The Kansas Committee for International Education in the Schools (KCIES) is a statewide group of policymakers, educators, representatives of the business community, and other interested individuals.  KCIES has promoted the infusion of international content into the K-12 curriculum, raised public awareness of the need for international education, and offered resources for teachers, students, parents and communities since 2003.

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The Kansas in the World Award 2010

The Kansas Committee for International Education in the Schools (KCIES) awarded the fifth Kansas in the World Award for Excellence in International Education this fall.  The winners were Prairie Star Elementary School and White City Schools, two very different facilities.  White City Schools which serves pre-kindergarten through twelfth grades is located in a central Kansas town of 525, while Prairie Star Elementary School serves kindergarten through fifth grades in Lenexa, a Johnson County suburb with a population of 48,000. 

Both schools include international content across many subject areas and grade levels using face-to-face experiences as well as online and digital resources.  Exchange students have brought knowledge of and appreciation for their home countries to White City students and by extension to the community at large.  At Prairie Star, the focus in on one country in particular; all students learn French language and customs culminating in a celebration of National French Week every year.

Both schools are committed to international education (usually defined as knowledge of other world regions, cultures, languages, and global issues) and will serve as role models to others in the state.  They each will receive $1,000 and a handsome plaque in recognition of working to provide for student achievement in the global economy of the twenty-first century.   
For more information on the Award, please contact Nancy Hope.

Kansas Task Force on International Education Releases Report

The Kansas Task Force on International Education, a statewide group of policymakers, educators, and business leaders, has released a public report detailing the current status of international education programs in Kansas elementary and secondary schools, opportunities and challenges for future development, and a series of specific policy recommendations. This report is an important first step in starting a statewide discussion on the need for increased international content in the K-12 curriculum and enrichment programs so that Kansans may be prepared for the 21st century.

Download the entire report (PDF)
Download the entire report (Word)
Download the executive summary (PDF)
Download the executive summary (Word)

For more information on the task force click here.

To request a hard copy of the Kansas Task Force on International Education report, please contact KCIES Board Member Nancy Hope at nfhope@ku.edu.

The Fastest Pig in the West
The Fastest Pig in the West

KCIES is proud to announce the publication of The Fastest Pig in the West, its first chapter book aimed at 3rd – 5th graders. It is the story of Jimmy Lin, a boy whose family came from China to a small town in Kansas called Buffalo Grove. The book alternates between the fictional story of Jimmy and his adjustment to life in small town America and factual chapters that will acquaint readers with Chinese history, culture and tradition.

This fall, each elementary school in Kansas will receive a complementary copy of this book. To get a taste of what the book is like, click on Publications and check out the preview.

To access the on-line teachers' guide click here or click on Educational Materials and select The Fastest Pig Teachers' Guide from the drop down menu.

We hope you enjoy the story of Jimmy Lin and find it useful in introducing your students to the fascinating Chinese culture.