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Category: Experience Matters

Facilitators needed for Wildcat Dialogues

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Wildcat Dialogues is an intercultural leadership experience designed to introduce first-time students to tools they can use to engage in meaningful dialogues across differences to help create communities of belonging at K-State. 

Are you ready to serve as a small group facilitator? Sign up by Monday, Sept. 9. K-State students, faculty and staff are invited to join us as facilitators. Facilitators are needed each year to play a critical role helping first-year students connect with each other, share their stories and engage in meaningful dialogue. Training is provided and facilitators will get a free Wildcat Dialogues T-shirt.

Wildcat Dialogues will take place 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18, at the K-State Student Union. In addition, facilitators are needed to host a small make-up session 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24.

As a small group facilitator you will:

  • Guide groups of 8-10 students in a dialogue to help them develop skills in intercultural leadership
  • Actively contribute to the university in its mission to create a campus culture of belonging for all students
  • Develop your own ability to facilitate meaningful dialogue around difficult topics

How can you join us? All facilitators will participate in training on intercultural learning and small group facilitation, as well as detailed information on the program for Wildcat Dialogues.

To prepare, there is a short training module to complete on Canvas, and facilitators will need to attend a training session and practice session.

Facilitators will need to attend one of the following training sessions in-person at the Leadership Studies Building:

  • 9-10:30 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 10
  • 1-2:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11
  • 5-6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11
Additionally, first-time facilitators (and anyone who would like to) will be asked to attend a facilitation practice.
  • 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday, Sept. 16
  • 10-11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 17

Are you ready to serve as a small group facilitator? Sign-up using this link by Monday, Sept. 9.

Join us as a facilitator and gain essential skills during this applied learning opportunity.

Have questions or want to know more? Check out the FAQ’s about the event or email Tamara Bauer or Austin Drake, Staley School of Leadership, tamara@ksu.edu or adrake329@ksu.edu.

 

Create belonging at Wildcat Dialogues on Sept. 18

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Video preview: WIldcat Dialogues. Participants share what you can expect at this event.

Are you in your first year (or first time) at K-State? Join us for a K-State tradition – Wildcat Dialogues.

Mark your calendars for 7-9 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 18! Wildcat Dialogues is an intercultural learning and leadership event designed for all first-year K-State students. This evening provides an opportunity for meaningful dialogue and building connections, as we work to create a community of belonging for all. For those who can’t attend Sept. 18, there is a make-up session 3-5 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 24. See registration forms for details.

Registration is due by Sunday, Sept. 15:

During Wildcat Dialogues, students will:

  • Learn how to create communities of belonging
  • Build cross-cultural relationships through meaningful dialogue
  • Engage in active listening, empathy and perspective-taking
  • Build a skillset to understand cultural differences and similarities

Continue reading “Create belonging at Wildcat Dialogues on Sept. 18” →

Students facilitate learning with local JAG-K

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Being a part of the Staley School of Leadership means having real-world opportunities to practice leadership. Jess Pittenger, a sophomore majoring in philosophy in the pre-law track with a minor in leadership studies, experienced this firsthand.

Pittenger, a co-chair for the Staley School Ambassadors’ education committee, developed a plan to facilitate a leadership learning experience with the organization JAG-K (Jobs for America’s Graduates Kansas). This nonprofit organization provides elective classes for Kansas high school students, offering academic resources, assistance with post-graduation plans, and exposure to extracurricular activities.

Continue reading “Students facilitate learning with local JAG-K” →

K-State students present posters to Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol  

Posted on by Staley School of Leadership

Five undergraduate students from Kansas State University presented their research at Kansas Undergraduate Research Day at the Capitol on Friday, March 1.  

K-State’s Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research (SDUR) commends these students for their efforts, learning outcomes and exemplary representation of K-State. Gratitude is also due to the faculty mentors and research programs who helped create these transformative student experiences. 

Student presenters, photographed left to right are:  

  • Helen Winters, sophomore, “Form and Function of Dominant Prairie Grass Across Climate Gradients: Identifying Climate-adapted Populations for Restoration and Conservation,” mentored by Dr. Loretta Johnson 
  • Kalea Nippert, senior, “Is extreme fire the key to reversing grassland loss due to woody encroachment? A test in the tallgrass prairie,” mentored by Zak Ratajczak 
  • Ellienne Warnes, senior, “Exercise Improves Cognitive Performance and Increases Hippocampal Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) Expression in Female Autism Spectrum Disorder Modeled Rats,” mentored by Bethany Plakke 
  • Cassidy Hartig, senior, “The Middle of Everywhere: One Kansas Effigy’s Storied Past and Present,” mentored by Dr. Lisa Tatonetti 
  • Grace Schieferecke, junior, “Molecular Analysis of Benzimidazole Resistance in Hookworms in Kansas Dogs,” mentored by Dr. Jeba Jesudoss Chelladurai 

students stand with their posters

Students were selected through a formal application process and reviewed by a committee. Upon selection, students attended a training session, created their research posters and invited their state representatives to attend the event.  

This poster session featured presenters from each of the Kansas Board of Regents institutions (KBOR). Throughout the presentation, the students interacted with a diverse group of attendees: peers, state representatives and their staff, administrators from KBOR institutions, and the public.  

Students, faculty, and staff are invited to further celebrate the efforts of undergraduate researchers from all corners of campus at the upcoming Undergraduate Research Symposium, on Thursday, April 11, from 4-6 p.m. in the Student Union Grand Ballroom. (link) 

Scholar Development and Undergraduate Research is housed within the Staley School of Leadership. The Staley School also includes undergraduate and graduate leadership studies academic programs, leadership and service co-curricular programs, and the University Honors Program. The Staley School equips learners with leadership skills and academic excellence through applied learning experiences, in-class learning, and community partnerships around the world. To learn more, visit www.k-state.edu/leadership. ­­