Kathleen Sebelius: Two decades in politics
Kathleen Sebelius is the nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services in Obama's Cabinet. She has served as Kansas' governor since 2002 and before that was insurance commissioner and a state representative.
A $700,000 grant from the Wal-Mart Foundation will finance Kansas University research to help the Boys & Girls Clubs of America bolster its after-school tutoring program.
Company representatives joined KU officials and Gov. Kathleen Sebelius for the formal announcement at 1 p.m. today at Wal-Mart, 3300 Iowa St. About 100 people attended the ceremony.
The grant will finance work at KU's Center for Research on Learning, which is developing a curriculum for the club's "Power Hour" program.
The program engages club staffers, volunteers and members in homework assistance offered during after-school hours for children ages 6 to 18. The effort is designed to motivate and improve students' homework skills, and to encourage them to feel good about their accomplishments.
Janet Murphy, executive director for the Boys & Girls Club in Lawrence, said she was unfamiliar with the amount of money being donated but was certain it would make a difference. Her organization's national office will select five pilot sites for using the curriculum to be developed by the KU center, and Murphy fully expects the results to be positive.
In Lawrence, all 1,200 children and teens who participate in club programs each day take part in Power Hour.
"As they design these programs, and come up with new ideas for Power Hour, we can help them with their homework and help them be more academically successful," Murphy said.
The grant announced today is in addition to another $1.2 million grant that Wal-Mart announced in March for the club's "Power Hour" program.
- Business editor Mark Fagan can be reached at 832-7188.
Comments
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Boston_Corbett (anonymous) says…
Do we have to rename the Field House as "Paige Arena" or maybe rename Lew as "Paige."
DRsmith (anonymous) says…
Wal-Mart doing something good? How dare them.
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
The "evil empire" at work. They are sooooooo horrible! Daring to infect our liberal bastion of knowledge!
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
I don't think that Walmart is evil... but is there anyone who thinks they donate this kind of money out of kindness?they don't need to get their name on a building...they just got their name in the paper...
admireed (anonymous) says…
Jump on 'em. The only honorable gifts come from non-business entities?
Puggy (anonymous) says…
i agree that this isn't out of kindness...quite frankly, they should contribute to Boys & Girls clubs because if their parents work at Walmart, then they are probably poorly cared for at home because the parents work all the time because of sh*tty wages.
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
less than "honorable"? Walmarts gift?I certainly wouldn't say that...on the other hand... not likely that they'd make such a donation if they weren't certain of a considerable about of good PR...nothing wrong with that...
fu7il3 (anonymous) says…
Of course they would make it without the PR. Tax break.
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
fu7il3 hmmm... maybe...
ilovelucy (anonymous) says…
Regardless...it's a lot of money that will be put to good use.
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
is somebody being punished here?
jayhawklawrence (anonymous) says…
I suggest the following:"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
"all that glitters is not gold""don't judge a book by it's cover"and my favorite..."what you talkin' 'bout, Willis?"
fu7il3 (anonymous) says…
Honestly, I have no problem with Wal-Mart. The only new clothes we could afford when I was a kid were from Wal-Mart. If not for that store I'd have been wearing smelly garage sale clothing 7 days a week instead of just 3.
gccs14r (anonymous) says…
Always look a gift horse in the mouth. It may need $2000 in dental work.
pomegranate (anonymous) says…
Hey little puggy-wuggy,You are so smart and all-knowing--just what is the dollar and cents amount that the WalMart employees are paid?And just how does that compare to, say, Target, Kohls, Sears, Penneys, just to name a few?Do any, all, or none of these have health insurance available according to you're wizardry of knowledge?Instead of spouting these little "gems" you've pulled out of the air lets have some REAL info.
DGL (anonymous) says…
Ever notice how people who are vehemently against Wal-Mart also tend to be anti-establishment and anti-capitalist? Hmmm.
newsreader (anonymous) says…
Obviously the majority of Americans support Wal-mart or they couldn't continue to expand and build stores. The anti-capitalists never have any facts, they just complain...
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
newsreader can you show me some facts about anti-capitalists never having any facts?or are you just complaining?by the way... I shop at Walmart... I even enjoy it... most of the time...
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
stuck - just fyi...the people we are poking fun at are the liars that say they never shop at Wal Mart and then blog all day about how evil the corporation is.
stuckinthemiddle (anonymous) says…
blue73harley I know... sorry... slow day for me...but... you have to admit... your first comment was a bit of a bait for the anti-WalMart crowd... eh?
blue73harley (anonymous) says…
stuck - I....just....can't....help....it!
jayhawklawrence (anonymous) says…
When we talk about Walmart these days, aren't we really talking about China Inc.?So why spend tax dollars on aid to China when we can just shop more at Walmart and help that way?
fu7il3 (anonymous) says…
Funny. When I think of Wal-Mart, I think of rednecks, not the Chinese.Maybe they sell Chinese in the frozen food section.
gccs14r (anonymous) says…
Blue, Would that be me, someone who hasn't shopped at Wal-Mart since 2002 or so? You can believe me or not, but they don't have anything I need that I can't get somewhere else. My gf doesn't shop there any more, either.