October 28, 2026
The Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society (PTK) chapter at Johnson County Community College (JCCC) is one of 16 projects nationally featured in Change Makers: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Student Leadership, a publication that recognizes outstanding student-led leadership initiatives at community colleges.
Published annually, Change Makers showcases college projects that demonstrate student leadership, campus collaboration, and meaningful community impact. The sixth edition includes 16 projects selected from more than 450 submissions across PTK's international membership.
JCCC's featured project, “Installing Mindfulness Signs on Our Campus Walking Trail,” transformed an underused area of campus into an interactive space designed to promote mental health, mindfulness, and well-being. “We knew we wanted to help turn the trails into ‘sensory spaces,’ where someone could go if they felt overstimulated or overwhelmed so they could calm down and appreciate the air around them,” said a student participant.
Over several months, PTK student leaders collaborated with college administrators, faculty, Campus Services, and Strategic Communications and Marketing to research, design, and install mindfulness signage along the walking trail. The students drew inspiration from the 5-4-3-2-1 grounding technique, a mindfulness exercise that encourages individuals to focus on what they can see, touch, hear, smell, and taste in their surroundings.
The project required extensive collaboration across campus. Students met with College leaders to refine their proposal, worked with Facilities on trail planning and sign placement, consulted with a faculty expert in mindfulness on the sign copy, and partnered with the Marketing team on designs aligned with JCCC's brand standards. The completed trail project was unveiled during a grand opening event in Spring 2025.
The full article, "Installing Mindfulness Signs on Our Campus Walking Trail," appears on pages 42-44 of the 2026 edition of Change Makers: Phi Theta Kappa Journal of Student Leadership.
About Phi Theta Kappa at JCCC
The 2025-2026 PTK student team that documented the project and prepared the written submission for Change Makers included Hafsa Shahzad, Priviledge Mudzembwe, Iskandar Azizi, Edward Brooks, Sam Curnow, Kathryn Holtman, Charlie Bethay, Mohammad Shahzad, and Ellie Daveline.
Phi Theta Kappa is the international honor society recognizing the academic achievement of students at associate degree-granting colleges and helping them to grow as scholars and leaders. Learn more at ptk.org.
The PTK Alpha Iota Gamma chapter at JCCC provides students with opportunities to build professional skills, engage with the campus and community, serve in leadership roles, and connect with transfer institutions and scholarship programs.
CONTACT:
Emma Swinney
Public and Media Relations Coordinator
[email protected]
913-469-8500, ext. 4949
Chris Gray
VP, Strategic Communications & Marketing
[email protected]
913-469-8500, ext. 7623
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