Project Connect is a creative way to bridge the digital divide, bringing resources from the college to three community partners.

The 2006 Calvin Community Partnership Celebration was held on Thursday, April 27 at The Rapid Central Station Community Room. See photos of the 2005 Community Partnership Celebration held on April 25 at Home Repair Services of Kent County.

Community Listening Sessions - learning from partners.

A major partnership focus from 2001-2005, Calvin @ Burton Heights, brought together several departments and community organizations.

At the 2004 Christian Community Development Association conference Calvin's Vice President for Enrollment and External Programs Tom McWhertor and Director of Community Relations Carol Rienstra presented a workshop on "Collaborating with Institutions of Higher Education to Promote Christian Community Development" on October 28, 2004.

Kent County's first Set game tournament was held at Calvin College on Saturday, November 6, 2004. The game's inventor, Marsha Falco, declared the event to be "wildly successful." More than 80 children and youth came with parents and teachers to learn more about this game and to compete for prizes donated by the Michigan Education Savings Program.

Diversity and Anti-Racism Initiatives are very important to the welfare of the college and the city. Calvin faculty, staff and students participate in Crossroads trainings offered by the Christian Reformed Church as well as Institutes for Healing Racism sessions presented by the GRACE Racial Justice Institute or the City and Chamber Diversity Initiatives

College educational opportunities for youth and families range from the 4 week Entrada Scholars Program and 3 day Striving Toward Educational Possibilities (S.T.E.P.) summer conference, to Youth Writing Festivals in the spring and a variety of academic, arts and athletic camps in the summer.

Calvin's Vision Statement includes a commitment to educate for renewal. This requires learning in, about, with, and from the community, as well as serving and giving back to it through civic engagement. Community Listening Sessions are times of informal learning from community partners.

The college's Service Learning Center takes the lead in setting up opportunities for service-learning in the community, such as the annual Streetfest.

A major partnership focus, called Calvin @ Burton Heights, brings together several college departments and community organizations in the Burton Heights/Garfield Park area, with support from a U.S.HUD Community Outreach PartnershipCenter (COPC) grant.

Pre-college and life-long learning opportunities are two areas that maintain strong ties to churches, especially, but not exclusively, to the Christian Reformed Church

LISTENING Fall 2003

In collaboration with Aquinas College's Community Leadership Institute, two National Issues Forums were held in the DeVos Communication Center forum - October 21,"News Media and Society: How to Restore the Public Trust" and on Nov. 19 "The New Science of Food: Facing up to Our Biotechnology Choices."

Community Listening Sessions at Calvin are meant to offer faculty, staff and students opportunities to listen and dialogue with community partners who play a significant role in education, anti-racism, and the life of the city.

Left: Prof. Fred De Jong and students converse with Andy Zylstra '66, Director of the Kent County Family Independence Agency, at a November, 2002, on-campus listening session.

Community artists and Grand Rapids Area Center for Ecumenism discussed partnerships with the college.