Convener
Complex health challenges call for many disciplines and many perspectives, and no single entity can solve them alone. We build the shared vision, resources and trust that make collective action possible.
About the institute
What is community health?
Health is more than the absence of disease. As the World Health Organization defines it, health means complete physical, mental and social well-being, shaped by everyday conditions such as housing, food, connection and economic opportunity. It also depends on the interplay between individuals, institutions and communities, each shaping the others' well-being. Kansans experience these factors not as separate issues but as interconnected systems, and that is where the institute works.
Our approach
The Institute for Community Health and Well-being helps Kansans thrive by connecting people, ideas and evidence across disciplines and across the state. Our goal isn't simply to study Kansas' challenges. It's to create pathways from knowledge to action that improve health, strengthen communities and expand opportunity for all Kansans.
We do that as the connective infrastructure, the backbone, that lets K-State work alongside the people and organizations already building healthier communities in all 105 Kansas counties.
How we work
How we work is as important as what we do. Every partnership is guided by reciprocity, systems thinking, an asset-based mindset, co-design, collaboration and curiosity.
Connector
Communities and the university alike are full of knowledge and capability already at work. We start there, connecting people to existing projects, researchers and funding opportunities.
Catalyzer
We turn evidence and research into action for community members, policymakers and nonprofits. We seek the leverage points that create lasting change, catalyzing the shift from isolated efforts to collaborative, systems-level work.
Our focus areas
Health and health care access
Addressing health disparities and expanding access to quality healthcare in underserved communities.
Housing and community development
Supporting affordable housing solutions and sustainable community development.
Food security and agriculture
Strengthening local food systems and supporting agricultural innovation that fuels health.
Child care and education
Expanding child care capacity and improving educational opportunities in rural areas.
Upward mobility
Removing barriers to opportunity and building pathways to economic mobility for Kansas families.
Economic development
Creating pathways for sustainable economic growth and workforce development that improve health outcomes statewide.