In support of efforts to build new public trails, manage and enhance existing ones, and turn trails into lasting community assets, Sunflower Foundation has provided a new funding and learning opportunity to 25 Kansas communities at different stages of trail development through its Paving the Way – From Blazing Trails to Building Community program.
The foundation has long supported construction of public trails, while also understanding that communities looking to develop trails can benefit from customized planning support, technical assistance, and peer learning.
The Paving the Way program offers grantees a chance to participate in a free virtual learning series covering such topics as trail visioning, partnerships, route planning, legal considerations, funding, design, and sustainability. National expert Michele Archie, principal from The Harbinger Consultancy, is leading the series. Kansas Trails, Inc., is providing technical assistance.
The learning series for Trail Blazers grantees – those pursuing their first public trail, or emerging trail champions advancing new public trail projects – will be held the third Tuesday of each month from April to September 2026.
The learning series for Trail Steward grantees (those with existing trails seeking to elevate impact and diversify users/supporters) and Trail Town grantees (those pursuing the Trail Town model and certification) will be held the first Tuesday of every other month from April 2026 to February 2027.
Click below to join sessions, watch recordings and download resources.
Sessions, Recordings and Resources
Trail Stewards/Trail Town Learning Sessions
Welcome to the Trail Town Program
Trail Town Committee Formation
Assessments and Baseline Data
Workshop on Placemaking
Promotion and Brand Awareness
Action Plan Development
Trail Blazers Learning Sessions
Vision & Community Engagement
Land, Routes and Partnerships
Legal, Safety and Accessibility Basics
Identifying Funding and Other Resources
Trail Design & Public Engagement
Implementation and Long-Term Sustainability
Talkin' Trails
Meet the Speakers
Michele Archie
Michele Archie is a principal of The Harbinger Consultancy. She brings 30 years of experience with community engagement and community economic development in rural communities across the western United States.
Michele Every works in collaboration with small towns and rural communities, rural regions and the conservation, heritage and economic development organizations that serve them to understand and amplify their stories, to leverage and maintain their distinctive character, and to make change that lasts.
Mike Scanlon
Mike Scanlon, executive director of Kansas Trails, Inc., is a former city manager career reflects a deep belief in the power of trails to connect people, promote health, and transform communities.
His journey began in Columbia, Mo., where he contributed to the creation of the MKT Trail. During his time in Merriam, Kansas, Mike led the acquisition of land for the Johnson County Streamway Trail, linking Overland Park to Kansas City. In Colorado, he helped develop key pedestrian underpasses and trail connections in Basalt, tying the town into the scenic Rio Grande Trail system.
Most recently, in Osawatomie, Kansas, Mike completed the Mile Zero trailhead and the final two-mile connection to the Flint Hills Trail, giving the project its long-awaited starting point.
