11.22.24

Walser Auto drives fall 2024 GoBabyGo! event

Eight children from the Wichita area were off to the races in their customized toy cars following the College of Engineering’s biannual WSU GoBabyGo! event on Saturday, Nov. 23. 

This award-winning and multidisciplinary program has provided students across academic colleges at Wichita State – from engineering to physical and speech language therapy – with a unique, community-facing applied learning opportunity. Twice a year, these students work together to provide modified ride-on toy cars for children with disabilities. 

The 2024 event was made possible through many generous sponsors, including the Walser Foundation, which supported the modification of four customized vehicles: a Jaguar for Jagger, a Paw Patrol-themed build for Baylen, a Maybach Mercedes for Parker and an all-terrain vehicle for Hezekiah. Each build was suited to the needs and interests of each child and delivered at no cost to the family.  

“We believe every child deserves a bright future, and every person should have the opportunity to reach their full potential,” Nancy Warner, director of the Walser Foundation, said. “The products and equipment that the students in the GoBabyGo! program create enable people living with disabilities to live a fuller life and achieve their dreams.” 

WSU GoBabyGo! promotes creative problem-solving by encouraging students to approach every build with empathy, ensuring that each child receives a car with unique modifications suited to their needs. Since 2016, with the support of corporate partners like the Walser Foundation, students in the College of Engineering have customized more than 200 cars for children with disabilities.  

Samantha Corcoran, program co-founder and student organization advisor, says applied learning opportunities like WSU GoBabyGo! help students grasp human-centered design principles, while encouraging both troubleshooting and multidisciplinary collaboration. “Students learn to adapt, revise and improve their designs to ensure that each child receives a toy car suited just for them,” Corcoran said. “And that toy car will grant them a new level of mobility to explore and grow.”

This application of adaptability also made the program a natural fit for a partnership opportunity with the Walser Foundation. “One of Walser’s core values is to be open-minded,” Warner said. “The innovation that takes place at GoBabyGo! is only possible because students are open-minded as they create new products to improve daily living for children with disabilities.” 

Now, thanks to the generosity of our partners and a few custom toy cars, daily living means a new sense of independence and movement for eight more children with disabilities.