photo by: Sara Shepherd

Summerfield Hall, 1300 Sunnyside Ave. on the University of Kansas campus.

Earlier this year I wrote about how Kansas University Endowment was foraying into crowdfunding-style campaigns with a new effort called Launch KU. (In case you missed that story, click here to read it now.) There’s a new batch of Launch KU projects open now. Obviously KU Endowment is looking for money to achieve these things, but I also think they’re fun to look through to see some of the small-scale projects going on around campus.

Here’s a snippet about each of the four new campaigns, which are open until mid-July.

“Investing in the Next Generation of Film and Media Studies” — This campaign seeks $100,000 to use toward the conversion of Summerfield Hall (which the KU School of Business is vacating, as we speak, to move into the newly constructed Capitol Federal Hall) into a new home for KU’s department of film and media studies, which has long operated off-campus out of Oldfather Studios at 1621 W. 9th St. Donations are requested for equipment, including heavy-duty portable lighting for shooting on location and microphones for the recording studio.

photo by: Sara Shepherd

Summerfield Hall, 1300 Sunnyside Ave. on the University of Kansas campus.

“Bring the T. rex home to KU Natural History Museum” — The KU Natural History Museum is trying to raise $16,700 to send KU scientists and students to Montana, where they’ll spend four weeks looking for pieces of a Tyrannosaurus rex fossil in hopes of bringing it home to the university, which already has 15 percent of this particular fossil. Money is needed for tools, transportation and lodging.

“WP4KU – Opening Paths to Individual Opportunity aNd Success” — This student retention effort goes by the acronym “OPTIONS,” and it’s seeking $3,000. It’s a summer residential program for first-generation college students from traditionally underrepresented groups, low-income students and students who are underprepared for college work.

“Support free performing arts experiences for preschoolers” — This is the only one of the four new campaigns that offers prizes for donating: for $100 you can join adorable little kids on stage for the 2016-17 Performing Arts 3to5 performance, and for $250 you can bring five friends up with you. The campaign seeks $6,500 for three seasons’ worth of funding for the Lied Center’s Performing Arts 3to5, which gives area preschoolers a chance to experience a live, interactive show for free.

For details on any of the projects or to donate, go to www.launchku.org.

A few other projects you may have noticed around campus, or might if you find yourself walking around in the near future:

• The Burge is no more: As you can see from this picture I took recently, the building’s demolition is complete — and then some, it seems. Work continues on KU’s Central District redevelopment.

photo by: Sara Shepherd

Construction in KU's Central District is pictured May 12, 2016. The Burge Union, which was located in the upper left corner of the construction zone pictured here, is now completely razed.

• Sensory Pavilion at KU Audio-Reader: The KU architecture department’s Dirt Works Studio class recently designed and built this new structure in the Audio-Reader Sensory Garden, near the Baehr Audio-Reader Center at 1120 W. 11th St. Read more about it here.

• Window to the world: The Spencer Museum of Art’s ongoing renovations include cutting out some walls to create a view of Marvin Grove, the lovely natural area the building is located on but virtually no one inside has ever been able to see while inside. Looks like that step has happened.

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• I’m the Journal-World’s KU and higher ed reporter. See all the newspaper’s KU coverage at KUToday.com. Reach me by email at sshepherd@ljworld.com, by phone at 832-7187, on Twitter @saramarieshep or via Facebook at Facebook.com/SaraShepherdNews.