This article is the third entry of a blog series showcasing Third Floor Research’s findings on the impact of leadership development programs and civic engagement efforts. In this entry, we showcase findings from a Third Floor Research study on the Kansas Beats the Virus campaign.
The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges, prompting Kansas communities to innovate. In response, the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC), in partnership with state and local communities, launched the Kansas Beats the Virus (KBTV) in 2020 and 2021. These efforts mobilized citizens across the state to address public health issues. The projects highlight the significance of large-scale community engagement and underscore the transformative potential of collective action.
How Kansas united to drive change: What we learned from our Mass Civic Action Campaign
The global pandemic disrupted daily life and demanded new ways of working and interacting with others, especially in Kansas during the fall of 2020. A strong community spirit emerged, amidst lockdowns, school closures, and economic challenges. Recognizing the need for collective action, the state of Kansas partnered with the KLC to launch KBTV, a citizen-led initiative to slow the virus’s spread. The KLC organized 1,000 community meetings over five weeks, demonstrating how empowering local communities to create their own solutions can exercise leadership and lead to impactful action projects.
This community engagement highlights the crucial role of grassroots mobilization in tackling a critical public health crisis from a civic engagement perspective. Third Floor Research team evaluated the initiative and concluded that approximately 4,596 Kansans participated in 851 meetings between Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day. Data collected included a virtual survey. Our curiosity was could local teams launch action projects that would cause more people to engage in healthy behaviors and slow the spread the virus?
Here are some key takeaways:
- A Network of Motivated Individuals with a Shared Purpose can Mobilize the Masses – and Quickly: The initiative brought together individuals from all walks of life, united by a common goal: to protect their communities. This shared purpose fostered rapid mobilization and galvanized action.
- Relationships Matter: People were more likely to participate when invited by a trusted organization or individual, emphasizing the importance of building strong connections within communities.
- If They’re Engaged, They’re Empowered: Participation in KBTV instilled a sense of civic responsibility and empowered Kansans to act as leaders in their own right.
- A Clearly Defined Process Led to Better Outcomes: Trained facilitators guided teams toward productive discussions and impacted action projects.
- Leveraging Relationships + Incentivizing Action Projects = Local Solutions: Through KBTV, thousands of Kansans collaboratively developed unique solutions tailored to the specific challenges of their communities. This grassroots approach addressed local priorities, including promoting safe practices, raising awareness, and supporting vulnerable populations.
A meeting with youth to address reducing concerns about COVID-spread in multigenerational households.
The success of KBTV is a testament to the power of grassroots leadership, demonstrating how a shared purpose, strong relationships, and structured action can come together to overcome even the most daunting challenges. This initiative serves as a model for future community efforts, reminding us that when we work together, we can achieve extraordinary things.
Recognizing Engaged Communities: Engaging Local Communities to Drive Local Change
The COVID-19 pandemic’s impact in Kansas was compounded by vaccine hesitancy and misinformation. Building on 2020’s success, the KLC launched KBTV 2021 to increase testing and vaccination rates through community-driven projects. This public health partnership with the Kansas Department of Health and Environment aimed to empower communities to take charge in the fight against the pandemic.
KLC mobilized partners and individuals across the state, inspiring the creation of over 1,000 projects. The Third Floor Research team found that 788 final reports were submitted of the 1,010 completed projects over six months, with registered participants from 43 out of 105 counties. Data collected included online surveys and a virtual debrief. Our curiosity was to investigate whether KBTV 2021 strategies achieved the desired public health and civic engagement short-term and intermediate outcomes.
A study investigated KBTV 2021’s effectiveness, uncovering key insights:
Public Health Impact:
- Targeted Action: The majority of projects were designed and implemented by and for underserved communities in Kansas, directly addressing their unique needs.
- Empowered Communities: Participants felt empowered to take action and curb the spread of COVID-19 within their communities.
- Increased Awareness: Through local, relatable examples, an estimated 1.35 million Kansans were exposed to healthy behaviors, raising awareness of effective measures.
Civic Engagement Impact:
- Strengthen Trust: Participation in KBTV fostered increased civic trust, a shared sense of purpose, and optimism regarding community engagement.
- Enhanced Skills: Participants gained valuable skills and confidence to lead local civic initiatives.
- Positive Outlook: More stakeholders expressed confidence in their communities’ ability to actively engage in civic matters.
KBTV 2021 demonstrated the effectiveness of grassroots mobilization in addressing public health challenges. By empowering communities to take ownership of their well-being, the initiative demonstrated the potential of collective action to drive positive change. Further feedback suggested five ingredients were necessary to build and support mass civic engagement activities:
- Empower local people to design projects that work best for their community
- Inspire a collective purpose among networks and local community members
- Establish a simple and efficient process that serves broad and diverse populations
- Allocate financial support directly to local community members involved in driving change
- Measure impact to understand the influence of the strategy better. Evaluation increases accountability by assessing if the project did what it intended
A sample risk reduction project for COVID-positive shoppers: The Pittsburg-IGA supermarket, Ron’s, offered deliveries to two other smaller communities and reported bringing in new customers.
KBTV initiatives demonstrate the significance of engaged communities leading grassroots efforts on important issues. They show that empowered, connected communities with a clear purpose can achieve significant results. These activities serve as a model for future community efforts, emphasizing the value of local solutions, strong relationships, and structured processes in creating meaningful and sustainable change.
Detailed findings from both projects are available on the Kansas Leadership Center’s Third Floor Research website.
Third Floor Research is an applied research partnership between the Kansas Leadership Center and the Staley School of Leadership. It is an international research initiative that fosters innovation in the exercise and development of leadership in a rapidly changing world. Third Floor Research contributes to a global understanding of leadership, adaptation and change management. Individuals, communities, and organizations that are interested to know more about our work can contact us at Research@kansasleadershipcenter.org
About the Author
Roberta Maldonado Franzen, Ph.D., SPHR, (she/her), serves as the director of talent acquisition and recruitment at Duke University and is an affiliated faculty at Kansas State University, Staley School of Leadership. With a proven track record, she led meaningful and sustainable change in both private and public sectors. Dr. Maldonado Franzen is a strategic thought partner with over 20 years of experience designing effective strategies and leading diverse groups. Previously, she worked as a researcher with The Third Floor Research team, where she led the assessment of two statewide civic engagement projects and authored evaluative reports documenting systemic change. She earned her doctorate in leadership communication at Kansas State University and her senior professional in human resources (SPHR) designation from the Human Resources Certification Institute.
