Features

Longform Home-based early childhood educators are essential to Michigan's childcare and preschool landscape.

Mixed delivery of Michigan’s PreK for All could include home-based early childhood educators

A common concern about PreK for All that came up during listening sessions was the role of home-based childcare and early education providers.

Feature Story Early Education Matters,

Pre-K para Todos mejorará a largo plazo la salud, la educación y los resultados sociales de los niño

Cuando se trata de educación, el Kids Count Data Book (Libro de datos sobre el recuento de niños) de 2023 sitúa a Michigan en el puesto 42 de los 50 estados. Una de las muchas maneras en que el estado está trabajando para mejorar la calidad y la equidad en la educación es mediante el avance de Pre-K gratuito para todos.

Feature Story Lucia Rios at Universal Studios in Orlando, Florida. (Shandra Martinez)

How I’m learning to vacation better with my disability

Lucia Rios compares going to amusement parks as a child and now as an adult, as parks like Universal Studios and Disney World are raising the bar on accessibility.

Feature Story Lucia Rios heads off to catch a flight to Orlando. (Shandra Martinez)

Why air travel for people who use wheelchairs is getting better

From the new Airline Passengers with Disabilities Bill of Rights to being able to use aisle chairs to board planes, the travel experience is improving for people who depend on wheelchairs.

Longform Youth Climate Strike

Voices of Youth: Kalamazoo students wage Climate Strike to demand end of fossil fuel use

Kalamazoo students waged a Youth Climate Strike to end the use of fossil fuels on Friday, Sept. 15 with nearly 150 youth and concerned adults attending the protest. The Ardea Youth Climate Action Coalition organized the rally to ask for decisive action.

Feature Story Bewitching Peddlers

Bewitching Peddlers to cast their art spell in Calhoun County

A group of artists from around the country take their Halloween art as seriously as the collectors who travel far and wide to purchase it. A Battle Creek Halloween artist, the creator of coveted dolls, has organized the highly-curated Bewitching Peddlers of Halloween show for those who seek unique, one-of-a-kind pieces.

Feature Story Elemental Press

Elemental Press of Kalamazoo is making art for everyone

Elemental Press, a new printmaking/photography studio in the Park Trades Center, is committed to making the creation of art accessible by offering free and affordable opportunities. "It's about bringing the community together, making art for everybody," says owner Jenna Riehl.

Feature Story Eastend Studio & Gallery

Halloween art to haunt Marshall's Eastend Studio & Gallery

Eastend Studio & Gallery in Marshall will host a coven of fine Halloween artists in their newest show opening Sept. 29. “We don’t want people feeling uncomfortable around what they perceive visual art as," says Executive Director Jennifer Conley-Darling. "We want people to come and explore it with us.”

Feature Story Anxiety, disliking school, having trouble focusing—these are just a few of the concerns kids have when they head back to school.

Summit Pointe equips students, families, and teachers for a mentally healthy back-to-school

Summit Pointe equips students, families, and teachers for a mentally healthy back-to-school transition.

Longform Veteran's Business Support BC

Veterans in Battle Creek learn from veteran entrepreneurs

Support for veterans who may want to start a business or increase an existing one is available through a trailblazing accelerator program called Michigan Veteran Entrepreneur Lab. The three-month program culminates in a pitch night with $20,000 in awards.

Feature Story Kids in Tune

KSO's Kids in Tune: A nurturing pipeline to Kalamazoo Junior Symphony and beyond

Kids in Tune, sponsored by the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, has been sharing the joy that comes with learning to play a musical instrument with students for 12 years. This El Sistema-inspired musical foundation has had a profound impact on over 1,500 students' lives.

In The News NHBP Gathering

Tribal Chairperson in Calhoun County is getting Native American students in Michigan counted

Changes to ethnic determination on school forms will include the collection of Tribal affiliation data. This move will help Tribes increase services and collect more accurate date on Native Americans, who are traditionally under-counted.

Longform Dogs in the Zoo

Flip the script: Dogs take owners bow-wow-rousing downtown during Kzoo's Dogs in the Zoo

Dogs on the Kalamazoo Mall are a common enough sight, but last Saturday, dogs ruled and owners were invited to tag along to Dogs in the Zoo. Writer Mark Wedel spoke to a few canine companions and Pooch-ographer Fran Dwight captured doggy delight and then some.

In The News Kalamazoo Recovery and Wellness Festival

Kalamazoo festival paving the roads to wellness and recovery

When seeking substance abuse recovery or increasing wellness, support is vital. The Kalamazoo Wellness and Recovery Festival is intended to provide hope, support, resources, and more. The festival, which will feature food, music, and 60 vendors, takes place Sat., Sept. 16 at Bronson Park.

Longform A number of financial incentives for post-secondary education help those interested in an early education career.

Michigan looks to create a better career path for early childhood educators

Improved career pathways, state incentives, and improved wages are essential to recruiting and retaining the early education workforce needed for the PreK for All roll-out.

In The News Under the Radar Michigan

Under the Radar premiere will put Battle Creek on the big screen

Battle Creek is the star of an upcoming episode of WGVU's popular Under the Radar Michigan. “When people see the Battle Creek show, it’s going to bring a ton of visitors to this area,” says Annie Kelley, Communications for the Calhoun County Visitors Bureau. “It’s really a shining star for the state.”

Feature Story Dream of Kalamazoo

Dream of Kalamazoo helps adoption and foster families send kids to school with hairstyles held high

A Kalamazoo hairstylist whose early childhood was spent in foster care remembers being bullied for her matted hair. She's launched Dream of Kalamazoo Foundation to change that — especially for youth who live in mixed-race homes where ways of caring for BIPOC hair may be new.

Feature Story Elizabeth Garcia

Behind the scenes, but not invisible: Elizabeth Garcia as Battle Creek's new TRHT Program Director

Elizabeth Garcia, the new Battle Creek Coalition for Truth, Racial Healing Program Director, brings extensive experience in program management and will play a pivotal role in new programming.

Feature Story Cafe Rica

BC's Café Rica and GR's Natural Maya inspired by native culture, supported by Northern Initiatives

Two Southwest Michigan Latinx businesses feature Mexican and Costa Rican products, sharing elements of Hispanic culture with their communities, thanks in part to nonprofit lender Northern Initiatives.

Feature Story Monarca's Ice Cream

Ice Cream Summer: Let Schoolcraft's Monarca's pollinate your taste buds

Monarca’s Ice Cream and Mexican Food in Schoolcraft provides homemade, authentic cuisine that draws food lovers from around the region. Check out the savory, sweet, and spicy treats of Monarca's (monarch in Spanish).


 

 


Battle Creek

Not her father's Rotary: Jill Anderson takes helm to steer through change in Battle Creek

Jill Anderson is the new Rotary Club of Battle Creek President, a post her father once held. “It’s a very different club than it used to be," says Anderson. "There’s that whole notion that Rotary is male, pale, and stale, but it’s really changing."  For the full story, click hereFor more stories, please visit here.



Kalamazoo

Kalamazoo's Youth Juvenile Justice Fellows seeking reform in Lansing and D.C

Kalamazoo's Youth Juvenile Justice Fellowship program supports the development of youth advocates in the community, as well as a vision to create an alternative to youth incarceration in Kalamazoo.  Read the full story here. Read more stories here.