Bill Hankins taught scholastic photojournalism for 26 years and advised student publications for 29 years, mostly at Oak Park High School in Kansas City. In 1988, he began the Heartland Photojournalism Project, pairing his students with those of his wife Marcia at Park Hill High School. For 15 years, the combined 70-90 shooters would document a day in the life of a small town in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa or Nebraska. The documentary project was developed in the spirit of the Missouri Photo Workshop, which he and Marcia attended in 1989.

Hankins was instrumental in advancing recognition for scholastic photojournalism on the local, state and national levels. He helped expand the annual high school photojournalism competition, creating a top award to a Kansas City area student — The Bill Garrett Photojournalism Award.

After he retired from teaching, he worked as a part-time photographer and writer for The Platte County Landmark weekly newspaper for 12 years. Winner of numerous awards from the Missouri Press Association for both his photography and writing, he has published two books of his journalism work entitled "Landmark People, Stories from Platte County" and "Stories from Platte County, Landmark People, Vol. 2."

Bill was inducted into the Missouri Photojournalism Hall of Fame in 2008.

In recent years, he has exhibited photos at the Albrecht-Kemper Museum in St. Joseph, the Five State Photo Exhibit in Hays, Kansas, and numerous Now Showing Venues. Currently, one of his Platte County photos is traveling with the Missouri Bicentennial Art Exhibit sponsored by the Missouri Art Council.