Wichita State University’s chapter for Society of Professional Engineers will host Noche de Ciencias for Wichita Public School students and their families, from 4:30 to 6:45 p.m. Thursday, March 30 at Wichita North High School, 1437 N. Rochester St.

Media are welcome to attend.

This is a free event to introduce Hispanic students to STEM education and career opportunities.

“We want to invite Hispanic families to come enjoy food and activities while learning about education and career opportunities in STEM, including science, technology, engineering and math,” said Josue Renteria, a Wichita State senior in cybersecurity and president of SHPE: Leading Students Hispanics.

Noche de Ciencias, which translates to Science Night in Spanish, will include pizza and beverages; and attendees will have the opportunity to participate in activities designed to introduce education and career opportunities in STEM fields. Attendees will also meet and interact with students from the WSU College of Engineering.

“More than 15% of undergraduate WSU students are Hispanic, which tells us that it is more important than ever to provide opportunities for Hispanic families to learn about education and career opportunities in STEM fields,” said Ana Lazarin, director of diversity, equity and inclusion for the college. “It is never too early to start learning about opportunities for your children.”

Wichita State was recently named an Emerging Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and has a goal of becoming an HSI by the end of the decade, which requires that 25% or more students identify as Hispanic.

In addition to SHPE and North High School, Noche de Ciencias is sponsored by WSU Tech, Spirit Aerosystems and WSU.

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Wichita State University is Kansas' only urban public research university, enrolling almost 22,000 students between its main campus and WSU Tech, including students from every state in the U.S. and more than 100 countries. Wichita State and WSU Tech are recognized for being student centered and innovation driven.

Located in the largest city in the state with one of the highest concentrations in the United States of jobs involving science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), Wichita State University provides uniquely distinctive and innovative pathways of applied learning, applied research and career opportunities for all of our students.

The Innovation Campus, which is a physical extension of the Wichita State University main campus, is one of the nation’s largest and fastest-growing research/innovation parks, encompassing over 120 acres and is home to a number of global companies and organizations.

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The College of Engineering at Wichita State University was established in 1928. Today, it includes seven departments, more than 2,100 undergraduate students and more than 1,500 graduate students. The college was recently ranked by Forbes in the top 20 for research and development (R&D) and ranked No. 1 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) in industry-funded aeronautical R&D expenditures. To learn more, visit www.wichita.edu/engineering.