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New in 2024: Trailblazing Talks School Matinees!

August 23, 2023

A row of yellow school buses is parked in front of a glass-fronted modern building on a snowy day.

Photo by Jillian Shoptaw

Photo by Jillian Shoptaw

In conjunction with the Kauffman Center’s new speaker series, Trailblazing Talks, we are excited to debut a trio of student matinees that explore fascinating close encounters with adventurers and photojournalists. Trailblazing Talks is replacing the National Geographic Live series and will feature speakers curated from the Changemaker Speaker Series live and on stage at the Kauffman Center!  

Trailblazing Talks school matinees are recommended for grades 6 – 12 and the cost is just $2 per ticket! In 2024, we are proud to bring these inspiring speakers:  

ELLA AL-SHAMAHI: ARE YOU A NEANDERTHAL? 

A woman with long, curly hair wearing a gray tank top stands outdoors with greenery and a cloudy sky in the background.
Photo by Clare Jones

Evolutionary biologist and TV host, Ella Al-Shamahi illuminates the lives and stories of our earliest ancestors in her talk, Are You a Neanderthal? Al-Shamhi combines engaging history with interactive exercises to create an immersive and unique educational experience.

Ella Al-Shamahi will speak at the Kauffman Center on Tuesday, Jan. 9, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.  

 

 

 

 

MICHAEL DAVIE: DOCUMENTING OUR WORLD 

A man sits in a wooden canoe moving through a river in a jungle area. Another person is visible steering the canoe. The man has a backpack and is dressed in outdoor gear. Dense trees surround the river.
SING RIVER, MINKEBI NATIONAL PARK, GABON, JUNE 2011: An anti-poaching team composed of Gabon Parcs personal, Gabon military, Baka pygmy porters and two Pirouge pilots conduct an anti-poaching mission up the Sing River in Minkebi National Park, Gabon, 26 June 2011. Gabon has recently seen a large spate of Elephant killings as a result of thousands of illegal goldminers that had flooded into the Minkebi region to exploit a lack of the rule of law in the reserve. Approximately a month ago the Gabonese military and Gabon Parcs Department conducted a large joint operation, inviting all these illegal miners to go home to their own countries or face detention. The presence of these illegals also created a thriving illegal ivory industry, fueled by the presence of Chinese traders in Gabon and neighbouring Congo Brazzaville and Cameroon. This expedition up the Sing River was to check for the presence of these illegals and to see if they were carrying out any poaching activity. There were no sightings and now only empty mining settelements remain. It appears the initial operations have put the word out and the illegal miners and poaching villages are no more in this region of Gabon. The operation involved travelling far up the Sing River in Minkbebi Park, cutting river pathways for the pirouges and doing a thorough check for poachers all the way up the river. There are plans for a permanent “Jungle Brigade” for this region within the next 6 months and that should safeguard the borders of Gabon and its wildlife from further poaching threats. (Photo by Brent Stirton/National Geographic.)

Hear inspiring stories and see incredible footage from adventurer and documentary filmmaker Michael Davie. This talk documents a wide variety of cultures and stories from across the globe, from tales of war zones to escapades in the mountains of Denali. Davie will leave students with a greater understanding of the world around them and shed light on the connections we all share.

Michael Davie will speak at the Kauffman Center on Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024, at 10:30 a.m.

 

 

 

 

 

SYLVIA EARLE: SAVING OUR BLUE PLANET TOGETHER 

Photo by Kip Evans

Dr. Sylvia Earle, renowned marine researcher and ocean advocate, has spent over 7,500 hours exploring the underwater world. Earle’s research has led to the advancement of deep-sea exploration technologies that provide important information to scientists and oceanographers. Her talk aims to demonstrate the beauty of the ocean, and how we can all play a role in its preservation. 

Sylvia Earle will speak at the Kauffman Center on Tuesday, May 21, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. 

 

 

 

 

Request tickets for any of the Trailblazing Talks speakers for your classroom today!  

The Trailblazing Talks series is not the only opportunity for students to attend a performance at the Kauffman Center. Partner organizations, including the Kansas City Symphony, Kansas City Ballet and Lyric Opera of Kansas City, offer a variety of school matinees and open rehearsals that bring world-class performing arts to young people each school year.  

To learn more about all the school matinees offerings visit kauffmancenter.org/schoolmatinees. 

Photo by Jillian Shoptaw
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