December 10, 2024 | Stories
Since its summer launch, the Wichita Documenters program has been hard at work fostering civic engagement and increasing transparency within local government.
The program kicked off with a launch party on May 21 at the Advanced Learning Library, featuring special guests like Mayor Lily Wu from the City of Wichita, Courtney Bengtson from the Wichita Foundation, and Rafael Muñoz-Echavarría from City Bureau. This event set the tone for a mission focused on making local government more accessible to the community.
Wichita Documenters trains and compensates residents to attend and take notes at public meetings, ensuring everyone has access to detailed information on decisions affecting their lives. Since publishing its first set of notes on April 9, the program has covered 127 meetings, trained 90 documenters, and launched a bi-weekly newsletter.
New milestones for Wichita Documenters include the launch of wichitadocumenters.org, a hub for accessing published meeting notes and articles. Through its partnership with the Wichita Journalism Collaborative, the program has supported local news and fueled public conversations, such as those about downtown paid parking. Documenters covered every related public meeting, capturing unique discussions and highlighting diverse perspectives on this key issue.
“Wichita Documenters is already becoming a powerful tool for our city and our community,” said Wichita Documenters Program Manager Debbie Haslam. “By training and paying local residents to take notes in government meetings, we’re making sure vital information about what happens in these public spaces is accessible to everyone.”
Wichita Documenters is more than a program—it’s a movement, connecting residents with the decisions that shape our city. To learn more or get involved, visit wichitadocumenters.org and subscribe to the newsletter.
