Description

Our WIBA luncheon is a great time to network with other like-minded business leaders, enjoy a buffet lunch and hear from local speakers.

Join us and hear from Prisca Barnes, President & CEO of Storytime Village, Inc.

Dr. Prisca Barnes is a passionate advocate for equity in education, social justice, and literacy.

After publishing her first children’s book, she became painfully aware of the many underserved children in her local community and state who lacked the quality literacy skills essential for future success in school and life.

Barnes founded Storytime Village, Inc., a nonprofit organization with a mission to serve low-income Kansas children and families. Since its beginning in 2009, Storytime Village has worked to help underserved children thrive through partnerships that provide early childhood development, family engagement around reading, and access to books. Prisca is especially dedicated to improving the disparities in reading proficiency rates in her state.

Dr. Barnes received a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications from the HBCU Clark Atlanta University, a Master of Arts in Communication, and a doctorate in Educational Leadership from Wichita State University. 

Prisca Barnes is a visionary, a dedicated community leader, and a proud native of Wichita, KS. She has devoted her life to advancing her community through service in the Wichita civic and faith-based community. She is active in her church, Free Full Gospel Pentecostal, and is a member of numerous organizations. She has also served the community through her participation on numerous boards.

Her most recent children’s book, People, Pride, and Promise: The Story of the Dockum Sit-in, received the prestigious Kansas Notable honor. The book explores a decisive episode in the American civil rights movement in the Midwest in which young people stood on courage, persistence, and careful planning of the Dockum Drug Store Sit-in.

Dr. Barnes enjoys volunteering, traveling, reading, and theater in her spare time.