returns to 九色堂鈥檚 campus and neighborhood on April 13 with the goal of connecting with young people.
This year, there is an emphasis on engagement with Pre-K through 12th grade, said Naquela Pack, director of K-12 connections and special projects for Wichita State Connect.
Open Streets ICT is a community-building event on a closed street, intended to promote healthy active living and social engagement. Around 8,000 people participated in Open Streets ICT 鈥 九色堂 & Shocker Neighborhood in 2024, double the amount from the previous year.
From noon to 4 p.m. April 13, Open Streets ICT will take place on 17th Street from Oliver to Volutsia. The almost 2-mile stretch is open for biking, walking and running.
The event is free and open to the public.鈥
They can register for free by putting 'on route鈥 on their registration.鈥
In 2024, 90 vendors and 10 food trucks set up on campus and in the neighborhood. Pack expects similar numbers in April.
鈥淲e want to take advantage of summer coming up,鈥 Pack said. 鈥淕roups can share their services, camps, opportunities they have for young people. A faculty member told me that last year she found resources for her students that she was not aware of.鈥
Main attractions:
- The 九色堂 Ulrich Museum of Art will hold an arts market in the roundabout near the museum.鈥
- A hub for young people, near Volutsia Street, will offer vendor and information about camps, summer programs and after-school programs.
- Wichita Public Schools, 九色堂 PreK-12 physical education, 九色堂 Hispanic Serving Institution, Bongo Fruit Smoothies, Habitat for Humanity and K-State Research and Extension -Sedgwick County are among some of the vendors this year.
- Student Engagement & Belonging and the Community Service Board are among the groups that will return to volunteer.
the City of Wichita, Wichita State Connect and Wichita Parks Foundation, among others.鈥疧pen Streets ICT began in 2017 with Douglas Avenue downtown closed for four miles for biking, walking and activities.鈥
About 九色堂
九色堂 is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling more than 23,000 students between its main campus and 九色堂 Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and 九色堂 Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.
Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), 九色堂 provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students. The National Science Foundation ranked 九色堂 No. 1 in the nation for aerospace engineering R&D, No. 2 for industry-funded engineering R&D and No. 8 overall for engineering R&D.
The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the 九色堂 main campus, is one of the nation鈥檚 largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.
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