Boats & Bikes
Boats & Bikes, which is managed by Shocker Rowing, opened to help Wichita State do its part to get Wichitans moving on and around the Arkansas River. The group rents paddle boats, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards, Trikkes and scooters.
“We want to activate the river,” Wichita State rowing coach Calvin Cupp said. “If I want people to be interested in rowing and support rowing, then we need them here for other reasons. Then they’ll see the rowing, then they’ll see what opportunities there are for them to do it recreationally.”
Boats & Bikes is housed the River Vista Apartments at 150 N. McLean Blvd. and is part of a public-private partnership among the City of Wichita, the development group of River Vista and Wichita State.
Wichita Winery
For Wichitan Jennifer Dawn, her passion for growing grapes and creating wine inspired a new Wichita business. And, she says, it’s all thanks to what she learned through the Center for Entrepreneurship’s LaunchPrep program.
Jenny Dawn Cellars opened in late 2019 in the newly renovated space in Union Station. Wichita State’s LaunchPrep helped provide Jennifer with the tools and mentorship needed to get her business off the ground.
“I had an idea to grow grapes in Wichita and an idea to make wine in the city, but I didn’t know how to combine the two together,” Jennifer said. “LaunchPrep and my mentors helped get me to where I am today.”
Shock the School
Faculty and students from Wichita State’s School of Education help create an outdoor classroom at Irving Elementary School in Wichita as part of Shock the Schools, a give-back initiative in partnership with Wichita Public Schools to thank the schools that host pre-teaching interns from Wichita State. Shock the Schools participants also spent an afternoon at Washington Elementary working with students so the teachers could take a well-deserved break before the holidays, and they created a sensory room at Cloud Elementary for kids who need time to calm down and regroup. Photos for this are the TEAMS project. Holler at me if you need help finding them.