FHSU Civic Learning and Engagement

10/02/2026

📣 An Exciting New Chapter for the Cancer Council of Ellis County 📣

After 28 years of dedicated service to the Cancer Council of Ellis County, including 25 years as our Executive Director, Paula Flesher will be retiring at the end of this year.

We are incredibly grateful for Paula’s years of leadership, dedication, and service to our organization and to the families and individuals we serve. We will have plenty more opportunities in the coming months to celebrate Paula and recognize the tremendous impact she has had on the Cancer Council and our community. 💙

As we look toward the next chapter, we are excited to announce that we are now accepting applications for our Part-Time Executive Director position.

‼️ The job posting is included with this post! Please take a look and share with anyone you think may be a great fit for this important role.

We look forward to finding the right person to help lead the Cancer Council of Ellis County into its next chapter.

10/02/2026

Check out this event that the FHSU Student Government Association has next week!

Student Government Association is excited to announce that we are helping sponsor an open forum with candidates for the Kansas 1st District of the U.S. House of Representatives. The event will take place on Monday, October 5th, at 7:30 PM, in the Beach/Schmidt Auditorium on the FHSU campus.

The candidates are:
- Tracey Mann (incumbent) - Republican
- Lauren Reinhold - Democrat
- Steven Jacob - Libertarian

We hope to see you there!

Sponsors:
- FHSU Student Government Association
- FHSU Department of Communication Studies, Law & Political Science
- FHSU Student Engagement & Belonging
- FHSU Docking Institute of Public Affairs
- FHSU American Democracy Project
- Tebo Library
- Tiger Media Network
- The Chamber in Hays, Kansas

09/29/2026

09/29/2026

The way forward is through co-creation. Campus-community partnerships make us all stronger.

Save Sternberg The Sternberg Museum of Natural History is a treasure worth protecting, but it needs your help! We must raise $855,000 by December 31, 2026, to help sustain Sternberg’s future operations. Without reaching this goal, we may not have sufficient funding to cover ongoing operating costs...

09/17/2026

-engaged learning - Leadership 310 and United Way!

Meet the team! 💛❤️💙

We’re excited to welcome four FHSU Leadership 310 students who will be working alongside United Way of Ellis County on our ALICE Data Walk initiative this semester!

Together, they’ll help us take local ALICE data beyond the numbers, creating opportunities for our community to better understand what working households are experiencing and helping us gather community perspectives along the way.

Because data tells us what’s happening. Stories help us understand why it matters. And together, we can strengthen the network that responds.

We’re grateful to have these students bringing their time, talents, ideas, and energy to this work. Please help us welcome to the team:

Kiera Dealy
Elizabeth Dreiling
Alyssa Marley
Carsen Riat

There’s a place for everyone in strengthening the network. We’re glad they’ve found theirs. 💛

United Is The Way™

09/04/2026

Here we go! 💛❤️💙

Our annual United Way campaign is officially underway, and this year, we’re inviting Ellis County to see the bigger picture.

Across Ellis County, individuals, businesses, volunteers, and partner agencies are strengthening the network every day, responding to needs, creating opportunities, and helping our community move forward together.

The data tells us what’s happening in our community. The network of support helps us respond. And the stories behind the numbers remind us why this work matters.

September is for strengthening the workplace network, and in October, the campaign will come to life through the stories, people, and organizations making an impact across Ellis County.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll share more of what that looks like, from local businesses and volunteers stepping up to partner agencies creating impact every day.

And here’s the best part: there’s a place for everyone in strengthening the network.

We’re ready, Ellis County. Let’s do this together.

United Is The Way™

A very special thank-you to our three guest speakers, Neal Younger, Tammy Wellbrock, and Macey Pfeifer, who shared their stories with us at the Chamber kickoff luncheon. We’re grateful for their time, honesty, and willingness to help us see the impact of this work firsthand.

Enjoy the Hays Post article and learn more about the impact happening across Ellis County:
https://hayspost.com/posts/405c7a52-f72b-4875-ace4-e6e5e2e360be
📸 Credit: Alin Hett

09/04/2026

Mark your calendars Tigers! 🐯
On Tuesday, September 22nd from 12-1pm, Dr. Lori Kniffin and Dr. Ziwei Qi will be speaking at an ADP Times Talk. Don't miss out on what they have to say!

08/31/2026

🎉 Congratulations to Kami Whipple FHSU junior studying Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Business, on being selected as a 2026-2027 Imagining America / Joy of Giving Something (JGS) Fellow! This prestigious national fellowship recognizes students who use photography and digital media to tell meaningful stories, build connections, and strengthen communities. Congrats on this achievement, Kami!

03/24/2026

The Big Event. File photo/Courtesy Fort Hays State University Submitte