October 2022

GBED accepts To the Stars Business Award for Apprenticeship

On October 20, 2022, the Kansas Department of Commerce held its annual To the Stars: Kansas Business Awards banquet in Topeka. Great Bend Economic Development was nominated and won the North Central Region in the category, Apprenticeship Champions and Partners. Nominated by Lana Gordon, Kansas Grant Manager for Hamilton-Ryker TalentGro division, this award is given to companies that excel in providing registered apprenticeship programs in Kansas. Sara Arnberger, GBED’s President, exemplifies this award as she has and continues to connect businesses with the resources they need to create apprenticeship programs. In making these connections, Hamilton-Ryker assisted KMW Loaders, one of Great Bend’s manufacturers, in creating an apprenticeship program. The KMW Learning Academy began its inaugural class with a full roster and a waiting list for those not able to begin in September.

Read MoreGBED accepts To the Stars Business Award for Apprenticeship

New exhibitions opening at Sandzen Gallery

Four new exhibitions open at the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery on November 6, 2022, and continue through January 8, 2023. They feature paintings by Charles Baughman of Wichita and David Friday of Russell; prints and paintings by former Bethany College art instructor Annie Lee Ross (1909-1978); and the annual Holiday Gift Show. A come and go reception for the exhibitions will be on Sunday, November 6, from 2 to 4 p.m.

Read MoreNew exhibitions opening at Sandzen Gallery

Kids in the Midwest will get more blood screenings under EPA plan to deal with lead threat

A study shows about half of children in the United States have detectable levels of lead in their blood, despite federal regulations that ban or restrict its use. The Environmental Protection Agency adopted a new strategy to reduce exposure, particularly in low-income and communities of color that are disproportionately affected.

Read MoreKids in the Midwest will get more blood screenings under EPA plan to deal with lead threat

4-H Formula

While we often think of 4-H in terms of events such as the county fair or club days, the formula for youth development as 4-H is so much more! Like all other Research and Extension information, positive youth development is based on considerable documentation including the research of Lerner and Lerner in the “Comprehensive Findings of 4-H Study of Positive Youth Development (Tufts University 2013)” and Brendtro, Brokenleg, and Van Bockern in “Reclaiming Youth at Risk: Our Hope for the Future”, among others. Based on this research, the WHY for 4-H includes developing a sense of belonging, mastery, independence, and generosity.

Read More4-H Formula