By: Camila Gonzalez
Good morning all!
This blog post was my favorite last year because my mentor and I learned more about Dodge City, KS through research. Since last summer so much has changed in our little growing city.
Arts & Culture
I work part-time at the Dodge City Visitors Center alongside this job so I always get to explain our history to tourists. The Boot Hill Museum continues to be a favorite for the traffic coming in. There have been new additions to the Walking Tour which include medallions downtown (similar to Hollywood), statues, the pole art banner, museums, etc. Just yesterday we unveiled Bat Masterson, the “keeper of the peace” in late 1800s Dodge times. My favorite additions to the downtown area are the new murals along with their descriptions. Four new murals were added with one being called “The Mexican Village”. This mural is my favorite because it highlights the rich beginning of Hispanic culture in a part of town that was unfortunately secluded from the rest of the town.
Education
Under the Dodge City Ford Co Development Corporation there are many different programs. The one work under is Main Street, but there is also the Community Housing Association of Dodge City (CHAD), Dodge City Small Business Development Center (SBDC), Dodge City Festivals, Kansas Department of Commerce Regional Office, and lastly Rural Education and Workforce Alliance (REWA). REWA within the last year has been pushing a speech pathology program through Fort Hays. This program is designed for students who have already started their life in the workforce or are just starting late. Outside of the development corporation, there is still a lot of opportunity for learning. We have over 20 public schools ranging from K-12. Our community college here is also a great opportunity to get dual credit enrollment before transferring into a four-year college.
I can easily identify examples that Dodge City has with all the Commonwealth Assets. Arts & Culture, Education, Foodshed, Leisure & Recreation, Renewable Energy, History, Health, Spirituality, Soil & Mineral Cycle, Water Cycle, Wildlife & Natural World, and Sense of Place all enrich the City of Dodge.
