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Stafford County Economic Development announces the completion of this spring’s Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI) class that provides the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program to ignite the entrepreneurial mindset and cultivate an entrepreneurial culture. Ice House redefines entrepreneurship as more than an academic discipline, reaching far beyond the concept of traditional business creation and small business management. Entrepreneurship is a mindset; a framework for thinking and acting that can empower anyone to succeed. It is a mindset that can empower ordinary people to accomplish the extraordinary. “We want to start providing business development workshops to businesses and individuals in our county. Utilizing our NetWork Kansas E-Community partnership made the most sense,“ Ashlee Bevan, Program Director for Stafford County Economic Development. “We partnered with Pawnee County Economic Development in hopes to broaden conversation amongst the participants so there were new faces and stories to share. This board-certified program not only had participants thinking outside the box, but it brought in current business owners from around Stafford County to share their successes and lessons learned along the way.” The Ice House Program is an experiential, problem-based learning program designed to inspire and engage participants in the fundamental aspects of an entrepreneurial mindset. ELI is the creator of the Ice House Program and ELI Founder Gary Schoeniger is the co-author of the program’s companion text, Who Owns the Ice House? Eight Life Lessons from an Unlikely Entrepreneur, a powerful and compelling story that captures the essence of an entrepreneurial mindset and the unlimited opportunities it can provide. “An entrepreneurial mindset shifts every day thinking into a new framework, empowering people to identify problems and deploy solutions using creative and critical thinking, effective problem solving, communication, and teamwork. And, in today’s rapidly changing, highly-complex world, the need for entrepreneurial thinkers at all levels of society has never been greater,” Schoeniger said. Attending from Stafford County were: Misty Newell, Executive Director at Kenwood Plaza; Jamie Getty, St. John City Administrator; Kathleen Norman, AmeriCorps VISTA member with Stafford County Economic Development; Jami Downing, Stafford City Administrator; Eddie Towers, Director of Nursing at Kenwood Plaza; Kara Jecha, Administrative Assistant at Golden Belt Telephone. About Stafford County Economic Development Stafford County Economic Development strives to promote economic and population growth throughout the County by assisting our local businesses, engaging in community activities, and promoting Stafford County as a great place to live, work and play! About the Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative The Entrepreneurial Learning Initiative (ELI) is a global thought leader dedicated to expanding human potential through entrepreneurial mindset education. ELI serves academic institutions, government agencies, profit, and non-profit organizations around the world to empower their constituents with an entrepreneurial mindset through professional development training, facilitator certification, and curriculum content. ELI is the creator of the Ice House Entrepreneurship Programs. Learn more at www.elimindset.com.  The four in the photo were participants from our last class yesterday evening. Left to Right: Kathleen Norman, Kara Jecha, Misty Newell and Jamie Getty.
(Thanks to the severe weather, it kept some of the other regulars from attending)
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 Stafford and Pawnee County Economic Development in association with the Network Kansas E-Community Partnership, announces the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program will be offered in Larned and St. John. Sessions will be held 6:00-9:00pm on Wednesdays starting March 20th in Larned and ending May 8th in St. John with a program fee of $100 for adults, and $50 for high school students. The goal of the course is to teach participants to develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Taught by Lea Ann Seiler, a certified Ice House facilitator, this interactive 8-week program provides practical entrepreneurial lessons through first-hand experiences of successful, real-life entrepreneurs. Based on the book, Who Owns the Ice House, this curriculum consists of video interviews and case studies along with individual assignments, assessments, and discussion topics. This popular course is offered only a handful of times per year across the state and Stafford and Pawnee County Economic Development have brought this course to their communities for the 1st time under this partnership. "We hope this course will expose you to a new way of thinking, recognize opportunities, ignite your ambition and foster the habits that will enable you to succeed. Those who complete the program will learn how to develop the mindset skills that enable you to recognize and evaluate opportunities regardless of your chosen path." - Shelley Paasch, Ice House facilitator. A 50% rebate will be given to participants that attend seven out of the eight total classes. For more information contact Ashlee Bevan, Stafford County Economic Development at (620) 549-3527 or email ashlee@staffordecodevo.com To register for the Ice House Entrepreneurship Program online, visit http://www.staffordecodevo.com/entrepreneurship.html. For more information about NetWork Kansas or the E-Community Partnership, visit www.networkkansas.com. - January Classes in Larned –
