Welcome to another school year from the Rural Education Center (REC)!
Approved by the Kansas Board of Regents in 1978, the Rural Education Center focuses on meeting the needs of rural schools in the state of Kansas. Dr. Spencer Clark serves as the REC director and Dr. Lori Goodson as assistant director. Their work emphasizes advocacy for rural schools and their communities by pursuing grant opportunities and other sources of funding to support various rural educational projects. They also conduct research and coordinate other educational activities to support the learning opportunities for rural students and teachers. Clark and Goodson look forward to supporting current curriculum initiatives and goals associated with the Kansas State Department of Education school redesign, STEAM education, place-based education, and civic engagement in rural schools.
This year we are excited to announce new additions to our team. Diane Beets has joined the REC as its program coordinator. She is a product of Kansas rural education, growing up in Scott City. She has a master’s degree in higher education from K-State and nearly 20 years of experience working across the university. Diane is excited to help further the goals of the REC and work to support rural education throughout the state. Also joining the REC as an undergraduate intern is Terrence Spurlin. Terrence was born in Houston, Texas, where he grew up with his older brother and parents. He is majoring in Educational Studies and plans to pursue a master’s degree after graduation.