https://www.news.ku.edu
The Care Board, KU-led site to gather information on care work’s role in the economy, now live
LAWRENCE — The Care Board, an innovative project based at the University of Kansas to gather information on work Americans do every day to provide care for their families, communities and selves, is now live. By showcasing this often overlooked labor, the project aims to illustrate the critical economic significance of care work. The site has gathered official data from various government surveys and compiled statistics in a central location to help journalists, policymakers, researchers and others see the full breadth and economic value of daily care work.
Award-winning children’s author Andrea Wang to visit Lawrence for LitFest 2025
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies and School of Education & Human Sciences will host author Andrea Wang at the annual CEAS Literature Festival (LitFest) this month. Her picture book, “Watercress,” received several awards including the Caldecott Medal and a Newbery Honor. Wang’s visit includes a public presentation, “Essential Storytelling,” at 6 p.m. April 17 in the Carnegie Hall Heritage Room.
KU Theatre’s ‘Pippin’ to showcase theatre magic, big dance numbers
LAWRENCE — Performers at the University of Kansas will stage the Stephen Schwartz musical “Pippin” April 11-19 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall. The cast and creative team members include Kansans from Abilene, Edgerton, Hays, Hesston, Iola, Lawrence, Leavenworth, Marysville, Merriam, Olathe, Overland Park, Shawnee, Topeka and Wichita.
Full stories below.
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Contact: Mike Krings, KU News Service, 785-864-8860, [email protected]
The Care Board, KU-led site to gather information on care work’s role in the economy, now live
LAWRENCE — The Care Board, an innovative project to gather information on work Americans do every day to provide care for their families, communities and selves, is now live. By showcasing this often overlooked labor, the project aims to illustrate the critical economic significance of care work.
Based at the University of Kansas, the Care Board site has gathered official data from various government surveys and compiled statistics in a central location to help journalists, policymakers, researchers and others see the full breadth and economic value of daily care work.
Work in the home to care for children or elderly family members may not always be considered part of the larger economy. But that labor, along with work to care for humans such as day cares, preschools, in-home care, nursing homes, janitorial services, nannies and more will all be reflected in The Care Board.
“We’ve done a lot of innovation in statistical data about what the care economy is. Our mission is to reveal the essential role of care work in sustaining families, communities and the broader economy,” said Misty Heggeness, associate professor of public affairs & administration and co-director of the Kansas Population Center in KU’s Institute for Policy & Social Research. “It is a reflection of the invisible care work that people do but doesn’t get reported because it is often unpaid.”
The Care Board gathers economic data compiled through government agencies such as the U.S. Census Bureau and programs including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), WIC, Medicare and Medicaid, and houses it on a dashboard to help users access data.
The project is supported by a two-year, $762,000 grant from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation and has received additional support from the Political Economy Research Institute at the University of Massachusetts Amherst.
The Care Board includes tools such as “What is the Care Economy?” as well as “Circle of Care,” “Flow of Care,” “Broader Impacts” and “Methodology and Data.” The tools can gather data and provide statistical information, including innovative visuals that tell a unique story of the care economy. For example, in the Broader Impacts section, users can find macroeconomic information such as the percentage of able-bodied Americans who engage in three or more hours of care per day. The Flow of Care tool reveals how generations vary in their care needs, ability to provide care and time spent doing care work. The tool looks at generations in the life span from early ages to 24, 25 to 64 and from age 65 on.
The site will also help users quantify the economic value of care work done each day. If the amount of work such as cooking, cleaning, bathing and caring for others were paid a minimum wage, it would generate at least $4 billion per day in economic activity, said Heggeness, principal investigator of the project. Phase one of the project will include all national data, and phase two will ultimately allow users to access data and build graphs and maps on care work at a state level. Users can also use data and build interactive graphics to learn how much care is provided by women, or how much time parents — both mothers and fathers — spend on specific care activities and learn about care happening now, in the past or how trends have changed over time or by region.
“We can see where we stand today versus yesterday and how well aligned we are with needs of care and our ability to provide it. We are mapping the number of beds needed for nursing home care in a given area, how many are available and if they are equally distributed,” she said.
The goal of The Care Board is to help demonstrate the essential role caregiving plays as part of the larger American economy and the importance of including the work in social and economic policy.
“Historically, national income and product accounts that measure economic output such as gross domestic product have ignored the value of uncompensated care produced in the home,” said Donna Ginther, Roy A. Roberts and Regents Distinguished Professor of Economics and director of KU’s Institute for Policy & Social Research. “The Care Board is the first and essential step to addressing this historical oversight and to measuring the role of care in economy.”
Heggeness reiterated the importance of convening data on the care economy data in a central location to help viewers understand how care’s intersection with the larger economy can help inform better social, health and family care and policy decisions such as supporting affordable child care. Moreover, access to the data can help illustrate the enormous amount of work being done every day to care for families and communities and how American citizens, especially women, are doing unrecognized work that influences their contributions to the larger economy, she said.
