September 10, 2024
Just Around the Corner
Submitted by Gregg Hadley and Tim Steffensmeier
As we are writing this Tuesday Letter, hundreds of projects are being submitted by 4-H youth from across the state at the Kansas State Fair in Hutchinson. Those youth are looking with excitement to see what the next 10 days will have in store for them. What ribbon will their exhibit earn? What will they learn? What fun things will they experience at the Kansas State Fair?
The Kansas State Fair also means something else. It means that our K-State Research and Extension annual conference is just around the corner. In a mere six weeks – October 22-24 – we will gather together for what has been a traditional event in our calendar.
But this year’s event will be anything but the same old thing.
First, the week of our annual conference will be declared the Kansas State University Extension and Engagement Week and will celebrate all of the great things K-State is for Kansas. In our next Tuesday letter, Tim Steffensmeier, the university’s assistant vice president of engagement, will share more on how extension and engagement are working together.
Second, there will be many new faces in attendance, as many of our engagement colleagues and leaders from across the university will be in attendance. We will be seeking to get to know each other better so that we can collaborate, so as ‘One K-State’ we tackle the issues that Kansans care so deeply about.
We will also learn about the issues that surfaced during the Delivering on the Promise meetings that were held across the state and which many of our extension and engagement colleagues worked so hard on. Using a “world café” format, we will discuss how K-State can best address those issues.
And, of course, we will do all of those other great conference activities that we enjoy so much. We will celebrate successes. Our Program Focus Teams will meet to discuss how to develop, deliver, evaluate and report on our great extension programs. The professional associations will meet to discuss how to make our great extension professionals even better.
We look forward to seeing everyone, both new attendees and veteran attendees, at the 2024 K-State Research and Extension annual conference!