Jackie ElsonWichita State’s GoCreate and the Wichita Public Library downtown have partnered to offer free classes to anyone in the local community wanting to learn and create. This partnership means that classes will be held at the library and are open to anyone willing to learn and create something, so it’s not just WSU students who can benefit from it.
Classes are taught by GoCreate staff in a dedicated area in the library. Classes are in areas such as textiles, wood, welding and more. This even includes tile flooring and sewing.
The classes are open for registration on the library’s website.
There are a variety of different kinds of classes offered, much like the different spaces to work at the GoCreate space on campus.
While this partnership brings opportunity to anyone in the Wichita community, there still are ways that WSU students can engage in what this partnership offers.
It doesn't matter what your experience level is, anyone can gain something from taking a class with GoCreate.
“They can definitely take those pieces that they learned at the library and take those into their classroom and help them improve in their work for projects in class,” GoCreate outreach specialist Catherine Helms said. “They can also take what they learn there and bring them back to GoCreate and use the machines as well.”
There are multiple areas for students to refine their skills or develop new ones to carry them through the different creative industries they enjoy.
“If you have a student in one field, but is passionate about designing their own logos, they can design their own logos, and they can come in here and use our facility to launch their own company,” GoCreate facility manager Ken Wiseman said. “It could be they have an idea but don’t know how to make it with 3D printing. For medical students, that can start developing their own patents to help their career field for applied science.”
It doesn’t matter what your experience level is, anyone can gain something from taking a class with GoCreate.
“In that environment, sometimes we have very experienced people who want to learn something different,” Wiseman said. “Because one thing I’ve seen is you might be an expert at something but you might not know one small detail. It kind of lets people see small parts of what we’re really about and how we work with the community and that organic growth of knowledge and craftsmanship.”
With this partnership and classes offered, students can still take advantage of applied learning opportunities. There are multiple areas that students can refine their skills in or develop new ones to carry them through the different creative industries they enjoy. This collaboration has a strong and innovative approach to changing the university and the community.
“WSU is going through this major transformation,” Wiseman said. “It lets the community, and people here who don’t realize it, know that they can actually stay here and have top-notch and cutting-edge educational experiences. It really engages a positive and energetic relationship from Wichita State to the community. And it tells the community, look at what Wichita State is doing. It’s not just a standard, old-school university. Wichita State’s engaging the public and it really helps out everybody.”
“The classes are going to evolve, and it also helps me to think outside the box,” Wiseman said. “The more I’m getting involved, the more I’m looking to expand this. We don’t want it just to be about technology, but what GoCreate and WSU can do for everyone.”