Field Trips

Cultural Trips

January 16, 2010

The Nelson-Atkins Art Museum & the Country Club Plaza, Kansas City, Missouri

Kansas City’s Country Club Plaza, more commonly called “The Plaza” was designed in 1922 as the United State’s first suburban shopping district, with more than 150 shops and dozens of restaurants.

The buildings are considered to be an outdoor museum of Spanish architecture and European art with fountains, sculptures, murals, and handmade tiles throughout the15-block district. Adjacent and within walking distance to the Plaza is the Nelson-Atkins Art Museum, one of America’s premier art institutions. In June, 2007 the Nelson opened the new Bloch Building, a 165,000 square foot building designed by renowned architect Steven Holl. Its galleries house contemporary art, African art, and rotation exhibitions of photography. This new building has already received much acclaim with art critics comparing its quality to that of the Guggenheim in LA and the MOMA in New York City. This is an optional field trip that ACI students can go on with other Applied English Center students.

January 23, 2010

Will Wyatt’s Cowboy Couture & the American Jazz Museum/Arthur Bryant’s Trip, Overland Park, Kansas & Kansas City Missouri

On a Saturday field trip, students will have the opportunity to experience two different parts of our Midwestern American heritage. First, we will visit Will Wyatt’s Cowboy Couture, a family-owned western clothing and furniture store that was started from the owners’ passion for America’s west past, present and future. From there, the group will travel to downtown Kansas City, Missouri to the American Jazz Museum. Located at 18th and Vine, the Jazz Museum is a mirror and contrast of characters, color and sound that celebrates the unique sounds of such jazz greats as Charlie ”Bird” Parker, Ella Fitzgerald, and many more. The museum, not only outlines the great musical moments in jazz---swing, bebop, cool, but it also describes the interplay of this American form of music and the history of African Americans.

On this trip, students will have a chance to eat at Arthur Bryant’s, that restaurant critic Calvin Trillin has declared, “the single best restaurant in the world.” Arthur Bryant’s, which opened in the 1920s, has become a dining legend in the U.S. Many celebrities, including Steven Spielberg, Robert Redford, and several U.S. Presidents have gone out of their way to eat there when traveling to Kansas City. A trip to Arthur Bryant’s is a true American cultural experience that is also delicious! The cost for a lunch at Arthur Bryant’s runs about $10, but the portions are large and can easily be shared by 2 people if preferred.

February 20, 2010

KU Jayhawk Basketball game, Allen Field House, Lawrence, Kansas

During your stay, the biggest sports event in Lawrence is without a doubt the KU basketball games. In 2008, the Jayhawk Basketball Team won the NCAA National Championship, which has brought much national attention to our university. As students, you can get tickets to home games that take place inAllen Field House on the south side of campus. The 16,000+ seat field house is almost always filled to capacity with screaming, jumping fans who come to see one of the nation’s best college-level basketball teams. Don’t miss the chance to see the Jayhawk (the KU mascot) and to sing the “Fight Song” and “Rock Chalk Chant”, KU songs, while watching a great sports event.

March 6, 2010

Circle S Ranch & Country Inn, a few miles north of Lawrence, Kansas

The Circle S Ranch, a working ranch and country inn, was originally homesteaded as an 80-acre tract purchased from a railroad company in the 1860s. It has been owned, expanded, and operated by cowgirl/innkeeper Mary Cronemeyer’s family through 5 generations. Today the ranch encompasses more than 1,200 acres, including tall grass prairies and picturesque stands of timber. It is home to small herds of bison, longhorns, Herefords and Angus cattle, as well as indigenous wildlife. Students will be given a tour of this quintessential example of the traditional American Midwest life. Afterwards, they will eat a simple catered lunch in the Circle S Country Inn’s dining area. The lunch is included as a part of the program. There will be no charge to students.

Business Trips

January 27, 2010

The New Dime Store, Brookside Neighborhood, Kansas City, Missouri

The Brookside Neighborhood is a metropolitan hub of beautiful homes, unique shops, trendy restaurants, and cultural attractions. Home to some of Kansas City’s hippest residents and urban professionals, Brookside was the city's first neighborhood shopping area. Brookside now has over 70 proprietors and offices which have elegantly preserved the original architecture and kept the neighborhood appeal. On this business trip, students will visit The New Dime Store located in the heart of this charming neighborhood. The Dime Store has been a Brookside landmark for nearly 70 years. In fact, Margaret Coffey remembers shopping there with her cousins when she was a little girl. The store has been “recently renovated, but not replaced” as one shopper recently noted. The floors are still creaky wood, and there is an incredible array of crazy goods that qualify as running the gamut from seemingly arbitrary to the almost bizarre. What makes the shopping experience so fun is that you never know what you will find. Where else in one store could you find party hats, knitting supplies, candy corn, and fishing tackle? Students will learn about The New Dime Store’s unusual marketing strategy and reasons behind its long-term success. We will also plan to leave time for the students to explore this charming shopping area after visiting The New Dime Store.

February 3, 2010

Callahan Creek: A Marketing Communications Agency. Lawrence, Kansas

Callahan Creek is a 26-year old, 65 person marketing agency based in Lawrence, Kansas, with a reputation for an outstanding employee culture. With capitalized billings of $60 million in 2007 (year-to-date), the President/CEO of this advertising agency is a woman, still a rarity in this profession in the United States. Callahan Creek states that it is different from many agencies their size because of the intense focus on research and planning that provides insight to power the development of simple, clear, memorable, business-building ideas for their clients. Three of their clients include Toyota Motor Sales, Sprint, and American Century Investments.

February 10, 2010

The Mercantile: The Community Mercantile, Inc., Lawrence, Kansas

THE COMMUNITY MERCANTILE, more commonly called “The Merc” is a cooperative, local retail grocery store. This ‘cooperative’ grocery store is owned by a large group of residents in the Lawrence area rather than by a corporation. In fact, the Mercantile’s slogan is “homegrown and home owned.” In operation since 1974, the Mercantile is one of the oldest, largest, and most successful cooperative groceries in the US Midwest. In the past few years the Merc has gone through several expansions due to its growing popularity. This is an interesting business to visit currently as US society grapples with problems that result from buying food products from thousands of miles from where we shop. The Merc is known for “buying local” and often advertises the names of the farmers who have sold them their fruits and vegetables. In addition to offering a full line of food and natural health products, the “Merc” supports Lawrence through educational programs and workshops for all ages. They also provide information for consumers on health, the ecology and political justice. Students will meet with the Merc’s Community Outreach Coordinator, who will give a tour of the grocery’s facilities. The AEC will also try to arrange a cooking class as a part of the visit. This business visit will take place in conjunction with an American Culture Class unit on the culture of food in the US.

February 17, 2010

Lawrence Journal-World. Lawrence, Kansas

The Lawrence Journal World began as a small newspaper company over 100 years ago. Since that time it has grown into a multimedia “information business” called THE WORLD COMPANY. The company is still locally owned by the founding family, the Simons. On this trip students will visit the media (business) offices right off Mass Street in Downtown Lawrence. Very, very few media outlets in the US are locally owned. You are going to have a chance to see a US business operation that is quite unique in its field.