‘Mini Wheat State Tour’ takes KU faculty & staff members on one-day tour of Kansas

Years ago, the University of Kansas sponsored a several days bus trip for new hires to get to know the state of Kansas and build community with colleagues. Although the university has not sponsored such a trip in recent years, in Spring 2024 the School of Education & Human Sciences launched a “mini” tour of its own.

On May 31, 2024, colleagues from across the KU community hit the road for a “Mini Wheat State Tour”—a one-day tour of Kansas designed to give employees from across the university an up-close look at some of the places that make our state special, and better understand the places and communities from which our students come.

Hosted by the School of Education & Human Sciences, the tour included stops at the Brown v. Board of Education Museum in Topeka, where visitors had time to explore the museum and attended a twenty minute talk from staff; Council Grove, an historic town, where visitors explored local shops and heard a short talk about the town’s history from a local Chamber of Commerce member, and ate lunch at the historic Hays House; Tall Grass National Preserve, which included a short talk from a ranger, time to walk trails, and a visit to a nineteenth century house and barn on the grounds; and Cottonwood Falls, another unique historic town, with a tour of the renowned Court House.

“We had a great day seeing parts of Kansas that many never experience if they don’t get off of I-70, while offering a unique opportunity for tour members to meet colleagues from across the School and campus.  The state has a compelling history and so much to offer, so hopefully we can continue the tours in the years ahead.”  

Attendees included faculty and staff members from multiple campus units, including the School of Music, KU Libraries, the Hall Center for the Humanities, the William Allen White School of Journalism and Mass Communications, the College of Liberal Arts & Sciences, and the School of Education & Human Sciences.

“The tour was a wonderful opportunity to meet colleagues from beyond the library and to discover facets of Kansas I had not known before,” said Milton Machuca-Gálvez, Assistant Librarian for Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American and Caribbean Studies at KU, who attended the outing.

The KU School of Education & Human Sciences is a nationally ranked school, preparing educators and human science professionals as leaders.