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America250 guests brief committee on new Kansas‑focused podcast and student travel contest
Summary
Guests from the America250 Kansas Commission presented a 20‑episode podcast (March–November 2026) with classroom resources and described America's Field Trip, a student contest accepting submissions through March 5 with 250 national winners who receive a travel prize and guardian accompaniment.
Members of the America250 Kansas Commission presented resources for teachers and students during the Committee on Education meeting.
Cara Heights, who identified herself as a historian working on historical media with the Kansas America250 Commission, said the podcast will "tell stories from Kansas history connected to some of the themes in the Declaration of Independence," with early episodes covering topics such as Eisenhower's Farewell Address, the 1893 Legislative War and other Kansas‑centered stories. The commission plans to release 20 episodes between March and November 2026 and to provide primary sources and a curriculum guide for teachers.
Casey Marie, who said she carries a Kansas Department of Education name tag and teaches at Campus High School in Haysville, described plans to pair the podcast with lesson plans and professional learning communities for teachers around the state, including a Project Links teacher cohort that will travel to Boston for Revolutionary War context.
Rosa, introduced by the chair as the project's executive director/manager, described the America's Field Trip student contest for grades 3–12: submissions (a sentence, poem or drawing about why students love America) are open through March 5; there will be 250 winners nationally; winners receive a trip for the student and a guardian paid by America250. The chair showed a Semiquin the bison plushie being used for outreach and noted additional materials and a QR code for teacher resources.
Committee members offered thanks; the presentation concluded with an invitation to committee members to share materials with teachers and superintendents.
