student at johnson county mental health center booth
Nayeli Cruz, 17, a senior at F.L. Schlagle High School in Kansas City, Kan., adds her thumbprint to a mandala, which is a symbolic pattern with origins in Eastern religions. "The thumbprint represents the fact that we are all the same, yet different," said Angela Guzman, right, a parent support specialist with the Johnson County Mental Health Center. (Photos: Mike Sherry | Flatland)

KC-area students explore government work

September 30, 2015  |  Mike Sherry  |  1 min read

More than 3,000 students from Kansas City-area middle schools and high schools got a glimpse of public service careers during the first-ever CORE4 Youth Career Expo held Tuesday at Bartle Hall. The students came from roughly four dozen schools.

Hosting the event were the metropolitan area’s four core local governments — the city of Kansas City, Mo.; Jackson County, Mo.; Johnson County, Kan; and the Unified Government of Wyandotte County and Kansas City, Kan. Other municipalities on hand included Gladstone, Lee’s Summit, and Shawnee.

Exhibitors included emergency-response personnel, human service agencies, parks staff, and public works departments. Some scenes from the day are below.

[FLEX-CONTENT]

[FLEX-CONTENT]

[FLEX-CONTENT]

Tags:

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

Nick’s Picks | Rally, Debate, Data Center and More …

October 19, 2026

Election season is in full swing, with the U.S. Senate race in Kansas taking center stage, including President Donald Trump holding a rally in Wichita.

Related Stories

Marissa Gencarelli, of Yoli Tortilleria, grilled steak and Masa Shio Koji wings for an Anti-ICE Supper Club event to raise awareness and benefit Advocates for Immigrant Rights and Reconciliation (AIRR), a regional nonprofit that advocates for immigrant and refugee communities in Kansas and Missouri. The event took place at Yoli Cocina, in Kansas City, Mo. on Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026. In the background is Laura Basauri, the executive chef for Taco Naco.

Kansas City Cooks as Site for National Anti-ICE Dinner Series

Celebrated chefs from throughout the metro collaborated for three nights on dinners that raised money for a local immigrant-rights nonprofit.

Read More >
Kansas City Police Chief Stacey Graves talks Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2026 about her pending retirement. (Carlos Moreno | KCUR 89.3)

Nick’s Picks | Top Cop, Mission Mall, Lucas’ Travels and More …

Nick Haines also has the lowdown on information for the upcoming election, the arrival of fall and Kansas City's Day of the Dead celebration.

Read More >
Starting in January, I-70 will shut down in both directions, along a 4-mile stretch between downtown and the Truman Sports Complex. The Missouri Department of Transportation holds a public meeting on the closure Tuesday. (Screenshot)

Nick’s Picks | I-70, Tax Break, School Petition, and More …

An Interstate 70 closure, a tax rebate for Jackson County property owners, a school closure petition, and more ...

Read More >