Michigan

Scott Middle School students push a delivery of supplies gifted through the Flint Classroom Supply Fund through the newly reopened school.

Volunteers quietly invest $400,000 in Flint kids for 35 years

Boxes of paper, ink cartridges, glue, paper, scissors, crayons, pencils fill the back of the moving truck — bringing the total in gifts from the Flint Classroom Support Fund to more than $400,000 to date.

Kristina and Vadim Oss
Why did you move to Detroit? Transplants fill us in

We interviewed seven people who moved to Detroit from out of state less than three years ago to find out why they moved and what they think of their new home. 

UIX: Grand Rapids has a plastic problem, and here’s who’s helping fix it

Plastic waste is a growing problem, in Grand Rapids, in West Michigan, in the United States, and the rest of the world. Here are the individuals and businesses that are working to use and reuse plastic more sustainably.

Blueberry Ambassadors pose in front of a recreation of the billboard sign that started the Blueberry Movement in 2013.
A look at 1,000 Flint-area kids making a difference as Blueberry Ambassadors

See our photo essay of 21 different images from the Blueberry Ambassador kickoff party and find out how you can join the effort. 

"Evening Fragments," a photograph by Nicola Kuperus, who is profiled in Essay'd
Group promoting Detroit art profiles over 100 local artists, releases new book

Essay'd, which is about to release a third volume in its book series, has profiled over 100 Detroit artists. And that's only part of what this group does to promote the city's art. 

GR Restaurants are growing, but where are they going? Trends and the future of the local food scene

In a growing economy in a mid-sized city like Grand Rapids, what sustains the restaurant scene? A few popular restaurateurs discuss trends in the industry, and their hopes and trepidations for the future.

New study reveals economic impact of immigrants and refugees in Kent County

Kent County’s 50,176 immigrants contributed $3.3 billion to the county’s gross domestic product in 2016. Here's how these community members are making a huge impact on the local economy.

The first Capital Impact Partners cohort with trainer Corey Leon
“We can all be placemakers”: The programs training Detroiters in development

Multiple programs in Detroit operate under the philosophy that training minority developers will result in developments that more accurately represent the interests of the city's residents. 

Local skateboarders are raising money and making much needed repairs at the Flint Skatepark, which opened 10 years ago.
Meet the volunteers saving Flint’s only skatepark

Skateboarding is more than a sport or hobby. Here in Flint, it is family. 

Ypsilanti Mobile Farm Stand patron Robert Henderson.
Fresh food is a luxury, but these programs are making it more accessible to all

Through mobile farm stands, education programs, and creating a "food sovereign city," organizations in communities across Michigan are helping to close the gap when it comes to what we eat.

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