What is Arts Partners and What are they doing in Wichita?

Arts Partners, an affiliate of Young Audiences, Inc., is a comprehensive educational program that integrates visual and performing arts into all areas of the curriculum through the planned use of community cultural resources. They inspire creativity and learning by using the arts to enhance the classroom experience for PreK-12 students in collaboration with teaching artists and community cultural organizations. Arts Partners is designed to create a partnership that includes representatives of school districts, teaching artists, and area arts and cultural organizations.

Arts Partners believes that using the arts for learning allows students to better express themselves, develop higher-order thinking skills, enhance their creativity and strengthen their problem-solving abilities. Arts Partners programs are also designed to promote self-esteem and encourage life-long learning.

Several factors resulted in Wichita being chosen to initiate this comprehensive community partnership to develop an innovative arts-in-education program in the public schools:
The Wichita Public School District’s long-term commitment to arts education.
The capacity of cultural organizations to produce in-depth education programs.
The presence of private sector financial resources to support quality arts education.
The willingness of the Wichita Community Foundation to serve as the new organization's convener until Arts Partners could be established as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation in 1998 was also an important factor.

What makes Wichita’s Arts Partners unique?

Wichita’s Arts Partners is the first affiliate of Young Audiences to be organized as a separate non-profit rather than part of a Young Audiences chapter, the first to be implemented district-wide from the start in a major school district with nearly 49,000 students, and the first to develop with the support of so many major community arts organizations.

You can learn more about them on their website.

Downtown Vision Presentation

After hearing public input and looking at market research, Goody Clancy will be back in town to present their draft vision and beginning framework of the downtown master plan. The presentation will be held at the Scottish Rite on April 28th from 6-8pm. The public is asked to attend to give feedback and recommendations on the draft presented. It's important that YP's make a showing to ensure our voice is heard.

Downtown Revitalization

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This Tuesday (4/13) Wichita City Council will hold a public hearing on a Real Development request to expand a tax increment financing (TIF) plan for the Exchange Place housing project. While doing the research for the Destination ICT study, we heard time and time again that people wanted our downtown to be more than it currently is - more housing options, more entertainment options, more retail. And there is the always debated question of what needs to come first, the people or the places?

Have an opinion on this matter? Show up for the public hearing on Tuesday (council meetings start at 9:00) and share your opinion. Or simply send a quick email to your Council Member and let them know your thoughts. It DOES make a difference. Make sure your voice is heard.

Read more in the Eagle here and here. Real Development has a blog you can read here. And to see a video of the Exchange Place exterior and high-tech parking garage, click here.

Webster Master of Health Administration Orientation Mixer

Webster University is pleased to announce an orientation mixer (see attached invitation) for the Master of Health Administration degree. This is an opportunity for faculty, staff, and interested students and alumni to come together to share information and to learn about the MHA and Webster before our scheduled launch date of June 1. You are invited to attend and/or to share the attached invitation with anyone you know who may be interested. If appropriate, please post the attached flyer where others might see it. Please NOTE that all interested individuals need to RSVP to Brandi Miller brandim@webster.edu , or 316.686.6841, no later than Noon this Friday, April 9th.

As a graduate of Webster University, you can pursue the MHA as a sequential degree, which means that you would only need the 27 hours of MHA core courses to complete the degree. We’d love to have you back in our classrooms, so contact us today or attend the orientation on April 13 to learn more.

YPW%20orientation%20invitation.doc

Bike to Work in May!

May is the perfect time to bike to work. Biking to work builds
moral, encourages camaraderie, and is a great way to get active
in your community. Active employees are more alert, take fewer
sick days and are more productive. Biking also reduces your
carbon footprint, reduces traffic congestion and can save you
money. The Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita is dedicated to
promoting physical activity and good nutrition for every
generation in the greater Wichita area. Plan now to be a part of
Bike Month. Who knows you may enjoy it so much you’ll make it
Bike Year.

Bike to Work Friday(s)

Plan now to have Bike to Work Friday(s) in May. Provide routes or maps highlighting friendly ways to ride to work. Provide a ridematching service so that novice cyclists can commute with the experienced bikers. Sponsor “commuter convoys”. Meet at several suburban locations and ride into the city together.

Provide incentives for your employees to bike to work. Get your Bike to Work Friday(s) campaign going by letting everyone who bikes to work "dress down" for the day. You could also provide a refreshment area upon their arrival. How about allowing those that bike to work to come to work an hour later or leave an hour earlier? Also consider hosting a Smart Cycling Class where a bike professional comes in to talk about commuting safely. E-mail information about your event to the Health & Wellness Coalition of Wichita (debbie.williams@ymcawichita.org) or call Debbie at 264-4066 ext. 221.

Why Bike to Work ?

May is bike month and bicycle
activities can help promote
individual health and recreation
as well as have positive impacts
on the community and the
environment.

Bike Month helps:

• Get more people riding more often and safely to improve physical activity levels.
• Increase the voice and visibility of the cycling community.
• Lead the way toward improved facilities and the cycling environment.
• Promote cycling as a transportation alternative.

It is a widely held belief that when there are more cyclists on the road, they are more visible, motorists are better prepared to deal with them, and the rate of accidents involving vehicles lowers. We also know that cycling for transportation is better for the environment and individual health. The more cyclists on the road, and the more visible, the more the city and county governments help us to improve facilities and conditions for bicycling. Help bicyclists in the city become more visible by joining us by riding through Bike Month... and beyond.