Focus on Education & Youth Dominates Kalamazoo News

This week news centered around Kalamazoo has primarily been focused on both youth initiatives and education news and opportunities.

In Minneapolis, a police lieutenant discussed how collaboration could potential end youth violence in Kalamazoo. The article explained:

A collaborative program that has stemmed youth violence in Minneapolis can succeed in Kalamazoo.

But for that to happen, Minneapolis police Lt. Bryan Schafer said, the city's array of public agencies and community-based organizations will have to break down the "silos" to work together and possibly take on new roles.

Initiatives undertaken in Minneapolis range from targeting at-risk youth in the schools to creating a juvenile intervention center, Schafer said.

"You have everything you need to put this in place," Schafer told a crowd Tuesday at the Douglass Community Association. "Let's talk from table to table. ... Everybody in this room needs to be aware of what everyone else is doing.

"You have to fill in the cracks."

Community Collaboration huh? Sounds a bit familiar... like the principles that the Poverty Reduction Initiative was formed on years ago! More from the article:

Hadley said he plans to sit down soon with city leaders and representatives of the Kalamazoo Youth Violence Prevention Initiative to formulate a plan and move forward.
"A lot of what they're doing (in Minneapolis), we're already doing," the chief said. "Who's committed? Unfortunately, if some people don't want to get on the train, they're going to miss it."

Mayor Bobby Hopewell shared Hadley's enthusiasm.

"We need to be about outcomes and how we affect the lives of our kids," Hopewell said. "This is not easy work. We need to redefine how we are working with our children."

Education was also a big subject on Kalamazoo media outlets.

• KVCC expects large enrollment growth for summer, fall semesters - Nearly 14 percent more students are taking for-credit classes this summer than last summer.
  
  
• Kalamazoo Public Schools Receives 150-thousand dollars for literacy planning - Kalamazoo Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael Rice announced Wednesday that the district will recieve a 150-thousand dollar grant from the Kellogg Foundation to craft models for improving literacy.