Kalamazoo’s name is so distinctive strangers around the world have been known to break into song at hearing the name. With such a recognizable moniker you’d think Kalamazoo wouldn’t need nicknames, but through the years changing names have reflected the city’s refusal to stand still. The Zoo, Celery City and the Mall City are a few. The innovative thinking that brought downtown K’zoo the nation’s first pedestrian mall in 1959 continues to work today. Innovators have developed thriving life sciences, biotechnology and pharmaceutical firms. They build on the expertise of Kalamazoo’s universities. Western Michigan University, Kalamazoo College, Kalamazoo Valley Community College and Davenport College all are centers of research, development and technology. They surround a downtown vibrating with condos, apartments and homegrown, top-notch restaurants. The universities are woven into the city’s social fabric and contribute to a cultural scene that Kalamazooans love to boast about. The Kalamazoo Symphony, Kalamazoo Institute of Art and a vibrant local theater community are a few of the offerings. Locals also love their festivals that fill the air with music and the scents of ethnic foods wafting over the Arcadia Festival grounds and the Kalamazoo River. Outdoor activities from biking on the Kal-Haven trail to disc golf and standard golf on a nationally-acclaimed course in Milham Park are the start of the city’s leisure side. Sports fans have competitive college teams, minor league baseball and hockey to follow. And it all comes with a Promise. All high school graduates who live in Kalamazoo qualify for a scholarship that pays 100 percent of their tuition at any public university or community college.
The Family Health Center's Back to School Bash is an event counted on by over 1,500 families each year for well-child visits, immunizations, and school supplies. Plus it's a fun way for families to wrap up the summer.
Scooters Malt Shoppe and Traveling Treats in Scotts has small-town charm and great food to attract visitors from all over!
RJ's Printing has been a beloved local business for nearly 30 years. In January, Kalamazoo's Sean Hollins bought the shop from Ralph Jones, keeping the legacy of the only known Black-owned printing business in Southwest Michigan growing as a collaborative "print partner."
Nationwide transgender athletes are facing tough questions about fairness. Voices of Youth's Thea Pipe, a recently-graduated transgender varsity athlete at Loy Norrix High School, speaks with peers and administrators about their thoughts.
Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine is launching a pilot program to provide telehealth care to children in the City of Kalamazoo who may have no access to clinics or needed specialists. A pilot will soon get underway to reach families in need of care that only specialists can provide.
A foreign exchange experience in the 1970s led to a lifelong friendship that involved world travel and the collection of an unlikely souvenir: flyswatters. SPLAT: The Buzz about Fly Swatters, showing until January 7, 2024, at the Kalamazoo Valley Museum, features 1,250 unusual swatters. Learn more here!
The gun is hidden in a shoe box in the closet … and your kids probably know it. Since 2020, guns have been the leading cause of death for children 18 and younger, surpassing even car accidents. Bronson Children's Hospital intends to make sure firearms are stored properly in the home by offering free gun locks.
Despite a push to increase minority enrollment in AP courses in Kalamazoo Public Schools, numbers remain low. Among the reasons are early tracking, misunderstanding options, fear of overload, and missing preparatory courses. Voices of Youth's Regina Kibezi, a junior at Loy Norrix High School, takes a deep dive to seek solutions.
Si las personas no tienen opciones de atención culturalmente receptivas, es posible que no busquen atención y luego no puedan vivir la vida que quieren vivir. Esto es lo que está sucediendo localmente para brindar dicha atención.
If people don’t have culturally responsive care options, they may not seek care and then they can’t live the lives they want to live. Here is what's happening locally to provide such care.
Our Sponsors
Our Media Partners
