Articles celebrating academic excellence in Lawrence and Douglas County, KS.
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Social worker, coach weaves life experiences into empowerment lessons for Lawrence youth
Audrey Trowbridge sits in her basement surrounded by glitter, wood, paint cans and her favorite crafting supply of all time — pipe cleaners. Her craft room serves as a retreat, and during remote learning, the Free State High School social worker took her video conference calls there.
Behind her, a painting of a glowing Black woman wearing a bejeweled crown draws attention. When asked if she painted it, Trowbridge says one of her sisters gifted the piece to her. Its placement is purposeful. She wants others to see it in the background, but she also hopes to glean inspiration from it when she glances at herself on screen. The powerful art serves as a self-affirmation and a reminder while advocating for herself and her students.
August Rudisell/@KsScanner
Student journalists of Haskell’s Indian Leader earn 14 awards, including general excellence honor
The journalists on staff of the Indian Leader, the student news publication of Haskell Indian Nations University, earned an impressive haul of 14 National Native Media awards for their work over the past year.
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Free State High School student wins Equal Justice Initiative essay contest
“A Black body is the most disposable body in America. America has proved this time and time again,” Free State High School student Ryan Brown read from her prize-winning essay Tuesday.
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Cordley teacher wins grant to teach first graders hands-on math with blocks
Sarah Rand’s first graders at Cordley Elementary School will get to learn math in a new blocks center with tactile learning tools, thanks to a grant the teacher won.
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Free State High School student earns superior rating from International Thespian Festival for short film
A Free State High School junior’s short film earned a superior rating Tuesday evening at the Virtual International Thespian Festival, her teacher said.
Kelly Thompson
Free State speech and debate students earn prestigious award as a top 10 school nationwide
A debate duo and a speech student competed as national finalists, and Free State High School earned the School of Outstanding Distinction Award, given only to the top 10 programs nationwide, their coach said Saturday.
Free State High School debate team takes 3rd place at nationals
The Free State High School debate team of Ethan Harris and Aiden Basore took third place in the National Speech and Debate Association’s national tournament Thursday night.
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Bishop Seabury students find passion in helping others, raise $3K for refugees
A group of sixth-graders at a Lawrence private school has collected money to help people fleeing war and violence across the world.
Carter Gaskins
Free State graduates celebrate triumph over pandemic adversity
The Lawrence Free State High School class of 2021 donned mortar boards and face masks under cloudy skies for their commencement Wednesday night.
Carter Gaskins
Lawrence High graduates persevere despite pandemic
Amid a backdrop of basketball lore and behind face masks, the students of Lawrence High School’s class of 2021 celebrated their commencement Tuesday evening in Allen Fieldhouse.
Lawrence High teacher redesigns art lessons with help of Free State alum, puppeteer
After a tense summer that included the COVID-19 pandemic, wildfires and protests against racial injustice, Lawrence High School art teacher Deena Amont approached the fall of 2020 with a determination: to reinvent her entire curriculum.
Surprise! Lawrence High’s Susan Mička awarded $10K Bobs teaching award
Susan Mička, of Lawrence High School, is the winner of the Lawrence Schools Foundation’s 2021 […]
Bean Foster
Teacher returns to Lawrence roots, helps students create ‘incredible’ art in pandemic
Todd Poteet graduated from Lawrence High School in 1989 and accomplished what so many dreamers […]
Audrey Basham
From chaos to creativity: Lawrence High artists capture pandemic emotions in photos
Lawrence High School students share photos and writings from their portfolio class during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lawrence 2nd-graders share feelings about pandemic through portraits
The Lawrence Times asked art teachers in the Lawrence school district to share some of their students’ work reflecting on the pandemic. In this gallery, second-graders show off their skills in portrait-making.
