Category: News

Junior Achievement is a program that is aptly named. It teaches young people how to achieve success in the business world as the business environment gets more and more complex.

Debbie Harman, the Douglas County District Program Manager for JA, works with public school officials and volunteer teachers from the business community.

“JA provided programs for 250 classrooms and more than 5,000 students in Lawrence this past year,” she said.  Sixteen Lawrence elementary and middle schools participated.

“The purpose of the program” Herman said at the June 4  meeting of  Lawrence Central Rotary ” is to educate young people to understand business and to inspire and prepare young people to succeed.”

A non-profit operation, JA volunteers are business role models who teach five lessons of 30 minutes each, coordinating with the schools. Each lesson is prepared for the volunteers who then add real world examples. They build business knowledge about the work ethic, financial literacy, economics education, career exploration and business concepts and skills.

Working as part of the social studies curriculum JA teaches students to manage finances and develop job skills through grade level appropriate lessons. A favorite for younger students this year was how to start a doughnut business–complete with samples.

Supported solely by local business communities, JA reached 26,000 Kansas students last year. “We keep costs low and, locally, support the program with an auction, a fund drive, a Bowlathon, donations and sponsoring the Business Hall of Fame in Lawrence” she said.

“Our mission, “ Harman said “ is to inspire and prepare young people succeed in a global economy.”

Trinity In-Home Care in Lawrence has two objectives, Executive Director Megan Poindexter said.  She told Rotarians at the May 28 meeting that the local agency promotes independent living and provides caregiver respite.

Formed in 1969 at Trinity Episcopal Church to provide respite to foster families, it became a 501c3 agency in 1976 and by 1980, no longer associated with the church, began providing in-home support for clients on Medicare with home and community based service waivers.  In 2005 it became Trinity In-Home Care.

Starting out with five clients, the agency now serves 230 clients, working about 6,000 hours each month.

“We provide services for folks ages five to 105,” Poindexter said. “We help anyone who, with support, can stay at home and have a higher quality of life.  We don’t turn anyone away.”

“We help with things most people take for granted,” she said. “We do light housekeeping, helping with bathing, personal hygiene, shopping and food preparation among other things.

“We help caregivers by running errands, taking clients to appointments, and generally providing rest and recuperation time for them. Respite care is for anyone whose loved one can’t be left alone.”

Trinity In-Home Care has 125 employees who are screened and trained. “The work can be labor intensive,” Poindexter said “and we match people as best we can to create the best relationship.”

Funding comes from Medicaid, private pay, donors and grants and various agencies.

The higher education section in Greater Kansas City is highly-competitive and innovative.

David Cook, vice-chancellor for the KU Edwards Campus, is invigorated and ready for that challenge.  Named to his new position in April 2014, David explained the focus on post-graduate and professional enrichment programs at the Edwards Campus.

Located in Overland Park, KS, the Edwards Campus complements the education offered at its neighbor Johnson County Community College with a two-plus-two program.  At JCCC, students can complete their freshman and sophomore coursework and then  transfer to KU classes at the Edwards Campus or in Lawrence.  Currently, the Edwards Campus has between 1500 and 2000 students.  Nineteen graduate degrees and nine undergraduate degrees are available, as well as a variety of professional certification programs.

Eighty percent of students at the Edwards Campus are seeking career advancement or a job change.  To accommodate the need for relevant coursework, traditional faculty work alongside teachers from business and industry.  In addition, the Campus hosts 1,252 conferences, programs, and other events for various companies and professional groups.  The 70,235 participants at these event during 2013 came from all counties in Kansas, all fifty states, and 51 countries.

Twenty-five KU Continuing Education staff members are moving to the Edwards Campus from Lawrence at the end of May.  In addition to the relocations, Cook is overseeing a search for a new Assistant Vice Chancellor as well as a market analysis of the Kansas City continuing education marketplace.

Downtown Lawrence Inc. Director Sally Zogry talks fast, moves fast and keeps up with approximately 150 members of the Downtown Lawrence Inc. (DLI)  Association, facilitating a list of activities that would leave most people dizzy. Wrapping up her first year as the new Executive Director of DLI Zogry spoke to Central Rotary on May 14 about her job. “It’s the best job ever,” she said “and we’ve had a great year.”

Members of  DLI include retail businesses, food and beverage establishments, entertainment venues and places which provide services to name a few. Zogry uses social media such as facebook and twitter, the DLI website, and good old-fashioned face to face personal contact to keep track of what’s going on and promote events and spread news.

She coordinates events and activities for visiting groups with the CVB and serves as a point of contact and a voice for city- county related matters. She works on downtown beautification and maintenance in collaboration with the city.  She coordinates  police, fire and medical services for downtown events and store security.

Fund raisers such as the Third Annual Girls’ Night Downtown which is a benefit for the Willow Domestic Violence Center are part of her job. Free events such as dinner and a movie in conjunction with the Lawrence library and the summer concert series with the Parks and Rec Commission are on her list as are the annual Downtown Sidewalk Sale, the Busker Fest and the holiday lighting ceremony where Santa Claus is rescued from the roof of Weaver’s Department Store.

Downtown Lawrence also helps recruit new businesses, most recently Ten Thousand Villages. “We’re working on a downtown grocery store now,” she said.

Zogny works with a seven-member board elected from DLI members . “They are a great help,” she said but many in her audience probably wondered if even seven of them can keep up with her.

For more information about Downtown Lawrence Inc check out their website at http://www.downtownlawrence.com