By Sheila G. Kelley, Development Coordinator, Harvey County United Way
“Kansas Learning Center for Health – There’s Nobody Like Us in the State”
Conversation between a child and an educator:
Educator: where do you get the eggs you eat?
Student: from the refrigerator.
Educator: yes, but where do they come from before the refrigerator?
Student: from the store.
Educator: yes, but I mean where are eggs made?
Student (blank look on his face): I don’t know.
New research shows one in five kids don’t know where their food originates. With funding from Harvey County United Way, Kansas Learning Center for Health instructor Tricia Weber created an exhibit to help youth learn where the food on their plates come from.
“Some of the kids we serve have never been outside their city limits,” said Carrie Herman, center executive director. “They’ve never seen a field, so we want them to know their food doesn’t just come from the grocery store. That’s the whole reason for building this exhibit.”
The exhibit features a miniature-sized farming community for youth to visually see corn growing in a field, a train that takes the harvested crop to the elevator and ultimately, a grocery store where their parents purchase a can of corn or box of cereal.
Although not actually a unit on nutrition, educators are able to throw in some interesting facts utilizing components from the farm. Tricia even created a seek-and-find activity to engage youth in the entire process of farm to table.
KLCH has a long and rich history of providing interactive educational opportunities for children across Kansas. Dr. Arthur E. Hertzler, operated a successful medical clinic and hospital in the now closed Hertzler Clinic and Halstead Hospital. A couple years after his passing in 1946, his wife, Irene A. Koeneke, also a doctor, wanted to do something in his legacy.
The original two-story building sat right next to city hall and was opened in 1965, with the existing building opening in 1992. Dr. Koeneke also started a medical library for the books her husband had written. During that time, she read about Valeda, a transparent anatomical mannequin that talks about the human body and lights up. She thought Valeda would be great for teaching kids about the human body, especially since her husband loved children.
Dr. Koeneke took the train up to Chicago to see Valeda and decided the model was exactly what she wanted. The gentleman who made Valeda was from Cologne, Germany. He molded her off of the size of his wife’s body. She was 5’4”, 145 lbs. Valeda weighs about 95 lbs.
“He did not put all the miles of arteries and veins because then you wouldn’t be able to see the organs,” Carrie said. “Valeda has 6 ¼ miles of wires depicting her veins and arteries while an adult actually has 60,000 miles. During an 8–10-minute video, she lights up and talks about her organs. She even turns around so you can see the back side.”
Valeda, one of 20 originally built, is one of only two left in the United States.
“The other one is in Pittsburg, PA so we feel pretty lucky to have one here,” Carrie said.
Valeda cost about $14,000 back in 1965 and was delivered in a large crate. Although she was taken to the state fair that year, it was hard for her to travel. Other than the trip to the United States and the Kansas State Fair, she’s only been moved once more, from the original location to the current site.
Anyone working with non-profits knows the struggle of finding and securing funds. In the beginning, money was tight and at times, they weren’t sure they would be able to keep the doors open.
“We feel really blessed that we are still able to serve 14,000-15,000 students every year. Even during COVID, we switched to doing virtual lessons,” Carrie stated. “We do travel and go on the road as well. We can travel throughout the state.”
The center’s most requested program is fifth grade puberty, followed closely by sixth grade human reproduction and drug prevention. Programs for younger students include dental, nutrition, respiratory, and more.
HCUW helped cover some of the costs for painted stencil games on the concrete by KLCH’s new outdoor pavilion.
“We’re going to expand. We’ve added a shed and fencing. Our plan is for the space become a community garden and play area,” Carrie said. “So, when our students come to eat lunch here, they can eat out in the yard, they can play, and the community can use it too.”
The United Way 