Introducing the 2021-2022 Kansas Future Fellows!

Kansas Future Fellows

...imagine—and act on—fresh, future-focused opportunities benefitting the well-being of Kansas children and families.

The Future Fellows innovations program was developed by the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR). The inaugural cohort of fellows are being selected and trained in partnership with the Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund and foresight experts at Openfields.

Why We Need Future Fellows

The lives of Kansans are rapidly evolving—economically, socially, technologically, culturally—yet our human service programs often struggle to adapt fast enough. This fact challenges our ability as a state to ensure that every child thrives.

Future Fellows aims to make certain Kansas is an exceptional place to do business and raise a family.

Why Apply to Become a Fellow

Keynotes from Top Experts

Learn from national and international experts in long-term thinking and social innovation

Foresight Skills Training and Practice

Map trends and develop scenarios to help define the future of your field

Intro to Anticipatory Governance

Explore how new models of responsive governance can be applied in Kansas

Leadership Skills for Systems Change

Gain skills and confidence in navigating and leading change in complex environments

Develop a Future Impact Scenario

Using research, data, and trends curated in the cohort, paint a picture of the future you want to design for Kansas families and children

Unique and Rewarding Cohort Experience

Join nine other visionary, cross-sector leaders from across the state

9-Month Fellowship

Kansas Future Fellows are public and private cross-sector leaders with the vision, tools, and network to apply long-term thinking in their work with children and families.

Fellows receive a honorarium and regularly gather as a cohort to develop and apply their skills to address community needs.

Kickoff Innovation Lab, September 20-21, 2021
Creative Planning Headquarters, Overland Park, Kansas
Featuring Jake Dunagan, Ph.D., pioneer of design futures and Research Director for Institute for the Future

Systems Leadership + Anticipatory Governance Lab, December 13-14, 16, 2021
Virtual
Featuring Angela Hanson, Innovation Lead, Observatory of Public Sector Innovation, Paris, France; and Rebecca Gillam and Jenny Flinders, Our Tomorrows, KU-CPPR (family stories and sense-making strategies)

Scenarios for Innovation Lab, March 7-8, 2022
Church of the Resurrection, Leawood, Kansas
Telling the stories and engaging communities

Kansas Future Forum, May 19, 2022
Topeka, KS (location to be announced) Keynote Speaker: David Bornstein, New York Times journalist, author (several books including “How to Change the World: Social Entrepreneurs and the Power of New Ideas), and co-founder of the Solutions Journalism Network.