KS EPLP | Meeting One Planning & Logistical Information

Kansas EPLP Fellows,

On behalf of Dr. Kenny Southwick (Co-Director, Missouri EPLP) and Cooperating School Districts of Greater Kansas City, congratulations on being named as Fellows for the 2025-2026 cohort of the Kansas EPLP program. The program has twenty-four Kansas Fellows! It is shaping up to be a wonderful year with a variety of viewpoints and expertise areas represented. Let's get started!

The September meeting will take place on Wednesday, September 10th. We will focus on (1) networking and relationship building, (2) providing program planning information, (3) framing the goals and outcomes of the program, and (4) defining advocacy. We will also be joined by EPLP alumni from last year's cohort to discuss their experiences, help you with your expectations, and answer any questions you have about program activities over the next nine months. 

Please find below specific calls to action and planning information in advance of the first meeting.

Part One - - Calls to Action

-- Program Fee Payment: All Fellows have received individualized CSDGKC invoices providing the EPLP program fee. Please reach out to your business management office in advance of the first meeting to see if the payment has been submitted to Liz Sedlock at CSDGKC.

-- Kansas EPLP Network Registration: You will receive a separate email today providing instructions on how to register for the Kansas Education Policy Leadership Program (EPLP) Network. This request takes less than five minutes to complete. Please complete the registration in advance of the first meeting and at your earliest convenience. 

-- Metropolis Parking Registration: You will park in the Corrigan Station Parking Garage during our meetings (more information below). Parking will be at no expense to you as long as you are validated. In order to have your parking validated, you will need to create an account with Metropolis Parking. In advance of the meeting, please create an account at https://app.metropolis.io/sign-in. Your information will be stored and your parking validated for each subsequent visit.

-- Questions: Please direct any questions you have in advance of the first meeting to Tyson Elbert via email, phone, or text. 

Part Two - - Planning & Logistical Information

-- Meeting Date: The first meeting of the Kansas EPLP Program will be held on Wednesday, September 10th, 2025.

-- Meeting Beginning & Ending Times: The meeting will begin at 10:00 am and conclude no later than 4:00 pm. Please make sure to plan accordingly and arrive in advance of 10:00 am.

-- Meeting Location: The meeting will take place at Hollis + Miller Architects located at 1828 Walnut Street, Kansas City, MO 64108. We will be meeting in Conference Room Nine, located on the Ninth Floor.

-- Parking: Parking is available at no cost. 

-- Parking Instructions: Parking is available across the street from Hollis + Miller Architects at the Corrigan Station Parking Garage, located at the corner of 19th and Walnut Street (198 East 19th Street, Kansas City, MO 64108). The gate will open automatically upon arrival. Before heading into the office, take a photo of your license plate number, as you'll need it for validation. As mentioned above, in order to claim your parking validation, you will need to create an account with Metropolis Parking. You can do this on the day of your visit, or for your convenience, you can create one in advance at https://app.metropolis.io/sign-in. Your information will be stored for each subsequent visit, but you must validate each parking session. Please find attached parking instructions provided by Hollis + Miller Architects. 

-- Attendance: In-person attendance is mandatory.

-- Meals & Refreshments: Lunch and refreshments will be provided at the meeting. Please consider bringing personal snacks and drinks as needed. 

-- Meeting Dress: EPLP meetings are a mixture of speakers, panel discussions, and group activities. Outside of group work, you’ll be sitting for most agenda items. We recommend business casual dress with a priority given to comfort. The thermometer is out of our control; please consider bringing layers if you get cold easily. 

-- Name Badges: Bring and wear your name badges so that we can begin the process of learning everyone’s name, position, and institution. 

-- Spam Email: It is likely that program emails are not going to a spam file if you are reading this email. Please double-check as the program's correspondence will originate from this advocacybuild.com account.

Part Three - - Other Materials

-- Cohort Roster: Please find attached the 2025-26 Kansas EPLP cohort roster with names, titles, and institutions. We will update this information and correct any mistakes at the first meeting.

Again, if you have questions as the first meeting date approaches, please don’t hesitate to call or text me at (202) 550-4868. You may also email me at tyson@advocacybuild.com. No question is too small! All questions are important!

Sincerely,

Tyson Elbert

Kansas, Missouri, & Advanced EPLP Co-Director