News

Mon, 02/03/2025

Civic Foresight Group Reflects on Shaping the Gateway to a Futurist Mindset

After engaging nearly 2,000 Kansans, Civic Foresight Group members Kate Van Steenhuyse, Logan Stenseng, and Jennifer Keomany shared reflections on how they introduced the concepts and practice of futures thinking and how they showed the discipline of foresight can be applicable, relevant, and critical to every community.

Mon, 09/09/2024

CPPR’s Integrated Referral and Intake System Reaches 100,000th Referral Milestone

Today, CPPR’s Integrated Referral and Intake System (IRIS) celebrates its 100,000th referral. Now with 36 IRIS community networks, which has grown from six counties in southeast Kansas to 82 counties across six states, IRIS provides the below services for families seeking support: ...

Tue, 05/21/2024

CPPR hosts futures thinking workshop for middle school students

On May 3, 2024, CPPR hosted a second Alternatives Futures for Kansas workshop, this time for middle school students in Lawrence, Kansas.

Tue, 12/19/2023

CPPR Needs Assessment for Kansas Fights Addiction Board

TOPEKA, Kan. – Sunflower Foundation is pleased to announce that it has selected the University of Kansas Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) to conduct a year-long, comprehensive statewide needs assessment of substance use disorder (SUD) systems and related work in Kansas that will be used to guide the future, long-term investment strategies of the Kansas Fights Addiction Grant Review Board.

Thu, 10/05/2023

AAI features CPPR's approach to futures thinking

Wed, 08/09/2023

CPPR directors write blog series on the researcher-policymaker relationship

Executive Director Jackie Counts and Assistant Director Jessica Sprague-Jones recently published a blog series with Emerald Group Publishing on the strategies researchers can use to approach policymakers and disseminate their research. Counts and Sprague-Jones, who each have experience as researchers engaging those who influence and make policies, share how to...

Fri, 07/21/2023

How community-based organizations helped create a referral process to better serve communities

Community-based organizations provide critical social infrastructure by knowing the needs of their communities and then raising the needed connections and resources. Community-based organizations provide a variety of social services, including early childhood education, developmental disabilities, supporting basic needs like housing and food, mental health and substance abuse treatment, maternal and...

Thu, 06/29/2023

Kansas Family First Prevention’s three-year evaluation shows prevention services and supports protect family integrity

Since it was signed into law in 2018, the Family First Prevention Services Act created new opportunities for supporting children and families with the use of federal foster care funds for prevention programs. Kansas launched the Kansas Family First Prevention in 2019 with CPPR and the KU School of Social...

Wed, 05/31/2023

South by East Podcast "Generations" Q&A

This spring, the Center for Public Partnerships and Research supported Fellowship Hi-Crest’s South by East podcast and its season 2 production. Created and co-hosted by Johnathan Sublet and Brail Watson, South by East discusses “culture, the scriptures, and everything in between and how they impact southeast Topeka.” In contrast to...

Wed, 05/24/2023

Tech-Enabled Community Resilience

CPPR Associate Director Teri Garstka presented at the 2023 Good Tech Fest with Meaghan Kennedy of Orange Sparkle Ball. ...

Wed, 05/24/2023

CPPR celebrates 10 years of service

Since 2013, the Center for Public Partnerships and Research has worked with state agencies, non-profits, community coalitions, and service providers to build a world where families and children can thrive. ...

Fri, 02/10/2023

The National Association of Social Workers features KU’s Family Strong

In the December 2022-January 2023 issue of Social Work Advocates, CPPR Assistant Director Meghan Cizek and Dr. Kaela Byers of KU School of Social Welfare discuss the work behind Family Strong, a universal prevention demonstration project funded by the Administration for Children and Families. Cizek and Byers, who both serve...

Mon, 11/21/2022

The Paradox of Child Care Costs: A Case for Multiple Payers

The high cost and demand of child care and the financial struggles of child care providers may first appear as a paradox: How do child care providers struggle when families are paying so much and demand is so high?

Wed, 11/16/2022

Multiple Futures and the Role of Public-Private Partnerships

Exploring the Child Care Crisis: Multiple Futures and the Role of Public-Private Partnerships explores the variable social dynamics and business models of our present and ongoing child care crisis through specific lenses of the future. In the brief, CPPR and Openfields developed four potential scenarios to provoke creative thinking and...

Fri, 09/30/2022

Capturing an Experience

The CPPR Our Tomorrows team is partnering with organizations around the country to transform the lives of families. What sets this work apart? The ability to capture a whole experience and tap into a family's real-time needs. View the full webinar with our partners from the University of Kansas School...

