Source: Chandra Ruthstrom, 785-532-6868, chandra@k-state.edu
News release prepared by: Caitlin Arnold, cearn@k-state.edu

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

SYMPOSIUM ON ENGAGING, ENERGIZING AND EMPOWERING COMMUNITIES THROUGH LEADERSHIP IN ACTION TO BE APRIL 20 AT K-STATE

MANHATTAN -- Kansas State University's Center for Community Engagement and Huck Boyd National Institute for Rural Development will host the symposium E3: Engaging, Energizing and Empowering Communities Through Leadership in Action from 1-4:30 p.m. Monday, April 20.

The symposium, which is free and open to the public, will be in the K-State Student Union's Flint Hills, Sunflower and Cottonwood rooms. Its objectives include enhancing and encouraging university engagement and community development efforts; demonstrating and sharing lessons learned about using leadership to leverage initiatives; and stimulating thinking about future engagements initiatives.

The symposium will feature a keynote address by Kansas Senate majority leader Derek Schmidt, Independence; reports from participants across Kansas with the Rural Engagement and Action Leadership Project, or REAL; and K-State faculty and staff who are leading engagement efforts.

Fred Cholick, dean of the College of Agriculture and director of K-State Research and Extension, will open the symposium, with Schmidt's keynote address to follow.

Next will be a series of breakout sessions featuring REAL Project participants and K-State faculty and staff. REAL participants launched several programs in mid-May 2008 aimed at helping Kansas leaders identify and solve key issues in their home communities.

Following the panel presentations, participants and the audience will take part in facilitated dialog regarding leadership and engagement in Kansas communities. Panel presentations will include discussions on the redevelopment of Greensburg, youth entrepreneurship, promoting increased levels of collaboration in civility to energy conservation and environmental leadership programs.

More information on the symposium is available at http://www.k-state.edu/cecd and more information about REAL Project participants is available at http://getrealks.org