Kansas Sampler Foundation

09/03/2026

This fall, we’re teaming up with Kansas Spanish Speakers and JenRus Marketing for a FREE webinar series featuring practical ways to make your online presence welcoming, accurate and easy to find.

We’ll cover simple digital tools, authentic marketing, welcoming diverse audiences, collaborating with neighboring organizations and businesses, and bringing the whole community along.

And because learning is better when you can put it into action, participants will be eligible to apply for $250 microgrants when the series has concluded.

Choose the webinars that are most relevant to your organization, business or community work. Learn more and register at
https://kansassampler.org/RuralDigitalFrontDoorTraining

Check out the graphic or link for the full lineup!

09/02/2026

You can love rural without living rural. 💛

Our Rural Community Do’er Quiz introduced Rural Curious for people who don’t currently live rural, but still care deeply about rural places.

Maybe you grew up rural. Maybe those places shaped you. And even if you live somewhere more urban now, you still respect rural communities, cheer them on and advocate for them.

Justin Leonard is Rural Curious:

“Even though I live in an urban community today, my roots are in that small cattle and hog farm south of Eudora. Growing up there taught me that rural and urban communities aren't separate worlds; we're partners, and at the end of the day, we’re all Kansans. Supporting rural communities isn’t about where your mailbox is; it’s about recognizing how deeply connected our communities really are. Whether it’s supporting local agriculture, championing smart policy, or honoring our shared future, I stay invested because when all voices shape the big picture, all Kansans can thrive.”

Rural needs people who choose to live there. It also needs people beyond rural who understand its value and speak up for it.

08/31/2026

Maybe you want to go see one town, maybe you've got a theme in your head. Might we suggest a search for an unexpected theme like arches. If you want to see the arches in the state, just type in "arch" in the search bar at www.kansasguidebook.org. The site will help you see the entire state with new eyes.

08/28/2026

What happens at a Do-alogue doesn’t stay at the Do-alogue - it inspires Kansans to get busy taking action when they get home. We had a fantastic day in Solomon yesterday diving into conversations about how to build community with a pool.

We had 15 people from 13 communities who are all at different spots in their pool journey. These do-ers went home with ideas and examples to help build programming and support for their local pools, starting where they’re at.

Cultivating spaces in communities that create positive memories for kiddos and families, help make communities that kids might want to move back to someday. Those memories are pretty powerful stuff! What’s good for a PowerUp and their families is good for the whole community!

And when it comes to the future, a space that people already love is a whole lot easier to invest in.

Thank you to the City of Solomon for showing us some very do-able ways for putting community back into your community spaces.

Thanks to Driving Dickinson County (Natalie and Jackie) for providing your talents and your good-thinking space for the event. We certainly ate well thanks to Lucinda's Katering too.

08/26/2026

We have a confession...

The Kansas Sampler Foundation has developed its own little vocabulary over the years. If you've ever wondered, "Wait... what's a PowerUp?" or "Am I Rural by Choice?" this one's for you.

Take our Rural Community Do-er Quiz and see where you fit. You might be Rural Curious, a Spark, a PowerUp, a PowerOn, or a SuperPower. More than anything, it's a fun way to think about the role you play in helping your community thrive and how that role changes over time.

08/25/2026

🚗 From the Road with Monica in Allen County.

Folks from Allen County would not be surprised to hear that their trails and outdoor recreation are a gem in the state of Kansas. We appreciate Allen County for showing us an example of how investing in public spaces for recreation can improve quality of life for their community.

After riding a rail trail, enjoying the Multi-Use Trail in Savonburg, chuckling at the GAS KANs in Gas, you can feel good about spending money in small towns at the vibrant TLC Garden Center in La Harpe, and grabbing a delicious sandwich or special of the day while interacting with the locals at the Mildred Store in this tiny city of 33 people.

08/24/2026

Hey Network! 👋

We see lots of great places for the littles in rural communities. Library corners, playgrounds, splash pads, parks and more.

But what about programming for the littles?

What is your community doing that gets young kids and their grown-ups out of the house, meeting people and feeling part of the community?

08/21/2026

🚗From the Road with Karly in Wabaunsee County

Wabaunsee County has rural culture showing up in just about every direction.

Geography worth getting out of the car for at Echo Cliff Park and Mount Mitchell Prairie Park. Native stone architecture all over the county. Made-from-scratch food in locally owned spots. Art and ideas at Volland. History tied to Chief Wabaunsee and the Underground Railroad. Commerce that includes local cheese and an honor-system U-pick sunflower field (you know we love an honor system).

And then there are the customs, stories and people that tie it all together.

There is A LOT to explore in Wabaunsee County. Rural culture is alive and well here.

08/20/2026

After months of working on the online Kansas Guidebook, we were inspired to bring together some great partners - JenRus Marketing and Kansas Spanish Speakers - to bring Kansas businesses a Rural Digital Front Door Training. Thanks to the Networked Community Solutions Grant for making it possible!
https://kansassampler.org/blog/grant-received-for-rural-digital-front-door-training

Make sure you're subscribed to the WeKan! Tidbits to receive details on how to register: https://kansassampler.org/KansasSamplerinyourInbox

08/18/2026

Registration for this Do-Alogue closes on Thursday, August 20! There's still space for you to join us in Solomon on August 27.

Community pools are often viewed as one of a town's biggest expenses. But what if they became one of its greatest community assets?