Wed, 09/21/2022

Examining the Present and Future of Child Care in Kansas

CPPR explores solutions to longstanding challenges within the social service sector, such as the cost of child care, high staff turnover, and low wages. Expanding on our continuing examination of the child care landscape in Kansas and centering perspectives of child care providers, CPPR investigates the opportunities in future models. ...

Fri, 07/22/2022

Using data as a collaborative tool for the child care crisis in Kansas

CPPR collaborated with the Institute for Policy and Social Research and the Kansas Department of Health and Environment to create the Child Care Desert Map to show the disparity between child care need and access.

Thu, 05/05/2022

The Impact of Child Care Provider Services

CPPR was happy to be a partner in Child Care Aware of America’s Provider Appreciation Day campaign for 2022. To celebrate child care providers, we highlighted the relationships between providers and the families they serve in our guest post, “Provider Appreciation Begins with Listening.”

Wed, 01/26/2022

Survey: Parents feel more social support than non-parents

Preliminary analyses on the results of our recent survey of young families suggests that parenting is a protective factor for the erosion of social connections and solidarity.

Thu, 12/02/2021

Sunflower Summer Case Study (Opens in new window)

The Center for Public Partnerships and Research (CPPR) employs change makers who translate ideas into action. The Sunflower Summer program started as an idea shared in a committee meeting, and then very quickly—with CPPR connecting and working with state agencies and organizations—the program came to life just two months later. ...

Wed, 12/01/2021

Thousands of Kansas families connect with free learning experiences

Change Makers: CPPR is known for translating ideas into action. CPPR connected with a variety of state agencies and organizations across Kansas to bring the Sunflower Summer program to life. It began as an idea in a conference room, and in less than two months it became a fully implemented program where Kansas families could participate in enrichment activities and visit 70 attractions at no cost.

Tue, 11/09/2021

CPPR’s first Incubation Process Cohort is beginning the groundwork for MVPs

Four teams of CPPR employees presented their incubation projects on Pitch Day, Oct. 29, to fellow staff serving on the Incubation Pitch Crew, a volunteer committee that gave feedback and evaluated if a team’s minimum viable product (MVP) aligned with the Center’s mission to optimize the well-being of children and families.

Thu, 11/04/2021

KU lands grant to help transform foster system, keep children in the home

Better World: CPPR paired with outstanding partners and passionate community members are creating transformative solutions that will help us transition from a system that reacts to problematic home situations to one that provides resources and meets family and community needs to prevent children from being removed from their families.

Tue, 10/26/2021

CPPR’s Incubation Process supports employees to make their ideas happen

Great Workplace: Innovation is nothing new at CPPR but there is now a formalized Incubation Process in place to support all staff as they dream big and grapple with that new idea or problem they have been mulling over for months or years.

Fri, 10/01/2021

CPPR’s unique program provides opportunities for statewide change around issues affecting children and their families

Future Thinkers: At CPPR, we are harnessing foresight to take on tomorrow’s challenges and create opportunities in Kansas. In September, CPPR launched the first structured, statewide network of ambassadors dedicated to futures thinking strategies for advancing solutions to problems experienced by young children and their families.

Tue, 04/20/2021

Our Tomorrows shares innovative practices with the world

Our Tomorrows creates change by elevating Kansans’ voices so they can shape our state’s policies and practices. They were recently invited to share their innovative practices with the world via an OPSI case study. Check it out below.

Mon, 03/15/2021

CPPR’s Role in COVID-19 Response Efforts

Better World: When COVID-19 turned our lives upside down, CPPR was enlisted to help our most vulnerable residents. Our strong relationships and ability to quickly pivot allowed us to collaborate with state partners in developing time-sensitive responses in support of families, essential workers, and child care providers.

Wed, 02/10/2021

CPPR utilizes unique approaches to help KDHE gather family voices

Change Makers: We amplify the voices of Kansas families. In partnership with KDHE, the CPPR team utilized unique ways to engage Kansas families to help inform the state’s Title V Maternal and Child Health (MCH) priorities for the next five years.

Thu, 01/21/2021

Sensemaking Elevates Families’ Voices

Change Makers: CPPR’s Our Tomorrows team gathers stories from Kansans. The experiences they share can help shape policy and programming decisions in our communities and across the country. In addition to collecting and sharing, the team hosts sessions to discuss trends and patterns revealed.

Wed, 01/20/2021

Foresight: How our leaders build a better tomorrow for future generations

Better World: Wonder how change makers bring about a better world? Where are their heads? Where do they seek inspiration and wisdom?

Sunflower Summer Case Study (Opens in new window)

Media Contacts