Manhattan Featured In Sunflower Journeys

The next Sunflower Journeys, KTWU’s locally produced TV series, continues its look at education in Kansas. The program airs at 7:00pm February 14th on KTWU and KPTS and February on SHPTV.

The first story focuses on the teaching of Kansas history. After years of de-emphasizing state history in public school curriculum, legislators recently voted to once again stress Kansas history in the classroom. Sunflower Journeys talks to one Kansas history teacher and learns why she believes it plays a crucial role in Kansans’ identity.

The second story explores the important role of public school principals and teachers in Kansas. As states across the nation face teacher shortages, Sunflower Journeys looks at challenges faced by teachers and principals in today’s schools in Manhattan, Lawrence and Topeka.

The final story looks at home education in Kansas. Once viewed as an outsider form of education, homeschooling is rapidly growing in popularity and acceptance. Sunflower Journeys goes into the home of one family that has chosen home education and explores the values and challenges of homeschooling.

Sunflower Journeys is a production of KTWU/Channel 11, the PBS station in Topeka, Kansas. The 13-part series is celebrating its 15th anniversary of educating and entertaining Kansans with stories from the sunflower state.

The production of Sunflower Journeys is made possible with support from the Kansas Humanities Council, Footprints of Lawrence, the Southwestern Bell Foundation, the Blanche Bryden Foundation, the Raymond C. and Marguerite Gibson Foundation and the Friends of KTWU.

For more information visit our website at ktwu.washburn-.edu/sj or contact Scott Williams or Amanda Shaw at journeys@washburn.edu or 785-231-1111