By Elizabeth Wastell,
Gazette staff
Kim Bartling is a Garretson native who’s spent a lifetime in education and as a beloved professor at the University of Sioux Falls, with an education career spanning 34 years in South Dakota. Greg Talcott was most recently the High School Principal in Brandon and has also worked at O’Gorman High School, having had a 37-year career in education in South Dakota. So, they had an idea to put that experience to good use. They sat down with Gazette staff member Elizabeth Wastell for the following interview.
Q: What inspired the name "Humanity Launch" for your organization?
Kim: Our tagline is "to ignite your culture." That's really what we want to do - walk into a school and have everyone, from the students to the teachers and staff, feel better about themselves and their goals when we leave. The "launched" part represents propelling people forward by equipping them with better communication and leadership skills.
Q: What is the story behind the founding of your organization, Humanity Launch?
Kim: Greg and I both have long careers in education - I've been teaching for 36 years, and he was a principal for 22 years before retiring. We actually first crossed paths when I was teaching at O'Gorman High School and he was teaching at a different school. Then in 2018, when Greg was retiring, I popped into his office and asked, "What are you going to do in retirement?" He said, "I want to work with kids and the people who work with kids." I responded, "Great idea, let's do that!" And that's really how Humanity Launch was born.
Greg: Kim was the one who pushed it forward initially. As she said, I had been thinking about working with kids after retiring, but I'm not sure I would have actually made it happen on my own. The partnership has been so valuable - I bring certain strengths that complement what Kim does, and vice versa.
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