2025 KEEN Conference

A proud third-generation Kansas teacher, Kara E. Belew teaches social studies at USD #385 Andover, Central High School, in Andover, Kansas. She graduated from Kansas State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Secondary Education in 1994. Belew earned her Masters of Arts in Teaching in American History from Emporia State University in 2011. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Education in Educational Leadership at Kansas State University. Leadership education is a passion for Belew and she integrates the exercise of leadership into her teaching. Drawing inspiration from her high school juniors and seniors, Belew teaches U.S. history, U.S. government, AP U.S. Government and Politics as well as concurrent credit American Federal Government for Butler Community College. Professionally, she earned a James Madison Memorial Fellowship (2005), USD 261 Haysville Star Polisher Award (2007), a Good Apple Award from USD 259 Wichita (2012), and currently serves as a Regional Finalist on 2020 Kansas Teacher of the Year Team. Last Spring, as Kansas and the nation pivoted from in person learning, Belew served on the Kansas Continuous Learning Taskforce, the PBS/KSDE Learning Across Kansas television initiative, the Andover Continuous Learning Taskforce, and currently serves on the Andover COVID-19 Response and Assessment Team. Volunteering, Belew served on the board of the Junior League of Wichita, Kansas P.E.O. Sunflower Board of Trustees, Director of Ambassadors, Staff, and Programs for the Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership World Leadership Congress in Los Angeles, and was named Wichita Business Journal’s “40 under 40” for 2005. Spring of 2018, Belew unexpectedly gained an Italian host daughter who needed a welcoming home.  She enjoys gardening, reading, travel, college football (Go Cats!!), and family time. Belew credits her professional success to mentors who stood in the gap between life and potential for her through the years and her curiosity to learn.