Features

Innovation News Dylan Goings, Atomic Object accelerator manager and Baker and Cook Fellowship mentor.

Ann Arbor software consultancy offers fellowship for BIPOC high schoolers

Atomic Object's Baker and Cook Fellowship will provide $2,500 annually, up to $10,000, throughout fellows' time studying computer science in higher education.

Innovation News Laura Braid, Tony Denton, Lauren Esch, and Rebecca Hall with the new mobile mammography unit at the University of Michigan Ypsilanti Health Center.

U-M establishes mobile mammography service in Ypsilanti

U-M Hospital has established a mobile mammography unit based at the U-M Ypsilanti Health Center in an effort to improve accessibility in the Ypsilanti community.

Innovation News The Ann Arbor YMCA Aquatics Center.

Ann Arbor YMCA pioneers AI technology to prevent drownings and other pool safety issues

The Ann Arbor YMCA recently became the first YMCA Aquatics Center in the country to use artificial intelligence technology to aid lifeguards and YMCA employees in water safety and drowning prevention.

Longform WeLIVE's Trevonte Thomas and Roger Roper with SURE Moms' Florence Roberson.

Ypsilanti-founded Community Violence Intervention Team pursues 14 strategies to reduce gun violence

The team came out of an effort, spearheaded by former Ypsilanti Mayor Lois Richardson, to address community violence in the wake of several gun deaths in summer of 2021.

Longform Ypsilanti Community High School student Ashley M. says other Latinx students have been her rock since she emigrated from Honduras.

Voices of Youth: Washtenaw County's immigrant youth seek sense of community and other supports

Young immigrants in Washtenaw County have a variety of unique needs, ranging from academic support to help with documentation, but one of the things they yearn for most is to spend time with others like themselves. 

Longform The OG spicy basil stir fry at Basil Babe.

Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti pop-up restaurants navigate transition to brick-and-mortar business

Pop-up restaurants and food trucks flourished in Washtenaw County during the COVID-19 pandemic, and the past two years have seen several such businesses make the transition to full-fledged brick-and-mortar restaurants.

Innovation News U-M Professor of Materials Science and Engineering Max Stein and Brian Iezzi, post-doctoral researcher at U-M's Materials Science and Engineering Department, analyze fabric with photonic fibers woven into it.

Clothes may be easier to recycle, thanks to U-M-developed tech that can encode information in fabric

Photonic fibers developed by U-M researchers can encode information on fabric composition in clothes that can then be "read" like a barcode.

Innovation News Participants in the 2022 SummerWorks program.

Summer youth employment program seeks Washtenaw County employers and young job-seekers

The SummerWorks program, which matches young adults with paid internships and mentoring in Washtenaw County, will return this summer for its eighth season.

Innovation News The interior of 2 West.

Music venue, practice and teaching space, and record plant envisioned for downtown Ypsi building

Owner Jamie Taralunga describes her vision for the building at 2 W. Michigan Ave. in Ypsilanti, which housed Materials Unlimited for nearly 50 years, as a "musical ecosystem."

Feature Story Desirae Simmons

Engaging people typically left out of the public decision-making processQ&A with Desirae Simmons: Nonprofit Journal Project

The long and patient road toward social justice involves listening to community members. The Interfaith Council for Peace & Justice engages people in conversations and actions, giving voice to those impacted by public policy and decision making who typically don’t have a seat at the table.  

Longform Ypsilanti resident Lucinda Printup has become an activist for juvenile justice reform after being involved in the juvenile justice system herself.

Voices of Youth: Building a restorative future for Washtenaw County's juvenile justice system

Young people may be bewildered and marked for life by a justice system that can seem ignorant of their vulnerable state. These young activists, and others across the county, are working to change that.

Longform Twisted Things Organic Apothecary and Curious Goods owner Morgana Grimm.

Ypsi's small retailers continue innovation to stay alive in challenging "post-pandemic" landscape

Retailers we spoke to used a variety of strategies to survive and even thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic – and are still working hard to court business despite a general perception that the pandemic is over.

Longform Ann Arbor Art Center Executive Director Jenn Cornell Queen.

Q&A: New Ann Arbor Art Center executive director outlines inclusive vision for creative community

It's a new era for the Ann Arbor Art Center. We sat down with Jenn Cornell Queen to talk about her priorities for the center and what needs she sees in the area's art community right now.

Innovation News Promotional art for the Ann Arbor Fiber Arts Expo.

Ann Arbor District Library to host inaugural fiber arts expo

The free convention will feature several fiber artists, both local and from elsewhere in Michigan, as well as a variety of programs and classes fit for both fiber arts newcomers and professionals. 

Innovation News Washtenaw County logo

Washtenaw County wins federal funds to launch criminal diversion program for young family caregivers

Young low-level offenders who are also primary caregivers to a family member will be given a chance to have criminal charges dropped after participating in supportive services.

Innovation News A flyer for the "Just a Kid From Ypsi" panel discussion, which is part of Ypsilanti Community Schools' Black History Month Series.

Ypsi schools' Black History Month events include panel discussion, concert, scholarship presentation

Ypsilanti Community Schools are offering a robust slate of free activities for Black History Month, most of them open to the public.

Innovation News InfoReady's staff.

Ann Arbor software company continues growth despite tech industry slowdown

InfoReady provides software for colleges and universities, medical centers, government agencies, and other organizations to manage internal grants, competitions, and approval processes. 

Longform Washtenaw County Community Mental Health is a Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic

Michigan's CCBHCs open mental health access to all

Michigan's 34 CCBHCs provide whole-person care by integrating physical health with a comprehensive range of mental health and substance use disorder services to vulnerable individuals no matter what a patients' income or insurance coverage.  

Longform 2Marines co-founder Josh McAllister.

New grocery stores, farmers market, community garden address food access in Ypsi Township

Businesses and nonprofits are finding creative ways to improve food access in Ypsilanti Township. 

Longform Akintunde Oluwadare and Jamia Jackson.

Voices of Youth: Ypsi young people roll up their sleeves to clean up litter in their community

Youth across Ypsilanti and Ypsilanti Township have taken matters into their own hands by helping clean up litter in their communities.

Hasini and Harshini Anand are members of Corner Health Center's Youth Leadership Council and mental health advocates.

 


   Voices of Youth
Concentrate's Voices of Youth series features content created by Washtenaw County youth in partnership with Concentrate mentors, as well as feature stories by adult writers that examine issues of importance to local youth. Click here for a full list of the latest content from this series.