As we wrap up the year, we want to highlight the moments that stood out. There were not only big milestones that led to significant community impact, but many examples of times people came together across Kent County and beyond to strengthen opportunities for children and families.
This year marked a wave of learning and connection beyond West Michigan. Our team presented in six states, sharing how collective impact can help communities rethink challenges and redesign systems that work for more people. This showed up in several bright spots from the past twelve months.
Teach Here is on its way to becoming one of our region’s strongest examples of systems-level collaboration. In partnership with Grand Valley State University and the West Michigan Teacher Collaborative, this state-funded pilot expands pathways for aspiring educators in high-need fields while strengthening and diversifying the local talent pipeline.
The first Education Summit invited students, educators, policymakers, and community partners into a shared space to look at data, stories, and system-level actions tied to student well-being. It also reinforced how student voice can move a community toward better outcomes for youth.
Our Community Brief offered a look at how systemic work is taking shape across the region. It highlighted how partnerships are coordinating efforts, sharing accountability, and aligning to move the community toward stronger outcomes for all.
The release of the LivedPay™ eBook expanded access to a practical model for compensating lived experience experts. Since its launch, partners at the local, state, and national levels have used it to center community voice more equitably across their own work.
Youth justice partners continued designing a shared language, an understanding of system touchpoints, and a community plan that will be released in early 2026. This effort reflects a growing regional commitment to support young people with approaches rooted in dignity, belonging, and opportunity.
KConnect held our first public webinar on the FY2026 State of Michigan budget to help partners understand how state-level funding decisions shape the community. In addition, we highlighted the systemic implications of federal SNAP cuts, showing how national policy can ripple through household stability, local economies, and long-term economic mobility.
In collaboration with cross-sector Latino leaders from across Michigan, we helped launch the No Se Puede movement. This community-driven initiative uses data and lived experience to elevate the economic, cultural, and social contributions of Latino residents and to challenge the misconceptions that often obscure them. This movement is positioned to launch nationwide in 2026.
We also partnered with the Arts and Culture Collective of Grand Rapids, the City of Grand Rapids, and Grand Valley State University to conduct an economic study on the local arts and culture sector. This work will inform a future regional arts and culture plan, recognizing the role the creative sector plays in community vitality.
And, to round out the year, we premiered season one of the PACE Forward podcast, offering a new way to share insights, stories, and systems learning with the community.
None of this progress would be possible without you, the KConnect Network. Your commitment to showing up, sharing insights, testing ideas, challenging assumptions, and keeping children and families at the center is what strengthens this community’s ability to change systems.
As we enter a new year, the work remains full of possibilities. We look forward to continuing this work with you in 2026.
