The Kansas Health Foundation is a private philanthropy dedicated to improving the health of all Kansans.

The word addiction is used almost exclusively as a negative, but at Clay Center Middle School in Clay Center, Kan., students and faculty set out in April to show just how positive some addictions can be.

April became “Positive Addictions Month,” funded in part by a Kansas Health Foundation recognition grant, as activities and assemblies were held to teach students about topics such as good nutrition, physical activity, healthy environments, respecting other cultures and the importance of good attendance.

“We really looked at this as a different kind of prevention,” said school counselor Kristin Wright. “So often everything is about what you can’t or shouldn’t do. We wanted to show the students the positive things you can do in life.”

The initiative culminated May 2 with a range of activities, including the Positive Addictions Road Race, a 5K run that also included a one-mile run/walk. Students and teachers began training for the races months in advance. The school teamed up with volunteers throughout the community to make this a big event, and 90 percent of all students at the school participated.

Students were also treated to an assembly with motivational speaker Monte Selby. Selby, a former educator who now combines motivational messages with original music, worked with students from sixth, seventh and eighth grades to write and perform a song about positive addictions. To hear the song Selby performed with the students, click here.

“When we first started planning these activities and getting students involved, we really didn’t know what to expect,” Wright said. “This turned out to be a great experience for everyone. The whole community supported us and the volunteers helped to show the students how the right addictions can be so positive.”

With a goal of more engaged, civic-minded individuals across the state, the Kansas Leadership Center (KLC) is turning to other Kansans to help with future training and facilitating. Through its multi-part faculty development initiative, KLC is aiming to utilize a number of civic leadership practitioners in Kansas to serve as the facilitators and teachers of future programs.

“A number of people and organizations throughout the state have provided different types of leadership instruction for years,” said Ed O’Malley, KLC’s president and CEO. “What we want to do now is leverage that talent and experience to help us offer the highest quality programs to a wide range of people.”

O’Malley said KLC, which was formed using a 10-year, $30 million grant from the Kansas Health Foundation, is committed to using Kansans to lead these programs. To prepare future KLC faculty members, KLC has already hosted its first two training sessions, including the kick-off of the year-long, multi-event Art and Practice of Civic Leadership Development. It is through this program that KLC hopes to provide a high-functioning learning community that will significantly and measurably enhance the teaching skills of leadership development educators across the state.

“Essential to our long-term goals and strategies will be providing programs featuring high-quality ‘front of room’ leadership educators,” O’Malley said. “We want to reach the point where we don’t have to import speakers and experts from all across the country because the best and brightest will be right here in Kansas.”

To learn more about the Kansas Leadership Center and its programs, please visit www.kansasleadershipcenter.org.

The Foundation’s latest annual report is now available at www.kansashealth.org. This report covers, in detail, the major initiatives and grants of the Foundation during 2006 and 2007. Financial information for those two years is also included, as is a summary of how the Foundation works and an overview of the principles that guide its grant making.

To view this annual report, click here.

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