Kansas Department of Commerce

The Office of Real Prosperity (ORP) focuses on advocating for and promoting rural Kansas by addressing key issues identified during a 2019 listening tour. Strategic priorities for the 2020 period and moving forward include expanding organizational capacity, revitalizing Main Street, and ensuring state agencies address rural concerns. Key areas of focus encompass tourism, affordable housing, broadband infrastructure, child care and early education, workforce development, and rural healthcare.

This virtual meeting for North-Central Kansas involved presentations from several key officials and directors regarding rural prosperity initiatives. Lieutenant Governor Lynn Rogers provided an overview of the Office of Real Prosperity's (ORP) work, reviewed results from the 2019 listing tour, and outlined policy priorities, emphasizing broadband, workforce retention, and housing needs identified in North Central Kansas. Melissa Rooker discussed child care and early education, referencing a five-year strategic plan called 'All-In For Kansas Kids' and noting that many young children face unmet basic needs. Ryan Vincent presented on housing, particularly rural housing, and Kayla Savage addressed programs through the Kansas Farm Commerce's community development division. The session also highlighted the continued importance of Medicaid expansion for rural healthcare and acknowledged the opportunity for rural growth due to increased interest in rural lifestyles, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, which influenced the shift to virtual meetings.

This document is a conceptual framework for how arts and culture unite people to work toward community well-being. It explores the relationships between place-based arts and cultural strategies, social cohesion, and equitable community health and well-being. It identifies key takeaways, such as the role of place-based arts in amplifying social cohesion, the importance of community-driven approaches, and the need for anti-racist efforts. The document also discusses promising practices for the field, including building community ownership, connecting people across difference, and aligning with community change goals.

The strategic plan for the Kansas Apprenticeship Advisory Council aims to grow Kansas Apprenticeship to the Top 25 by 2025. The plan focuses on increasing collaborative partnerships with stakeholders, sponsors, and intermediaries to align apprenticeship programs with occupational demand. It also aims to strengthen the recruitment of a diverse and inclusive pipeline of apprentices, increase awareness through various communication approaches, support alignment with state and local entities, empower stakeholders by providing assistance for rapid development or expansion of apprenticeship programs, incorporate continuous quality improvement measures, and review state statutes to strengthen apprenticeship growth.

The strategic plan focuses on ensuring every Kansan has access to reliable and affordable broadband service and the digital literacy skills necessary to live, learn, work, play, and compete equitably in an increasingly technology-driven society. Key areas of focus include improving broadband availability, increasing access to affordable broadband service, focusing on the growth of digital literacy skills, increasing awareness of online privacy and cybersecurity issues, expanding access to affordable devices with accommodating technical support, and promoting the online accessibility and inclusivity of public resources and services. The plan aims to leverage partnerships, address barriers faced by covered populations, and align efforts with existing state initiatives to achieve digital equity for all Kansans.