A young girl speaking on screen
The Take Note team interviewed more then 50 students and parents at Maker Faire KC about what the future of education looks like to them. (Laura Richey | Flatland)

Organizers call Maker Faire the Greatest Show (And Tell) on Earth, and Kansas City held its eighth annual version of the international event at Union Station in June. The two-day faire drew crowds to celebrate all things creative — from science to art and anything in between.

As part of our Take Note education project, and in conjunction with the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, Kansas City PBS interviewed more than 50 children and adults at the event, including Olivia Johnson Parker Hill, a Kansas City, Missouri, resident featured above. We wanted their take on the school of the future. From classrooms and teaching styles, to safety and school lunches, they had an answer for everything.

We have been rolling out the videos on social media with #TakeNoteKC. We are also aggregating them on Flatland. Listen below to the first installment as our prognosticators imagine what could change and emphasize what must change for the success of this and future generations.

 

Miranda | Blue Valley High School student

 

Burley Durant | Library Media Specialist at Kansas City Public School District

 

Lex | Blue Valley High School student

 

Addision | Liberty High School student

 

Raymond Johnson | Overland Park, Kansas, resident

 

Tony Wallace | South Kansas City, Missouri, resident

 

Steven | Southwest Middle School student

 

Andrea Kirkwood | Topeka, Kansas, resident

 

Keep an eye on Flatland for more reporting, videos and public engagement, and follow the project on social channels through #TakeNoteKC.

Reading these stories is free, but telling them is not. Start your monthly gift now to support Flatland’s community-focused reporting.

The Checkered History of Bruce R. Watkins Drive

August 19, 2026

East Side residents have long complained that this stretch of U.S Highway 71 cleaved Black neighborhoods. The road is also considered unsafe for pedestrians and drivers.

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