Chamber Jordaan Room 502 Broadway St. March 20 | Welcome and Overview March 27 | Introduction April 3 | Recognizing Opportunities April 10 | Ideas into Action - February Classes in St. John – Annex Community Room 210 E 3rd Ave. April 17 | Pursuit of Knowledge and Building Your Brand April 24 | Creating Community May 1 | The Power of Persistence May 8 | Final Presentations As posted on Kansas Health Foundation's website on April 6, 2018 Four rural Kansas communities have recently been awarded a total of $135,000 through the first round of the Kansas Health Foundation’s Kansas Healthy Food Initiative (KHFI). KHFI is a new innovative loan/grant funding initiative for grocery improvements, food distribution, farmers’ markets or other innovative projects to support increased access to fresh, nutritious food. Eligible projects must primarily serve a low- to moderate-income community or neighborhood where there are no comparable fresh food markets or full-service grocery stores within the trade area, or if residents must travel outside the trade area to meet their grocery needs. More than 752,800 Kansans do not have access to healthy food sources, such as grocery stores, within a reasonable distance from their home (or 1 mile in urban areas and 10 miles for rural areas), according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. “Many community grocery stores want to continue to serve local residents, but often operating costs are high, or they can’t afford buying a limited amount of healthy food to offer to their customers,” said Steve Coen, Kansas Health Foundation (KHF) president and CEO. “The KHFI is a unique funding tool to expand existing grocery stores with fresh fruits, vegetables and meat, or to reduce energy costs so they can keep the doors open. With the grant/loan financing, grocers will replenish the fund, meaning we can support more communities over time, help Kansans have access to healthy food and strengthen local economies.” KHF allocated approximately $4.2 million for the loan/grant initiative to create a system that supports efforts improving greater access to healthy food. Communities receiving KHFI funding, include: Grinnell, Gove County – Hometown Grocery, a community-owned grocery store, will use its $10,000 grant and $5,000 loan to purchase new freezers and a cooler for fresh produce. These improvements will reduce energy costs through greater efficiency. The store will also renovate its public restrooms. Lucas, Russell County – Home Oil, a local convenience store, will be using a $25,000 grant for building expansion and equipment upgrades to increase the amount of fresh, healthy food–including produce and fresh meat–in the store. Moran, Allen County – The Mildred Store, a local grocery store, will use a $13,300 grant and $6,700 loan for energy-efficient equipment upgrades. Outdated coolers will be replaced to allow the store to carry more produce and reduce energy costs. St. John, Stafford County – Stafford County Economic Development, a nonprofit developing the Stafford County Marketplace–which will include a grocery store, pharmacy and gas station–raised $75,000 to receive a $75,000 challenge grant. The grant will be used for new construction, equipment and fixtures since the town’s grocery store closed in early 2016. KHFI is made possible due to a partnership between Kansas State University’s Center for Engagement and Community Development, the food access organization implementing the KHFI, NetWork Kansas, a statewide network of non-profit business-building resources, The Food Trust, a national organization focused on food retail for underserved populations and IFF, a nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution. KHFI financing is available for entities looking to sustain or create food access points in areas of great need. Loans and grants must meet eligibility requirements. To learn more, visit the KHFI website. ABOUT THE KANSAS HEALTH FOUNDATION The Kansas Health Foundation is based in Wichita, but statewide in its focus. With a mission to improve the health of all Kansans, KHF envisions a culture in which every Kansan can make healthy choices where they live, work and play. To achieve this, KHF focuses its work in four impact areas: access to affordable health care, healthy behaviors, civic and community engagement and educational attainment. During our 30-year history, we have provided more than $500 million in grants to Kansas communities and organizations, and look forward to many more years of working toward our mission and vision.  |
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May 2019
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