'To College, Through College' is a public/private partnership with a lofty goal: increasing the percentage of Grand Rapids students who not only head off to college but also walk across the stage years later, diploma in hand. Marla R. Miller finds out why boosting college attainment benefits the whole community -- and what the community needs to do to make it possible.
City High Middle School is home to one of only two Green Fellows in the United States, and students there are harnessing her leadership to blaze a new trail when it comes to school lunch sustainability. Find out how their cafeteria conversation is expanding to include terms from composting to economicology.
Think school is just for kids? Think again. Parent University, an innovative program entering its second year in Grand Rapids, is an outreach of Grand Rapids Public Schools aimed at empowering local parents and adults of all ages and backgrounds to help children succeed.
Great Lakes deserve great students, and the West Michigan Great Lakes Stewardship Initiative connects curious learners with Pure Michigan environments. From planting trees to creating community partnerships, Marla R. Miller finds out how local students are becoming engaged problem-solvers at a few regional hubs.
Taking a cue from Shakespeare's assertion that "all the world's a stage," the Groundswell hub approaches teaching and learning as though all the world's a classroom. Using place-based education, the initiative aims to inspire lifelong learning and environmental stewardship in Kent County students. Marla R. Miller finds out how students get their hands dirty and their brains engaged.
As urban farming takes root in Grand Rapids, a new cooperative is forming to advance the agriculture and food justice issues that farmers face in the city. Marla R. Miller reports on how Grand Rapids Urban Growers seeks to transform the local food economy.
At New City Urban Farm, Lance Kraai, Shanna Greer, and New City Neighbors produce bountiful, flavorful crops -- and work to grow community, good food, and good will at the same time. Marla R. Miller checks out the budding scene in this week's Urban Innovation Exchange.
Chris Sain, Jr., a social innovator, educator, and mentor to Grand Rapids’ inner-city youth, credits God’s grace and guidance, along with a combination of book smarts, street smarts, and common sense, with helping him escape the hustle and hopelessness of the hood.
As chief sustainability officer and assistant professor at Kendall College of Art and Design, home of the Wege Prize, Gayle DeBruyn harnesses the power of design to help students solve wicked problems. Marla R Miller reports in UIX this week.
Grand Rapids' Medical Mile continues to live up to its name, as Spectrum Health, Van Andel Research Institute, and Michigan State University's College of Human Medicine collaborate on research. Marla R. Miller finds out why adding a "bench to bedside" research component is good medicine for patients.
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