Released: January 24, 2005

Applications For KARL Accepted Through April 15

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Officials of the Kansas Agriculture and Rural Leadership program have announced that applications close April 15 for those interested in participating in the 2005-2007 class.

The two-year program, which includes state, national and international tours, begins in August.

Eligibility is based on leadership experience and a devotion to the future of Kansas agriculture and rural communities, according to president and program director Jack Lindquist.

“A dedication to a more positive future is key to selection,” Lindquist said.

Current class members and alumni agree that the 50-day commitment over a two-year period of time is not only well worth the investment, but needed in today’s competitive and changing environment, he said.

“The KARL program has always fascinated me. The positive direction and doors it has opened for many leaders in the ag industry has and continues to be a very beneficial endeavor,” said Terry Hobbs of Graham County, who is in the current KARL class. “I felt honored to be nominated and considered for the KARL program. I knew that it would not only be an asset personally, but to my family and community as well. I believe there is often a trickle down effect. A spark or idea learned is often passed along or shared by others and makes an impact elsewhere. The KARL program builds and strengthens the character of an individual. But looking at a bigger picture these individuals can be the mortar and building blocks to making our state and nation even stronger.”

Applicants must complete a profile form that will be reviewed by KARL’s board of directors. An on-line application is available at http://www.karlprogram.com , or interested persons may request an application by calling the KARL office at 785-532-6300.

Applicants will undergo a screening process to select up to 45 candidates, who will then be invited for personal interviews in May, Lindquist said. New class members will be named in June.

This is the eighth KARL class since the program’s inception in 1990. Each class consists of 30 individuals. The tuition fee for participants is $1,250 per year, or a total of $2,500. KARL donors pay for the remainder of the $11,500 cost per person.

Seminars and tours are generally balanced during production agriculture’s “off-season” from November through March, including the national and international study tours, Lindquist said. The monthly in-state seminars typically are held over a 48-hour period.

For more information, including how to donate to KARL, Inc., the not-for-profit organization that oversees the KARL Program, interested persons may contact the program’s main office on the Kansas State University campus in Manhattan at 785-532-6300.

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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.

Story by:
Mary Lou Peter
mlpeter@oznet.ksu.edu
K-State Research& Extension News