Lance Rossi

The Kansas Civic Life Project (KCLP) attempts to 1) understand the current political and cultural challenges facing Kansans and their communities, 2) identify existing and potential partners who can help cultivate and train communities to explore and address challenges, and 3) develop a civic ecosystem infrastructure that will allow communities across Kansas has to the resources, knowledge, and skills to foster a healthy democratic life. There are deep roots of civic discourse within Kansas found within some of the organizations involved in KCLP. For example, nearly every county in Kansas was involved with a national dialogue project led by the USDA and land-grant universities in which citizens used civil discourse to understand a number of complex public issues. In many ways, the KCLP is an acknowledgment of these foundations and a recognition that much can and should be done to develop the ability for Kansans to civically engage in their communities with the knowledge, skills, and ability to understand and