Today’s News from the University of Kansas
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KU researchers develop new toolkit for social justice action
LAWRENCE — The Community Tool Box, a global resource developed at the University of Kansas Center for Community Health and Development, now includes a Justice Action Toolkit. It takes visitors step by step through registering voters, reaching out and developing relationships with elected officials, organizing demonstrations, and advocacy, among many other actions.
Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute names new director
OVERLAND PARK — The University of Kansas Office of Lifelong & Professional Education has announced that Kelly McCoy will serve as the new director of the Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute. McCoy has 25 years of experience in the fire service, advancing through the ranks to division chief of the Northwest Fire District in Tucson, Arizona.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Christina Holt, Center for Community Health and Development, 785-864-0719, [email protected], @KUCommHealth
KU researchers develop new toolkit for social justice action
LAWRENCE — When protests erupted over the death of George Floyd and ongoing systemic racism in the United States in the spring, entrepreneur David Dennis was reminded of the stories his mother had told him of the civil rights movement in the 1960s. He said he hadn’t imagined that civil unrest would affect another generation.
“I saw the pain of people,” he said. “I saw them tearing up their communities because of the knees on our necks for years. I said, there has to be a better way to show frustration. So, I scoured the internet to find a way to do it.”
Through his search, Dennis, founder of International Food Group in Little Rock, Arkansas, discovered the Community Tool Box, a global resource developed at the University of Kansas Center for Community Health and Development.
At the same time, Christina Holt, assistant director of the center, and other staff were exploring the creation of a specific list of resources to help people create social change as part of the Community Tool Box.
“When David reached out to us about resources for social justice, it was perfect timing,” she said. “It lit a fire under us to create this resource and to do it well.”
The Justice Action Toolkit distills the many resources of the tool box website into a set of actions that can be used to create social change. It takes visitors step by step through registering voters, reaching out and developing relationships with elected officials, organizing demonstrations, and advocacy, among many other actions.
“The tragic death of George Floyd and the structural inequities laid bare by COVID-19 have galvanized people in communities across the country to action,” Holt said. “The Community Tool Box exists to provide tools for change and improvement, and after decades engaging in this work, our team has a moral obligation to make these accessible for our current context. In this spirit, we have lifted up resources providing education, strategies for engaging in direct action, and effective forms of advocacy. It is our hope that these resources will bolster communities’ transformative efforts for racial justice.”
For his part, Dennis has been working to promote and find resources to support the toolkit. Working through his network of connections in business, churches, foundations and government, he said he hopes to raise investment in the toolbox to develop and distribute its resources more widely.
“I’ve had my own challenges with systemic racism in banking, or business or different places, and when I came up against those situations, I started to respond in a negative way,” Dennis said. “But you need a system or resources that help you address it. With this, you have a platform and the tools to learn how to petition, how to make sure people are getting out the vote, how to help and how to measure your results.”
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Contact: Hannah Lemon, KU Edwards Campus, 913-897-8755, [email protected], @KUEdwardsCampus
Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute names new director
OVERLAND PARK — The University of Kansas Office of Lifelong & Professional Education (LPE) has announced that Kelly McCoy will serve as the new director of the Kansas Fire & Rescue Training Institute (KFRTI). KFRTI was created by the Kansas Legislature in 1949 as the state fire training entity to train firefighters for Kansas communities. McCoy succeeds Mike Cook, who is retiring this month after serving as the interim director since January.
“Kelly brings a wealth of experience from multiple perspectives to the position,” said Sharon Graham, vice provost for LPE. “In additional to his hands-on experience, Kelly brings knowledge and experience in curriculum development and adult learning theory.”
McCoy has 25 years of experience in the fire service, advancing through the ranks to division chief of the Northwest Fire District in Tucson, Arizona. His career also includes work as a firefighter, paramedic and as a crash rescue firefighter when serving in the Arizona Army National Guard. He is a certified chief training officer through the Center for Public Safety Excellence, a graduate of the U.S. National Fire Academy and a 2013 Firefighters Beyond Borders – Israel delegate.
Most recently, McCoy served as the fire science program director for City College at Montana State University Billings. He secured accreditation for the program through the International Fire Service Accreditation Congress (IFSAC). KFRTI certifies Kansas firefighters through both IFSAC and ProBoard.
“I’m excited to work with the Kansas fire service,” McCoy said. “I understand through experience the importance of training firefighters in both staff and volunteer positions. I understand how to train firefighters safely and effectively. I look forward to working with the staff and also the Fire Service Training Commission members.”
Commission members are appointed by the governor and provide program oversight for KFRTI, which serves as the mobile training academy for the 16,500 firefighters throughout the state. Training encompasses basic firefighter knowledge and skills, fire apparatus operations and fire officer training.
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