Civic Engagement and Community Impact with Andres Mata | Kansas in Action

What does it take to transform a community when you're barely old enough to drive? Andres Mata was just 13 years old when he was appointed to Salina's Human Relations Commission, and that was only the beginning of his civic journey. Six years ago, at age 21, he founded the Kansas Civic Network with a simple belief: the resources to solve our communities' biggest challenges already exist—we just need to connect the right people with the right ideas. From launching the first food pantry in Lindsborg's history to helping Latino farmers understand organic certification, Andres and his team have learned that the most powerful solutions often come from the simplest actions: picking up the phone, asking questions, and refusing to accept "that's not my role" as an answer. Kansas faces real challenges—by 2050, 76% of the state's population will live in just 19 counties—but Andres has seen firsthand that when young people are invited to the table instead of told to wait their turn, remarkable things happen. The question isn't whether Kansas has what it takes to thrive; it's whether we're willing to work together to make it happen.

Highlights:

• Started civic engagement at age 9 with a Haiti relief fundraiser that raised $3,400 

• Appointed to Salina's Human Relations Commission at 13, then Planning Commission at 16

• Founded Kansas Civic Network at age 21 during COVID-19 pandemic

• Helped establish Lindsborg's first food pantry in city history after discovering 1/3 of Bethany College students were food insecure

• Built a remote, all-volunteer team of young professionals from 7+ states using Handshake platform

• Conducted USDA-funded seminars revealing critical gaps in organic farming education for Latino farmers in southwest Kansas

• Operates with radical transparency: "We're basically a club of young doers"

• Core philosophy: "We just do it" - removing barriers and focusing on community benefit over organizational ego

Chapters:

[0:00] Introduction - Meet Semi Quinn the Bison

[1:58] Meet Andres Mata: Early Life and Civic Engagement

[6:56] The Kansas Civic Network: Mission and Impact

[11:17] Challenges and Success Stories in Rural Kansas

[13:54] Building a Team of Young Doers

[26:40] Organizational Structure and Future Goals

[36:20] Founding the Kansas Civic Network

[37:02] Challenges and Hopes for Kansas

[39:16] The Role of Politics in Community Work

[41:29] Engaging Communities and Institutions

[44:49] Organic Farming Project

[47:47] Concluding Thoughts and Reflections

[48:31] Post-Interview Reflections

[54:27] Who's A Kansan: Community Organizer Edition

[63:21] Closing

Resources Mentioned:

• Kansas Civic Network - https://www.kscivicnetwork.org/

• Bethany College (Lindsborg, Kansas) - https://www.bethanylb.edu/

• Kansas 250 - https://www.travelks.com/kansas-250/

This show is part of the ICT Podcast Network, for more information, visit ictpod.net