And while policymakers, legislators, community leaders, journalists and academics will benefit from access to this information, it can be beneficial to the public as well, Heggeness said.
“This data, I feel, has become more accessible to the average person. It’s still true journalists can come to The Care Board for data, but the average person can come here and learn about the huge magnitude of care work happening every day. I think a lot of people will see themselves reflected in this data,” Heggeness said. “It’s a part of our communities that has been invisible for so long. It’s been a joy to be able to shine a light on this important work done every day, often without remuneration. Up until now we haven’t really had statistics to understand this work. With this, we can tell a fuller, more accurate story about the care economy.”
For more information on how to best use the tool, check out the blog post here.
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KU spent $78.9 million across Kansas on research-related goods and services in FY23.
https://ku.edu/distinction
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Contact: LaGretia Copp, Center for East Asian Studies, 785-864-0307, [email protected]
Award-winning children’s author Andrea Wang to visit Lawrence for LitFest 2025
LAWRENCE — The University of Kansas Center for East Asian Studies (CEAS) and School of Education & Human Sciences will host Andrea Wang, author of the award-winning children’s book “Watercress,” at the annual CEAS Literature Festival (LitFest) on April 17.
The LitFest is a chance for students, educators and the community to learn about East Asian stories and the craft of storytelling. With the partnership of Project PEACE, the festival has expanded to include preservice educators for two events:
Pre-Service Workshop: “The Use of Non-English Languages in Children’s Literature”
10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. April 17, Kansas Union Woodruff Auditorium
This event is open to KU students, staff and faculty. Wang will discuss and demonstrate how educators can enhance learning in the classroom with diverse storytelling.
Public Talk: “Essential Storytelling”
6-7:30 p.m. April 17, Carnegie Hall Heritage Room, 200 Ninth St.
Wang will share her writing journey, discuss the deeply personal experiences that shaped “Watercress” and explore its themes of cultural identity and resilience.
Wang is an acclaimed author of picture books and middle grade novels. Her picture book, “Watercress,” received several awards including the Caldecott Medal, a Newbery Honor, the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and many more. Wang grew up in Yellow Springs, Ohio, and Newton, Massachusetts. She attended Wellesley College, graduating with dual degrees in biology and Chinese studies. She went on to receive a master’s degree in environmental studies from Indiana University–Bloomington. As an environmental consultant, she evaluated and cleaned up hazardous waste sites. Subsequently, Wang earned a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing for Young People from Lesley University.
Project PEACE (Promoting English Learners’ Academic Achievement and Cultivating Educational Equity) is one of the grants supporting these events. It is a federally funded project to support preservice and in-service teachers in Kansas in completing professional training and obtaining English as a second language endorsement to teach English learners.
Further support for the event comes a Department of Education Title VI grant that funds the Center for East Asian Studies. Founded in 1959, the center is a National Resource Center with a mission to disseminate knowledge about East Asian studies to the Great Plains region. It partners with the Kansas Consortium for Teaching About Asia (KCTA), which is funded through the Freeman Foundation.
Other support for the events comes from the KU Hall Center for Humanities, whose mission is to support research in the humanities, to create knowledge and to share that knowledge with diverse communities.
KU is one of only 13 universities in the nation to have four or more federally funded centers dedicated to international area studies.
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KU provides fire, rescue and law enforcement training across Kansas.
https://ku.edu/distinction
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Contact: Lisa Coble-Krings, Department of Theatre & Dance, 785-864-5685, [email protected]
KU Theatre’s ‘Pippin’ to showcase theatre magic, big dance numbers
LAWRENCE — Performers at the University of Kansas will stage a Stephen Schwartz musical this month in which audience members follow along as an extraordinary young prince named Pippin discovers his true self, with “help” from a traveling theatre troupe. Physical comedy, dark humor and a celebrated score advance the title character’s journey.
University Theatre will stage “Pippin” April 11-19 in the Crafton-Preyer Theatre at Murphy Hall.
Bursting with a big dose of theatricality utilizing an array of the theatre’s capabilities, “Pippin” is an ode to the artform and a relatable tale of self-acceptance and negotiating the expectations of family, friends and society, told through a book by Hirson. Tickets to see the production can be purchased at the “Pippin” web page, in person noon-5 p.m. at the box office in Murphy Hall or by calling 785-864-3982.
“This production has been over 30 years in the making, from my first encounter with the original cast album. For the most part a classic, comic coming-of-age tale, there are darker elements which add rich intrigue that I wanted to embrace in our version. I asked the designers to create a production that would exist in the world of shows like ‘American Horror Story’ or ‘Supernatural,’ and they certainly delivered,” said director James Dick, who also is managing director for the Department of Theatre & Dance.
