49507 Initiative
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Transforming Community through Education: The 49507 Initiative
Continuing education programs (certificates, industry certifications, associate's degrees, bachelor's degrees, and beyond) can transform the lives of individuals as well as the trajectory of communities.
Mission
Calvin University, partnering closely with community organizations, institutions, and employers, will establish vibrant educational programs housed in a Center for Community Education with a specific focus on meeting the educational needs of adult residents in southeast Grand Rapids.
Goals
- To use intentional place-based research and engagement to understand the educational landscape for adults in southeast Grand Rapids
- To collaboratively design - with institutions and employer partners - a set of unique learning experiences that address the opportunities surfaced
- To identify and reinhabit physical space in the 49507 area, which will house community-focused educational programs
These goals are animated by Calvin’s mission and vision, which call us to be agents of renewal and to promote the welfare of the city.
Initial Steps
- Forming and reinvigorating partnerships with community organizations, churches, and higher education institutions.
- Listening through eight, two-hour focus groups to residents' perceptions of educational opportunities, barriers to achieving their educational goals, industries where they desire to work, and ideas for programs that would help them reach their goals. For details on the focus groups, see our events listed near the bottom of the page.
- Presenting the data back to the community for further triangulation through four data-sharing focus groups, also listed in the upcoming events below.
Focus Area
The locus of our initiative is the 49507 zip code, however the initiative will have impacts far beyond the geopolitical boundary. The neighborhoods we are engaging include Alger Heights, Baxter, Burton Heights, Garfield Park, Madison Square, Oakdale, Roosevelt Park, Southeast End, King Park, and Southeast Community Action. You can find a map, including many of the area's assets and our partners, here.
Initial Proposed Pilots
We have gathered rich data from the community through focus groups, partner conversations, and a resident survey. Based on our initial findings, we have begun to plan these steps:
- Understanding and consolidating the current Calvin projects and people engaged in place-based work in 49507 under the umbrella initiative
- Plaster Creek Stewards
- Community Nursing
- Service-Learning Center Partnerships
- Faculty scholarship
- Diversifying college access programs
- Wayfinder Program - a free, 8-credit sequence of courses inspired by The Clemente Course in the Humanities for income-qualified adults with wrap-around supports included
- Place-based Entrada Scholars Program for high school students
- Forming a community council to shape and inform our future work in 49507
Upcoming Events
-
Nagel Open House
3:00 – 4:30 p.m.
Thu, October 5, 2023
Spoelhof Center Atrium (274) -
Focus Group Gathering - Hispanic Center of West Michigan
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Thu, October 19, 2023
Off Campus -
Focus Group Gathering - Baxter Community Center
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Wed, November 15, 2023
Off Campus -
49507 Initiative Data Presentation to Calvin Community
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Mon, December 4, 2023
Meeter Center Lecture Hall -
Focus Group Gathering - LINC Up
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Thu, December 7, 2023
Off Campus -
Focus Group Gathering - ICCF
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Tue, January 16, 2024
Off Campus -
49507 Initiative Data Presentation to Calvin Community
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Tue, February 13, 2024
Meeter Center Lecture Hall -
Focus Group Gathering - Hispanic Center of West Michigan
5:30 – 7:30 p.m.
Thu, February 15, 2024
Off Campus -
Focus Group Gathering - Baxter Community Center
6:00 – 8:00 p.m.
Thu, March 14, 2024
Off Campus
Meet the Research Team
Have questions or suggestions? Email 49507@calvin.edu.