Fire Arts Collaborative is a 10-year-old nonprofit in Edison.
Fire Arts Collaborative is a 10-year-old nonprofit in Edison. Fran Dwight
Fire Arts Collaborative is a 10-year-old nonprofit in Edison.
Fire Arts Collaborative is a 10-year-old nonprofit in Edison. Fran Dwight

Voices of Youth: Racism is a hard lesson for young people in high school Read Article

Jaden Davis

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Courtesy: Of the Land

'We're all related, we're all connected': Many march for Missing and Murdered Indigenous People Read Article

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Final Chapter: Kalamazoo remembers Dean Hauck and the legacy of Michigan News Read Article

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Antique expert to share tips, tricks, and treasures at Battle Creek’s Regional History Museum Read Article

UnSplash: Alexander Schimmeck

Voices of Youth: Burnout in high school can happen, but you’re not alone Read Article

UnSplash: Nguyen Phan Nam Anh

Features

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In The News Dr. Grace Lubama Community Development

Kzoo News in Brief: People and paintbrushes

Al JonesThursday, March 23, 2023
On the Ground Project Editor Al Jones shares what's moving and shaking in Kalamazoo: After a nine-month search, the Kalamazoo Community Foundation announced its new president and chief executive officer -- and it's a name many will recognize as a person who has had positive, long-reaching impacts on our community. And a vital community center on the Northside is getting a makeover, thanks to sponsors and a nonprofit partner whose middle name is 'for' -- and that's your only clue!
Feature Story In July, the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) announced its first bill of rights for travelers with disabilities. Equity

How a new DOT bill of rights will make flying better for those with disabilities

Paul R. KopenkoskeyWednesday, March 22, 2023
The U.S. Department of Transportation’s first bill of rights for travelers with disabilities applies to all flights in the United States, and is designed to be a summary meant to help travelers understand and assert their rights under the Air Carrier Access Act, passed in 1986.
Feature Story A photograph of Judith Heumann. She is sitting in her power chair behind table covered with a white table cloth. There is a microphone and a name placard in the foreground. Equity

How the godmother of the disability rights movement changed my life

Lucia RiosWednesday, March 22, 2023
Judith Heumann was a mentor I never met. Her life’s work reminds us that our voices and persistence can make a difference.
Longform Check-in area of St. Clair Community Mental Health in Port Huron. Second Wave - MichiganHealthy Communities

Michigan community mental health agencies recognize families' role in treatment

Joanne Bailey-BoorsmaTuesday, March 21, 2023
Michigan's CMHs rely on families to help recovery and ensure that people function at their highest level.
Feature Story Deidre Mitchell Economic Development

Harvard University lifts up economic work of Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi

Jane ParikhThursday, March 16, 2023
Waséyabek Development Company, established in 2017 by the Nottawaseppi Huron Band of the Potawatomi of Calhoun County, has become a poster child for the Harvard Project on American Indian Development. Waséyabek is on pace to become a $1 billion company by 2040, and in recognition of its success, President and CEO Deidra Mitchell has been invited to serve as a guest lecturer at the prestigious Harvard-Kennedy School on March 24.
Feature Story Interfaith Pride Equity

OutFront’s Faith Alliance: An allyship sailing in Kalamazoo for 15 years

Theresa Coty O'NeilThursday, March 16, 2023
As part of our series, Faith in Action, sponsored by the Fetzer Institute, Southwest Michigan Second Wave speaks with local religious leaders and OutFront Program Manager Dell Darnell about the 15-year-old Faith Alliance, a group comprised of 14 local religious leaders devoted to allyship. Faith Alliance is currently focused on OutFront's upcoming celebration, Trans Day of Visibility, and Host Homes, a volunteer-based housing program for LGBTQ+ youth aged 13 to 18.
Feature Story Earth Day 2023 Building Communities

Kalamazoo Earth Day 2023 Festival on the horizon

Al JonesThursday, March 16, 2023
What better way to celebrate spring than planting flowers and trees with your neighbors? The first truly post-pandemic Kalamazoo Earth Day may be the biggest yet. In a move to bring together the environmental and beautification efforts of three Kalamazoo neighborhood (Vine, Edison, and Oakwood), the Kalamazoo Earth Day Festival takes place April 22, 2023.
Longform Synchronized Skating Arts and Culture

Kalamazoo Kinetics: Senior synchro-skaters glide in formation all the way to nationals

Andy RobinsThursday, March 16, 2023
Falling in line is both an art and an avoidance for these 25-54-year-old synchronized figure skaters from Kalamazoo. Their passion has propelled them to pursue adult synchronized skating at a competitive level as part of the Kinetic Masters Team, which recently placed an impressive tenth in the 2023 U.S. Synchronized Skating Competition this March.
In The News Kathy Szenda Wilson Kids and Education

Battle Creek Pulse receives childcare investment grant

Jane ParikhThursday, March 16, 2023
In Michigan, the average pay for a Child Care Worker is $30,047 a year and $14 an hour and the average salary range for a Child Care Worker is between $23,406 and $34,343. “Childcare itself is not a money-making venture. Many of our childcare providers live in poverty and often without benefits,” says Kathy Szenda Wilson, co-director of Battle Creek's Pulse, which will use the grant money to help support childcare providers.
Partner Content The Greater Flint Health Coalition’s work in gardens grew out of its SNAP-Ed direct education programming like Fresh Conversations and Rec-Connect™, pictured here at Burton Senior Activity Center. Second Wave - MichiganHealthy Communities

