Go to Article

Partner Acceleration in Action: Sunflower Summer

Synopsis

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. With CPPR’s involvement, Kansas students and their families were able to participate in enrichment activities and visited 70 attractions at no cost.

The Challenge: Wonderful idea, short timeframe!

In the spring, a standing advisory committee comprised of Kansas Teacher of the Year candidates was tasked by Kansas Commissioner of Education Randy Watson to identify ways to utilize national relief funding, including stimulation of summertime education enrichment. The group proposed using these resources to pay admission for students to visit venues and participate in enrichment activities across the state.

Though everyone embraced the concept, defining the program, engaging with venues, developing an app required for program performance tracking, and sharing the program with Kansans would be a massive effort in the six-week timeframe.

The Solution: Employ CPPR to put ideas into action

Bringing Sunflower Summer to fruition was a natural fit. CPPR specializes in helping dream and implement big ideas, conduct research, and create programs that improve the lives of children and families. The CPPR team coordinated closely with Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE), The Governor’s Office, Kansas Children’s Cabinet and Trust Fund, app developer SLCKET, Kansas Department of Tourism, Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks, Greenbush Education Service Center, and 70+ venues to create this two-for-one success: stimulating summer learning and sparking tourism.

“The Sunflower Summer program was a home run for the state of Kansas. The program did what we wanted it to do. It created rich opportunities for summer learning between students and caring adults, while helping to support these amazing Kansas attractions.”
- Denise Kahler, Director of Communications and Recognition Programs, KSDE