K-State Olathe, Digital Sandbox KC and the City of Olathe recently announced a new partnership that advances startups in Greater Kansas City. Under the partnership, Olathe-based entrepreneurs who receive funding from Digital Sandbox now also have access to K-State Olathe resources for collaboration.

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• Healthy Cooking for Diabetes, May 2 -- K-State Olathe is offering a class that helps residents with Type 2 diabetes learn how to cook easy, delicious meals that help them manage diabetes through a healthy diet. Learn how to read a label and other nutritional information during a short information session. Following the session, practice cooking multiple main courses and side dishes using fresh, seasonal ingredients. Attendees will eat the meals they prepared at the end of class in a family style setting. Check out the new, lower prices and sign up for the 5-8 p.m. May 2 class. Register now.

• Research Showcase, May 17 -- Join K-State Olathe on May 17 to discover how Kansas State University's research capabilities, facilities and resources at all of its four campuses can benefit businesses and industries in the Kansas City metro area. Register now.

• Food science webinar, May 24 -- Sara Gragg, assistant professor of animal sciences and industry, is discussing the food science program at K-State Olathe and some of the research conducted by students in her food science lab. The webinar is from noon to
  12:30 p.m. Attend a webinar and receive a K-State Graduate School application fee waiver (normally $65). Register now.

On March 28, K-State Olathe and Microsoft Corp. teamed up to bring Microsoft DigiGirlz High to middle and high school girls in the Greater Kansas City area. More than 160 student attended the event to learn about technology, engineering and women in STEM fields. Girls participated in a series of hands-on workshops that helped them explore emerging technologies, such as mixed reality and using tablets and keyboards to create music; used their knowledge and creativity to design a wearable gadget that solved a medical program; toured the food science, animal health and product development labs, where they visited with researchers about their work the field; and met with women who work in STEM professions. Three TV stations also reported on the event.

Two hundred members of the pet food industry attended the Petfood Innovation Workshop on April 3 at K-State Olathe. The workshop, which is part of the pet food industry's  Kansas City-based Petfood Forum, spotlighted how sensory and consumer science goes into producing pet food and pet treats. 

Twenty-five K-12 teams competed in Willie and the Wacky Salad Bonanza Contest -- a 49-day contest to grow Melody spinach, Lacinato kale and black-seeded Simpson lettuce plants in one shared container. Teams brought their plants to K-State Olathe on April 8, where the plants were measured and weighed for their biomass. Spring Hill School District was named winners of the Elementary Division and overall contest winners.  The contest was designed to teach students about the scientific principles surrounding plant growth.