Accentuating rural culture elements like architecture, art, commerce, cuisine, customs, geography, history, and people — the goal is to get more Kansans to realize (and visit) the treasures in their state.

Much of the work of the Foundation matches the grass-roots, forward-thinking example of businesses and attractions featured at the Kansas Sampler Festival.

The currency of awareness is spread in newsletters, and attitudes among member-supporters are tilted towards accentuating positive, mutual success and common survival — indeed a core value of the Foundation.

There are group outings, and campaigns by members to trek across Kansas, finding out-of-the-way attractions, people and stories.

In the pages, there are examples of places where the membership might go to explore, to find locally owned businesses, and to experience lesser-known aspects of the state.

Suggested day-trips often lead the Explorer on a themed trip, such as visiting surviving examples of the Old West in Kansas, a western-themed local eatery, and a bed and breakfast that dates back to frontier days.

One of the guiding principals is that Explorers 'dare to do dirt' - that is, they will seek out elusive best-kept secrets, and don't mind coming home tired, sunburned and with muddy boots for the experience.

There is a secret, ritual greeting among members, and there is an annual 'Happening', specifically for the purpose of lots of Explorers trekking to one spot en masse.

The Grand Expedition is a bus tour designed to help the public see common sights of Kansas with new eyes.

Members receive a membership card, the regular newsletters and information about trips, but they also learn the secret explorer greeting ritual.

In the tiny Woodson County town of Toronto, Kansas - population less than 300 in 2003, there is Lizard Lips Grill and Deli.

"The Kansas Guidebook for Explorers" [5] http://kansasguidebook.com/ says the "combination deli, convenience store, and bait shop" is a good source for area information.

The two had seen much of what the state of Kansas had to offer in their travels co-authoring a series of guidebooks, and found themselves championing small town survival not long after.

Marci Penner serves on the state government Rural Kansas Task Force,[6] and is the recipient of the Kansan of the Year award.