“If we can get the students engaged from day one, we can continue it for the next three to four years,” said Kelly. “Wittenberg is a very vital part of our community and immersing them in downtown can continue them returning. A student doesn’t have to spend just the $5 in tokens but can become longtime customers through their stay here.”
Jon Duraj, assistant vice president for student development and senior associate dean of students at Wittenberg, said the school had been looking for such a partner program with the city and this is a complement to what the school has already developed.
A year ago, new students began getting guided tours of downtown Springfield to get a sense of the history and its amenities as part of their orientation and will do so again on Saturday.
“It’s to get students to feel an at-home experience for their stay and maybe beyond that they could stay here after graduation,” Duraj said. “One of our goals is to introduce what downtown has to offer.”
They can discover one special event right off the bat with the Downtown DORA Night Series Dog Days of Summer event on Thursday. The student center lists various activities going on in town, Duraj said.
A number of Wittenberg students who took classes over the summer attended various downtown events, many of which were free. Given students may not have transportation, being within walking distance makes it within reach.
GSP is also offering ideas for students to do during their off hours for no cost such as the Downtown Design Find scavenger hunt activity. That program hits on multiple angles including getting them familiar with the city and its unique architecture and history, while getting exercise and can take it alone or with multiple people.
While downtown is about a five-minute walk from campus, a new option to get around the city was introduced this summer with the Bird electric scooters. A nesting area for the scooters is conveniently located at Harding Road Pharmacy near the university campus.
Springfield will offer something most every weekend such as First Friday events at the beginning of each month, the upcoming Rotary Gourmet Food Truck Rally, MustardFest and various other celebrations.
Kelly said the Greater Springfield Partnership is looking at working with other area schools in the future.
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