Originally choreographed for the Broadway stage by Bob Fosse in his signature style, KU’s production expands into dance styles ranging from contemporary jazz to tap, from hip-hop to Argentine tango. Maya Tillman-Rayton, KU lecturer in dance, is choreographing.
“It was important to me to follow the director’s vision of incorporating multiple styles of dance, and that fits in with our students’ skillset. They excel across genres,” Tillman-Rayton said. “When I say ‘dancers’ to my cast members, I mean it, even those who started out as movers. As you watch the show, they dance a lot, and my choreography highlights the talent of dance, theatre and students from many other majors.”
Cast and creative team
The creative team is rounded out by Matthew Harris, a KU lecturer and multi-hyphenate performing artist, as musical director; Creston Herron, director of orchestral activities in the School of Music, as conductor; Christian Boudreaux, master’s student in the Department of Theatre & Dance, KU lecturer and freelance fight choreographer, as fight and movement director; Katie Cooley, master of fine arts in scenography student, as scenic designer; Zoe English, senior in theatre design from Merriam, as costume designer; Ann Sitzman, KU lecturer and technical coordinator, as lighting designer; Olivia Laycock, senior in theatre design from Wichita, as hair and makeup designer; and Connor Maloney, senior in theatre design from Wichita, as stage manager.
Gail Trottier, KU Costume Shop manager, is playing the role of Berthe. Student cast members are Jacobi Robinson, freshman in theatre performance from Abilene, as Pippin; Katherine Leverenz, senior in theatre performance and finance from Houston, Texas, as Leading Player; Brandon Heflin, junior in biochemistry and pre-med from Olathe, as Charles; Maya Welde, junior in theatre performance and Spanish from Overland Park, as Fastrada; Zach Newkirk, sophomore in journalism from Overland Park, as Lewis; Essy Siegel, junior in digital marketing, advertising & public relations from Kansas City, Missouri, as Catherine; and Conner Booton, freshman in vocal performance from Edgerton, as Theo.
Ensemble members are Parker Bennett, junior in theatre & voice and pre-med from Kansas City, Missouri; Tara Leigh Burgat, senior in dance; Isabel Dewey (Catherine understudy), sophomore in psychology; Sofia Dunkelberger, sophomore in dance from Wichita; Jacob Haefele, junior in film & media studies from Marysville; Sophia Harrison, junior in dance from Topeka; Jadyn Kaufman, junior in business management & leadership from Iola; Cullen Krishna, senior in dance and in ecology, evolution & organismal biology from Bellevue, Nebraska; Jazmyne Le, senior in journalism and digital marketing from Wichita; Natalie Loftus (Fastrada understudy), sophomore in theatre and English from Hays; Evan McCoy, freshman in engineering physics from Olathe; Caden Moffitt (Pippin understudy), sophomore in theatre and journalism from Overland Park; Nicole Noakes (Berthe understudy), theatre student from West Sussex, United Kingdom; Mallory Price, junior in dance and journalism from Leavenworth; Paul Ruf, junior in accounting from Overland Park; Madi Seelye, junior in dance from Lawrence; Anna Tové Shelton (dance captain, assistant choreographer), senior in dance from Hesston; Sloane Smith, junior in dance and exercise science from Littleton, Colorado; John Stecher Jr. (Charles understudy), junior in theatre performance from Overland Park; Morgan Tate, sophomore in theatre from Shawnee; Elizabeth Wellman, junior in dance from Lawrence; Cytlahli Winsor (Leading Player understudy), junior in theatre performance from Belle Glade, Florida; and Rizzy Xiong, junior in education from Shanghai, China, via Los Angeles.
About James Dick
Dick is managing director of KU Theatre & Dance. He previously directed the University Theatre productions of “Perfect Arrangement” (2018) and “Reckless” (2015). He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in theatre education from Drake University, where he directed several productions. Dick also served as artistic director of Drake’s Playwrights’ Acting Company for two seasons. His other credits include work as an assistant director and technical director with companies such as StageWest, the Des Moines Playhouse, Tallgrass Theatre and the Iowa Shakespeare Project.
About Maya Tillman-Rayton
A KU alumna, Maya Tillman-Rayton is in her eighth year as a KU lecturer of hip-hop technique, third year as full-time lecturer and first year as director of dance. She debuted her work, “Stingy Lulu’s Jumping Jook Joint,” at the 2023 KC Fringe Festival. Her works have previously been shown at KC Fringe Festival and at National Dance Week KC. Her dance teaching career spans almost 20 years in the Lawrence and Kansas City communities.
The University Theatre is a production wing of the University of Kansas’ Department of Theatre & Dance, offering public productions during the academic year. The University Theatre productions are funded in part by Student Senate fees and supported by Truity Credit Union. For more information on the University Theatre or to purchase tickets, visit the KU Theatre website.
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KU News Service
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Lawrence KS 66045
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Erinn Barcomb-Peterson, director of news and media relations, [email protected]
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