Campus & Community

WashU and Sodexo teamed up to make it easy for students to donate extra meal points to help feed children in the St. Louis area.

In August, global robotics competition First Lego League challenged children to design a robot to help archaeologists. The task demands skills in engineering, design and, first and foremost, archaeology. Enter WashU environmental archaeologist Ilaria Patania, who helped dozens of middle school competitors.

WashU Medicine serves as the official medical provider — and more — at the Greater St. Louis Marathon.

Pre-K isn’t just for story time — it’s also when children learn important math concepts. The WashU Institute for School Partnership is partnering with the Hazelwood School District to boost kindergarten readiness through coaching, lesson planning and professional development to meet the needs of pre-K educators.

Thurtene Carnival, WashU’s oldest and most beloved tradition, is introducing a new tradition this weekend — a private beer garden for students, alumni and community members 21 and older. Located on Francis Olympic Field, the beer garden will be open during the carnival’s evening hours and will feature entertainment from WashU student bands.

“Everything Under the Sun,” a bright pink steel installation by Jonathan Stitelman, a senior lecturer at the WashU Sam Fox School, has been installed in St. Louis’ Covenant Blu Grand Center neighborhood. A grand opening celebration will be held April 3.

WashU will serve as a polling place for the April 7 election. St. Louis County voters may cast their ballots in the Danforth University Center, Room 276, from 6 a.m.-7 p.m.

To kick off carnival season, Thurtene Junior Honorary is hosting a community 5K run/walk at 9 a.m. April 4 on the WashU Danforth Campus. The run starts and finishes at Francis Olympic Field and loops twice around campus.

The African Film Festival will celebrate its 20th anniversary with award-winning films from South Africa, Morocco, Cape Verde, Sudan and other nations from March 27-29 in WashU’s Brown Hall. Admission is free.

A leading employer and investor in the St. Louis region, WashU contributed $9.8 billion to the local economy in fiscal year 2025, which ended in June. WashU also brought more than $1 billion in external research dollars to the region, money that has led to significant advances in medicine, technology and public health as well as new jobs and businesses in the region.