in the firm.

Spikes graduated from the University of Kansas with a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Business Administration. His career in the restaurant industry brought him to Mize Houser’s Quick Service Restaurant division originally in 2008 and again in 2012. His experience as a former owner/operator of franchised restaurants provides him with unique insight into the challenges and opportunities restaurant owner/operators face and makes him a valuable resource for their accounting and consulting needs. Andrew also spent time as an auditor for a Big 4 accounting firm. In addition to the time he spends working with his clients on their monthly accounting, Spikes also spends a significant amount of time staying abreast of the changes to the Affordable Care Act and consults with clients to help them stay in compliance with the law.

Spikes is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the Kansas Society of Certified Public Accountants.

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NEW DOUGLAS COUNTY BUSINESSES [ APRIL to JUNE 2015] A NUTRITIOUS MEAL LLC 550 Stoneridge Dr Lawrence 66049

THE DEINES LAW FIRM, LLC 832 Pennsylvania Lawrence 66044

ACUITY CONSULTING LLC 626 Lyon St Lawrence 66044

DIEBOLT FAMILY THERAPY, LLC 637 Tennessee St Lawrence 66044

HAVEN POINTE WINERY LLC 961 E 1600 Rd Baldwin City 66006

DJ FLORY LLC 615 E 1452 Rd Baldwin City 66006

HEARTLANDFIRE TECH, LLC 2904 Yellowstone Dr Lawrence 66047

DOCOBAN, L.L.P. 300 W 9th St Lawrence 66044

HELP NEPAL FOUNDATION 811 Massachusetts St Lawrence 66044

DWYER FARMS LLC 959 E 1100 Rd Lawrence 66047

HEROES SPEAK BUREAU LLC 1032 Rogers Pl Lawrence 66049

ECD ASSOCIATES, LLC 5633 Villa Dr Lawrence 66047

HJJ INVESTMENTS, LLC 735 Wild Plum Ct Lawrence 66049

LEVEL CLUB PRODUCTIONS, LLC 4121 W 13th Lawrence 66049

EDWARDS & WILSON PERIODONTICS OF TOPEKA, LLC 4830 Quail Crest Pl Lawrence 66049

HOME IMPROVEMENT DRYWALL, LLC 1708 Brook St Lawrence 66044

LK STAGE & SOUND PRODUCTION LLC 705 E 19th St Lawrence 66046

ISKANDRANI PROPERTIES LLC 2705 Bluestem Dr Lawrence 66047

LUNA EVA CO. 6204 Blue Nile Dr Lawrence 66049

AD ASTRA INSIGHTS, LC 333 W 9th St Lawrence 66044 AEROTENNA LLC 916 Alma Ct Lawrence 66049 AMY CARRILLO INC. 3615 Lakecrest Ct Lawrence 66049 ASPEN CREEK SERVICES LLC 3808 Stockade Ct Lawrence 66049 ATLANTIS GLOBAL FUND, INC. 3514 Clinton Pkwy Lawrence 66047 BARTLOW OIL & GAS, LLC 597 E 1400 Rd Baldwin City 66006 BATTEN HOMES, LLC 3007 Creekwood Dr Lawrence 66049 BE BOOKKEEPING AND OFFICE SOLUTIONS. LLC 981 E 1587 Rd Lawrence 66046 BEE CLEAN SERVICES, LLC 1822 E 1450 Rd Lawrence 66044 BLUE TREE, LLC 1429 New Jersey St Lawrence 66044 BRINCKMAN-ESKINA, LLC 4101 W 24th Pl Lawrence 66047 BUBBLY LOVE LLC 207 Pinecone Dr Lawrence 66046 CALI VALLEY, LC 419 E 1500 Rd Baldwin City 66006 CLASSICAL CONVERSATIONS OF KANSAS INC 25927 Linwood Rd Lawrence 66044 COMPTON - TREANOR INVESTMENTS, LLC 901 New Hampshire St Lawrence 66044 CORNER CAFE 1033 Andover St Lawrence 66049

ELIZABETH KIPP MEDIA, LLC 900 Massachusetts St Lawrence 66044 EMILY STEELE PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 2001 W 6th St Lawrence 66044 EMPOWERED GIRLS SPORTS SOLUTIONS, LLC 824 Arkansas St Lawrence 66044 EUDORA YOGA CENTER LLC 550 Stoneridge Dr Lawrence 66049

FAMILY CENTERED SOLUTIONS LLC 843 New Hampshire Lawrence 66044 FERMATA PARTNERS LLC 887 N 1663 Rd Lawrence 66049 FIX A FIELD LLC 701 E 1100 Rd Baldwin City 66006 GEORGE MULLINIX PHOTOGRAPHY LLC 936 N Missouri St Lawrence 66044 GLENNON MASSAGE THERAPY, LLC 3548 Morning Dove Cir Lawrence 66049 GLORIOUS DAY INVESTMENTS, LLC 5832 Simple Ln Lawrence 66049

GROUNDSWELL CONSULTING, LLC 810 Pennsylvania Lawrence 66044

JIRANI LLC 4604 Harvard Rd Lawrence 66049 JUJO LIQUIDATION, LLC 4100 Teal Dr Lawrence 66047 KANSAS CITY SAILING, LLC 638 Jones Lecompton 66050 KANSAS LEASING, LLC 406 N 7th St Lawrence 66044 KASTL ACCOUNTING INC 4920 Legends Dr Lawrence 66049 KAW VALLEY DIESEL LP 1035 E 23rd St Lawrence 66046 KAYSEIN HARRIS FAMILY SUPPORT FUND 1881 E 500th Rd Lawrence 66049 KEVIN NEWKIRK LLC 4137 Wimbledon Dr Lawrence 66047 KHM ENTERPRISES LLC 2025 New Hampshire St Lawrence 66046 KLFLORY LLC 1038 N 600 Rd Baldwin City 66006

