Learning Network reaches out to business community

The business community recently got an invitation to become active participants in the Learning Network, the local effort to create a culture of learning across the community.

In a meeting hosted by the Kalamazoo Regional Chamber of Commerce, members of the business community were introduced to the mission of the Learning Network and the steps being pursued to make Kalamazoo a national-class center of learning youth development and quality of life.

As they acknowledged the role a better-educated community plays in the economic growth of the community, business owners and representatives were asked to consider how they can plug into the programs and initiatives being developed. Business participation is needed in efforts that will promote literacy, college readiness, health and wellness, urban vitality and economic development.

Those in attendance, about 80 participants, broke into smaller groups to discuss what each company might have to offer and also to build stronger connections between those attending.

The conversation also dealt with what comes next. Ways were introduced to share a specific company’s strengths with the Learning Network, to bring together different businesses within the same industry, and options for partnering with the Learning Network to accomplish a wide range of activities identified as steps to move the community toward a broader culture of learning.

Officials said early reaction to the event was positive.

Not only was the event well attended, but it drew from a cross-section of the community, bringing in representatives from nonprofits, public and private sectors, says Suprotik Stotz-Ghosh, of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation and the Learning Network.

“It’s a real strategic asset that the Chamber can bring in those from different sectors of the community,” Stotz-Ghosh says.

In June, $11 million was committed toward the new education initiative. The Kalamazoo Community Foundation has committed $5 million over five years and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation has awarded $6 million over three years. The work is expected to cost $60 million as new programs and processes develop to achieve an education-centered community.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Source: Suprotik Stotz-Ghosh, Kalamazoo Community Foundation