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Wichita Public Library (2017) Print
2017 AARP Community Challenge Grantee
Project Category
Public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
└ Engaging residents in vibrant public places
The Wichita Public Library and Bike Walk Wichita launched three historical walking tours, which can be accessed through a smartphone app. It's all about inspiring curiosity in people about their hometown. According to Jeff Flor of the Downtown Development Corporation, Wichita has a lot of stories to tell, from the drugstore sit-in during the Civil Rights movement to the now-gone Victory Arch honoring World War I soldiers. To promote the app, library staff and volunteers participated in an open streets festival while wearing t-shirts with the message Ask me how to travel time.
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See More Projects Like This One
Nampa, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2025
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: The Idaho Hispanic Community Center had outdated audio and visual equipment that made it hard for older adults and other attendees to hear speakers and stay engaged during classes, events and community meetings. The center upgraded its sound system with new speakers. They added wireless and lapel microphones, a projector and two televisions that improved clarity for large and small gatherings. A community celebration helped demonstrate the improvements and brought residents together to learn about the changes. The upgrades immediately improved access to meetings, classes and cultural activities and are expected to serve the community for years. A longtime Nampa resident who grew up attending events at the center shared excitement about the improvements, noting how much they will benefit people who rely on the space.
Project description was created using generative AI and then reviewed for accuracy.
Sioux Falls, SD
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: A one‑day winter market in a downtown area will be tested with heated tents, seating and clear pathways. The event is designed to help people gather comfortably outdoors in cold weather.
Atlanta, ID
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Engaging residents in vibrant public places
Description: A covered wooden pavilion will be constructed in the local park for meetings, meals and community events. The structure will provide a reliable gathering place with shelter from sun and bad weather for older residents.
Nearby AARP Community Challenge Projects
Wichita, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2019
Project Category: Access to high-speed internet
Description: Like many Americans living below the federal poverty level, many residents of Wichita had no easy way to access the internet. To solve this the City of Wichita launched the Wichita Hot Spot initiative. Older adults living in low-income areas can now check out a mobile connectivity device from a Neighborhood Resource Center and use it at home for up to two weeks. The hot spots -- small devices that provide a wireless internet connection -- are meant to be easy for older adults to activate, helping reduce social isolation and narrow the digital divide. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the hot spots continued to be popular, and the program's success led the City to request a Community Development Block Grant to purchase more devices.
Wichita, KS
AARP Community Challenge Grant Year: 2026
Project Category: Digital navigation skills
Description: Group classes will teach computer basics, internet use, telehealth and online safety at community sites. Access to laptops and guided practice will help older adults use digital services more confidently and independently.
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