CREPES AND TATORS LLC 321 NE Industrial Ln Lawrence 66044

GO FAR VENTURES, LLC 1741 W 20th St Lawrence 66046

KUHN TECHNICAL CONSULTING, LLC 3601 Clinton Pkwy Lawrence 66047

D & D DOG TRAINING L.L.C. 4003 Prairie Rose St Lawrence 66049

GREY SKY GROUP, LLC 945 Pamela Ln Lawrence 66049

LATTA-WHITLOW, LLC 406 N 7th St Lawrence 66044

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LAW OFFICE OF DAKOTA LOOMIS, LLC 832 Pennsylvania Lawrence 66044

LAWRENCE ARBORISTS LLC 1140 N 1876 Rd Lawrence 66049 LAWRENCE BEER COMPANY, LLC 4404 Roundabout Cir Lawrence 66049 LAWRENCE COMMUNITY PHOTO STUDIO, LLC 1216 Summit Lawrence 66044

PRIMETIME BALLERZ INC. 2509 Crestline Ct Lawrence 66047

SPECIALIZED ELECTRIC, LLC 606 Newton St Baldwin City 66006

RAA LEGACY, L.C. 3409 Seminole Dr Lawrence 66047

SQUIRREL RUN, LLC 900 Massachusetts St Lawrence 66044

RACK HOIST LLC 224 Sharon Dr Lawrence 66049

STEPHANIE STUHLSATZ LLC 710 Schwarz Lawrence 66049

RCMF L.L.C. 2001 W 6th St Lawrence 66044

STUTLER BROTHERS, LLC 220 Earhart Cir Lawrence 66049

REDO NUTRITION SERVICES, LLC 550 Stoneridge Dr Lawrence 66049

SUNFLOWER ACQUISITION COMPANY, LLC 1457 N 1823 Rd Lawrence 66044

REDYCAB LLC 4901 Stoneback Dr Lawrence 66047

SUNRISE RIDGE PRODUCE, LLC 1719 E 550 Rd Lawrence 66049

REEDSMITH, LLC 900 Massachusetts St Lawrence 66044 REXROAD PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC 2824 Gill Ave Lawrence 66047

MATTY D. MEDIA LLC 617 W 27th Pl Lawrence 66046

MOBILELIGHTREPAIR.COM LLC PO BOX 1912 Lawrence 66044

RICK’S HANDY SERVICES LLC PO Box 514 Baldwin City 66006

MONA C’S FUDGE COMPANY LLC 5555 W 6th St Lawrence 66049

RIVER CITY HOME MAINTENANCE LLC 104 Pinecone Dr Lawrence 66046

MONARCH PHARMACY, LLC 211 E 8th St Lawrence 66044

THE ROLLING GNOME, LLC 3104 Heatherwood Ct Lawrence 66047

MOWING FOR MIRACLES, LLC 2909 Atchison Ave Lawrence 66047

RONAWK LLC PO Box 191 Lawrence 66044

NARCOMEY LAWN CARE LLC 2208 Brett Ct Lawrence 66049

RICKETTS PROPERTIES, LLC 1025 Kentucky Lawrence 66044

ROOTED, INC 2420 Missouri Lawrence 66046

NATIVE LANDS, LLC 1406 Pennsylvania St Lawrence 66044

SCHNEIDER MANAGEMENT LLC 1651 Naismith Dr Lawrence 66045

NOURISH TRAINING LLC 926 Ohio Lawrence 66044

SCHOOLHOUSE LOFTS, LLC 832 Pennsylvania St Lawrence 66044

OBVERTERE, LLC 1605 W 27th St Lawrence 66046

SIGNAL OAK INVESTMENTS LLC PO Box 815 Baldwin City 66006

OPEN REEL INC. 943 Avalon Rd Lawrence 66044 PANACEA SOLUTIONS LLC 1113 Vermont St Lawrence 66044 PEACE CORPSE LLC 2437 W Redbud Ln Lawrence 66046

SLUTS BAND LLC 1109 Connecticut St Lawrence 66044 SOUTHARD MEDIATION SERVICES, LLC 724 Indiana Lawrence 66044 SPACE, LLC 787 E 1300 Rd Lawrence 66046

SUNSET PLAN, LLC PO Box 1426 Lawrence 66044 SVJ, LLC 603 Country Club Terrace Lawrence 66049 TESDAHL CONSULTING LLC 1813 Castle Pines Ct Lawrence 66047 TUFTS TREE SERVICE LLC 16700 W 27 St Lawrence 66044 TWO RIVERS TEES LLC 422 Boone Lecompton 66050 VAIL WAY LLC 601 Kasold Dr Lawrence 66049 VAPORS CORNER INC 711 W 23rd Lawrence 66049 VIEVE HEALTH LIVING LLC 4000 W 6th St Lawrence 66049 WHITNEY R MENDEZ LLC 104 Pinecone Dr Lawrence 66046 WILLETS PROPERTY MANAGEMENT LLC 212 Earhart Cir Lawrence 66049 WVENGR LLC 2207 Ohio St Lawrence 66046 XIAN KITCHEN LLC 2210 Iowa St Lawrence 66046 ZICIS GROUP LLC 2040 W 31st St Lawrence 66049

WH OSE DESK? Be the first to correctly guess which local business figure works behind this desk. Winner receives a $50 gift card to 23rd Street Brewery. facebook.com/lawrencebusinessmagazine

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