27 September 2023
TOPEKA (KSNT) – Topeka Public Schools and the Kansas Children’s Discovery Center (KCDC) teamed up tonight to put on a special event for Native American children in our community.
The Discovery Center hosted Indigenous Family night, inviting TPS students to enjoy the play facility. It’s the result of a conversation the organizations started last year to help build community in the capital city. This event was a way to welcome students with an indigenous background back to school.
“What we hope it means is that they know that they have a place that is safe for them to come, for them to enjoy themselves, for them to be able to interact and learn and grow together,” KCDC Director of Community Engagement Marty Hillard said.
“This is just a chance for some of our native kiddos to hang out together, meet each other, and then we also are promoting the STEMs,” Consulting Teacher for Native American Studies Yale Taylor said. “We want to make sure our kids’ imagination is flourishing, so this was a great place to kind of spark that interest for our pre-K through 5th grade.”
The Discovery Center says it is always looking for opportunities to open its doors to the community. It features 15,000 square feet of indoor space to learn and play, as well as 4.5 acres of outside space. KCDC invites everyone to visit their new Curious George exhibit, open until early 2024.