Gardens growing change in Flint

Estelle SlootmakerWednesday, March 15, 2023
The Greater Flint Health Coalition delivers nutrition and physical activity education with SNAP-Ed direct education programming to residents, including senior citizens, across Flint and Genesee County. 
Longform Darcy Whatzit Hour Arts and Culture

Whatzit at the Dormouse Theatre? Kalamazoo's own Darcy Wilkin and her talented musical guests

Mark WedelThursday, March 9, 2023
Patsy Cline, the Muppets, Hamilton, the Spice Girls: You never know what might come up during the Darcy Wilkin Whatzit Hour at Edison's Dormouse Theatre, but you can count on bluegrass, folk, and a host who "Keep(s) on the Sunny Side," even if some tunes move a few to tears.
Longform North Country Trail Healthy Communities

Southwest Michigan's North Country Trail offers local access to a national treasure

Jane ParikhThursday, March 9, 2023
Did you know that Southwest Michigan hosts 114 miles of an eight-state national scenic trail? The North Country Trail, managed by the local Chief Noonday Chapter, is a quiet, local treasure. On 10 a.m. March 11, the Chapter is inviting visitors on a four-mile guided hike. Hikers will meet at Ned’s Deli on Gull Lake located at 15450 M-43.
Longform Casey Grooten Art Equity

Come as you are: What that means to this nonbinary writer and artist

Casey GrootenThursday, March 9, 2023
In a personal essay and through their artwork, Second Wave's Casey Grooten explores what it means to them to be a nonbinary person as they prepare to attend a Trans Pool Party. The pool party, hosted by OutFront Kalamazoo, invited transgender and gender nonconforming people who are 18 or over to come and swim in whatever attire felt most comfortable in a space free of judgment. OutFront's Faith Alliance is hosting a Trans Day of Visibility on March 18, 2023.
Longform Christine Vanlandingham, Region IV Area Agency on Aging CEO. Second Wave - MichiganHealthy Communities

New program offers physical and behavioral health care at home for Southwest Michigan's older adults

Estelle SlootmakerThursday, March 9, 2023
The Region IV Area Agency on Aging's Integrated Care at Home program aims to reach 100 community residents in 2023 and continue to grow that number in the years ahead. 
In The News Calhoun Wellness Wagon Healthy Communities

Mobile health clinic brings services to Calhoun County residents where they live

Jane ParikhThursday, March 9, 2023
Transportation to and from a healthcare provider is a significant obstacle for many in Calhoun County. Starting this spring, the Calhoun Wellness Wagon will bring healthcare to residents who don't have reliable forms of transportation.
Feature Story Housing Solutions PODS Update Building Communities

The Kzoo POD Community continues to search for a place the unhoused can call home

Al JonesThursday, March 9, 2023
Progress is being made in finding a home for the POD community for the unhoused. Here's the latest. 
Longform Conversations about hard topics like suicide can help prevent it. Second Wave - MichiganHealthy Communities

Here's how Michigan's community mental health agencies are helping prevent youth suicide

Brooke MarshallTuesday, March 7, 2023
Summit Pointe, Mental Health Foundation of West Michigan, and other community mental health agencies provide youth access to services that help them overcome suicidal thoughts and self-harming actions.
Feature Story Goodwill Battle Creek Economic Development

Jobs program through Goodwill Central Michigan Heartland offers hope, promotes confidence

Jane ParikhThursday, March 2, 2023
Goodwill Industries does a lot more than run a resale storefront. Its Navigations Program has been helping people with physical and mental disabilities find and maintain self-supporting jobs since 1993. After 30 years, one of its original hires, John Shriver, is about to retire.
Feature Story Jamuari Bogan Economic Development

Kalamazoo's Jamauri Bogan, former WMU running back, now running a business and scoring with Zone 32

Al JonesThursday, March 2, 2023
Real estate developer Jamauri Bogan, 26, is creating an affordable housing and commercial  project on the Northside that is "outward-focused and centered around serving people." Zone 32 takes its name from the number Bogan wore in football. He says the sport taught him the power of “we” rather than “me.”
Feature Story Oak Hill Chapel Building Communities

Oak Hill Cemetery Chapel renovation restores an important part of Battle Creek’s history

Jane ParikhThursday, March 2, 2023
Cemeteries are historical treasure troves, and Oak Hill Cemetery in Battle Creek is home to the final resting place of Sojourner Truth, John Harvey Kellogg, C.W. Post, and many others. But the chapel is in serious disrepair. Funeral Director Sydney Morgan is spearheading a campaign to restore the historic chapel to its previous glory.
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Battle Creek

Village Network leads work to create a Black Wall Street in Battle Creek 

Plans for launching a Black Wall Street movement in Battle Creek will include a Black-owned business directory and two new websites with a mission to create "collective independence." For more stories, please visit here.
 

Kalamazoo

Joyful Streets, Real-world Struggles: "Happy Cities" author on the journey to transform Kalamazoo 

"What I've noticed in Kalamazoo is, that the city has been taking action to make some changes that in the short term some people might find uncomfortable, but in the long term are going to set the city on course for more vitality, more health, more equity, and I would say more happiness for the people who choose to live here."  Read the full story here. Read more stories here.
 

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