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Building better AI: West Michigan consortium focuses on trust, transparency, and design

As AI use increases, a federally funded Grand Valley University consortium will promote ethical, workforce-focused innovation.

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Grand Rapids Women’s Chorus to mark 30 years with powerful Michigan premiere honoring civil rights pioneer Pauli Murray

The Grand Rapids Women’s Chorus, a 110-voice ensemble, presents the Michigan premiere of Sincerely Yours, Pauli Murray, inviting the community to discover a civil rights trailblazer whose influence shapes discussions on justice, identity, and belonging.

West Michigan schools respond as families face “new hunger cliff”

As the new ‘hunger cliff’ approaches, schools and nonprofits are working together to help families facing rising hunger and uncertain food assistance.

Tiny steps, real change: At DAKC’s mock interviews, confidence grows – and so does employer empathy

DAKC’s mock interview day is an “empathy lab” where young adults with disabilities build confidence and employers make strides toward inclusive hiring – turning a practice session into possibility and stability.

From Super Green Market to the clinic: two sisters and lessons learned from a community care model

Awatef and Ayah Ayesh are training within a community-based medical school model that encourages future physicians to consider the whole person and to view listening as a vital form of care.

Trails as talent magnet: Outdoor access is key part of West Michigan’s ‘why here’ conversation

Trails and greenways are no longer just for weekend leisure. Regional leaders say outdoor access has become a key factor in recruiting and a crucial “quality of life” indicator for the contemporary workforce that West Michigan aims to attract and retain.

On Ada library’s ‘golden’ birthday, Amy Van Andel reflects on its origins, possibilities

Amy Van Andel looks back on her role in building Ada’s library, inspired by family, community needs, and a lifelong love of reading.

From moonlit dinners to WMAAA leadership: Yilin Wendland-Liu builds community

Scholar Yilin Wendland-Liu's journey from rural China to West Michigan leadership, embracing identity, empowering youth, and strengthening Asian American community connections.

The trail as a classroom: Indigenous knowledge, reciprocity, and the future of greenways in West Michigan

What began as a snow-day chat with Kaya DeerInWater soon evolved into a trail-side lesson in reciprocity, encouraging West Michigan to view greenways not merely as pathways to develop, but as relationships to respect.

Letter from the publisher: On 20 years of listening and the sharing of solutions rooted in community.

As Rapid Growth marks its 20th anniversary, publisher Tommy Allen reflects on what the publication’s solutions journalism model has meant for telling the stories of Grand Rapids. While he has not led the organization for its entire history, Allen has spent two decades as one of its key storytellers, much of that time as a photographer.

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