Wege High School Collaborative Studio is back for its fourth year. This summer program offers West Michigan high school students a hands-on opportunity to discover more about design thinking, the circular economy, and creative problem-solving.
The free program, held at Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University (KCAD), runs from July 22 to Aug. 2. Participants receive a stipend of $595, free lunches, and a two-week bus pass. The application deadline is June 23.
Professor Gayle DeBruyn is the program chair of collaborative design at KCAD. She organizes the Wege High School Collaborative Studio.
“If you're looking for a career in a particular industry, and you're not sure where and you're not sure who to connect with, this is a place to start,” says DeBruyn.
“Students have portfolio-ready material when they leave,” says DeBruyn. “So if they need it for a portfolio for college or for a career in whatever area they want to pursue, they have that reference from us. And they meet an amazing new fresh network of people who want to celebrate and raise up students in our community.”
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Courtesy KCAD Professor Gayle DeBruyn is the program chair of collaborative design at KCAD.
DeBruyn says the Wege High School Collaborative Studio introduces students to a range of complex problems like river restoration, food insecurity, and fast fashion. The program challenges students to design solutions for what it calls “wicked problems.”
“The project outcome has to be circular in its solution and can leave no waste,” says DeBruyn. “All materials have to stay in flow. So we will meet folks who do that work and help move that work forward.”
The program includes lectures and group work at KCAD’s 17 Fountain Building in downtown Grand Rapids. The program also involves fieldwork.
"It’s action-packed,” says DeBruyn. “We’re moving around the city a lot.”
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Courtesy KCADThe Wege High School Collaborative Studio introduces students to a range of complex problems like river restoration, food insecurity, and fast fashion.
Opportunities for the college-bound
Natasha Do, a senior at Grand Rapids Public Museum School, has participated in the program two years in a row. This fall, she plans to attend the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan.
“Every day in the program looks pretty different and is filled with a lot of activities,” says Do. “Some days include hopping on a bus and going on some excursions, participating in group activities and hearing from guest speakers from local organizations.”
One of Do’s favorite activities was visiting the Kids Food Basket, where she learned about the organization’s mission.
“We actually got to spend some time at the farm picking string beans,” Do says. “So that was pretty fun.”
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Courtesy KCADThe Wege High School Collaborative Studio includes lectures and group work at KCAD’s 17 Fountain Building in downtown Grand Rapids. The program also involves fieldwork.
Do says the activities work together to give participants a good look at whole systems design thinking, sustainability, and the circular economy. She also appreciated collaborating with others, especially with people she didn’t know.
“It really gave me the opportunity to work alongside students from other schools,” says Do. “And we actually had someone from New Jersey join us last year, so it was really cool.”
Do wrote about one of her projects as part of her college application.
“I worked on the issue of algal blooms and the Great Lakes,” says Do. So I was able to take this topic and this idea and submit it as one of the supplemental pieces for the application. And I had the opportunity to receive a recommendation letter from one of the program organizers,” Do says.
Making a difference in the community
The Wege High School Collaborative Studio isn't limited to design enthusiasts and the college-bound. It's open to high school juniors and seniors who want to make a positive impact.
Jordan Fridsma says she signed up for the program because of her interest in sustainability. Fridsma participated in the Wege High School Collaborative Studio between her junior and senior years.
“I grew up with a nature preserve as my backyard (Huff Park), which is an incredible privilege,” Fridsma says. “But that impacted my value for nature and for everyone to be able to have access to that.”
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Courtesy KCADThe Wege High School Collaborative Studio is back for its fourth year.
Fridsma enjoyed exploring the city to visit local sustainable businesses.
“We got a tour of Founders Brewing that focused on their sustainability and initiatives and impact. And then we also collaboratively formulated our own circular solutions to wicked problems,” Fridsma says.
Participants gained practical skills and knowledge they can apply in their academic and professional pursuits.
"We learned how to do concise presentations and collaborative design," says Fridsma.
Fridsma says the Wege High School Collaborative Studio allowed her to apply what she learned in real-world settings. She is now studying at Calvin College, where she hosted three terrarium workshops that reached over 70 people.
“We went to the chemistry department, and they held old glassware that has been just taking up space on shelves because they don't use glassware anymore,” says Fridsma.
Fridsma and her cohorts gathered the glassware and natural materials from their surroundings. She led a presentation about the circular economy and how to add value by putting in time and effort.
“You just need to have the connections and innovation to put the things together and add that value, because otherwise these items would just probably end up in a dumpster somewhere, and then all that value would be stuck in a landfill,” Fridsma says. “So it was really cool to capture it and then spread it out to the community. And everybody was able to take home their own terrarium. So it was awesome.”
Fridsma says she references the knowledge she gained from the Wege High School Collaborative program daily.
“It was so impactful. I just ate it up,” Fridsma says. “Maybe that's just how I am. I love to learn. But every single thing we learned, it was like, ‘Yes, this is engaging. This is going to help me for the rest of my life.’”
For more information or to fill out an application, go to
https://kcad.ferris.edu/community/wege-prize-high-school-collaborative-studio/index.html.
Laura Bergells is an executive business communications coach from Grand Rapids, Michigan. Connect with her at LinkedIn.
From furniture to shoes, from arts to education to even policy creation, design is everywhere you look. Designed in Michigan, a story series coming out of West Michigan, is devoted to sharing the expansive role design plays in Michigan's past, present and future. It is made possible through the support of Kendall College of Art and Design and Landscape Forms.