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Governor Kelly Announces Nearly $15M Available to Connect Kansans to Digital Devices and Public Wi-Fi Governor Laura Kelly announced today that applications are open for the Advancing Digital Opportunities to Promote Technology (ADOPT) program. A total of $14.7 million in grant awards will be available to organizations addressing the challenges of broadband accessibility, affordability, and device availability. Governor Kelly Announces $28.5M for High-Speed Internet Infrastructure Governor Laura Kelly announced today that $28.5 million in grants were awarded to 12 entities through the Lasting Infrastructure and Network Connectivity (LINC) program. The LINC program provides strategic funding for crucial aspects of broadband connectivity to reduce the cost of internet service, increase availability, and improve performance. Governor Kelly Announces $5M to Expand Access to High-Speed Internet in Rural Kansas Communities Governor Laura Kelly today announced that $5 million has been awarded to eight internet service providers (ISPs) in the latest round of Broadband Acceleration Grants for 2023. The awards will be paired with an additional $6.6 million in matching funds, resulting in an investment of nearly $12 million for high-speed broadband access projects across 10 rural Kansas counties. Commerce Program Opens Employment Pathway for Justice-Involved Kansans KANSASWORKS, a division of the Kansas Department of Commerce, is taking significant strides to empower justice-involved individuals across the state through the Re-entry Specialized Employment Counseling & Training (ReSpECT)WORKS program. This program provides intensive case management and career navigation for eligible individuals released from the prison system in Kansas. View All

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Traci Brimhall
2023-2026 Poet Laureate
of Kansas

The Poet Laureate of Kansas promotes the arts as a public resource for all Kansans. Traci Brimhall will present readings and discussions about poetry in communities across the state.

“I am delighted to serve Kansas as the next Poet Laureate,” Professor Traci Brimhall said. “I love connecting with others and building community, and I can’t wait for the next few years of celebrating creativity in the Sunflower State.” 

Brimhall is the author of four poetry collections, most recently Come the Slumberless to the Land of Nod (Copper Canyon Press). Her poems have appeared in publications including The New Yorker, Poetry, Orion, and Best American Poetry. She received the 2013 National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship in Poetry, among numerous other awards. 

Available Programs:

WHY CAN’T THE HEART STOP ASKING?

Poetry is an art of attention. But sometimes the more attention we pay to the world, the more astonishing and confusing it can be. The medical researcher Jonas Salk said: “What people think of as the moment of discovery is really the discovery of the question.” I believe this also holds true for poetry. What images do we see each day that excite our minds? What sounds do we hear that awaken our hearts? What poems ask for our attention and reward us with discovery? This presentation will use poetry to create surprises, explore our curiosities, and find new questions. 

MEMORY FEAST

In so many communities there is an appetite to find language for our experiences and connect with others. Joyce Carol Oates said: “If food is poetry, is not poetry also food?” I believe cuisine can be a link to open a memory, a great way to connect with those we love, and a source of inspiration for poetry. This presentation will use poetry to connect us both with our senses in daily activities as well as help us recall memories that remind us of family, culture and community. Poetry can be a place of nourishment, a bounty of the sensory, a feast of words.

The above programs are designed for a roughly 60 minute time frame but can be adjusted if necessary. Traci may be able to accommodate other program or appearance requests but priority will be given for the listed programs.

How to Bring the Poet Laureate
of Kansas to Your Community

Traci Brimhall’s programs listed above are available free of charge to Kansas nonprofit organizations. Please fill out form below and submit for more information. Thank you.

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Huascar Medina
2019-2022 Poet Laureate Emeritus of Kansas

Huascar is a poet, writer, and performer who lives in Topeka. He currently works as a freelance copywriter and as the Literary Editor for seveneightfive magazine publishing stories that spotlight literary and artistic events in northeast Kansas.

His poems can be found in his collection How to Hang the Moon published by Spartan Press. He is the winner of ARTSConnect’s 2018 Arty Award for Literary Art. His new collection of poems Un Mango Grows in Kansas is available at huascarmedina.com

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