In Mt. Pleasant, we wrote about a public charter school innovating in education through project-based learning and real-world applications. The coverage generated excitement for the Renaissance Academy, and it contributed to enrollment growth at the school.

And in Detroit, an installment in our “Resilient Neighborhoods” series was about how a community is beginning to rebound in part because of a focus on the health and quality of life of its residents. The executive director of HOPE Village Revitalization told us that “the timeliness of the story was perfect.”

Route Bay City began publishing in 2018, thanks in a big part to the leadership at the Bay Area Community Foundation, which helped gather philanthropic and community entities to fill the news gap by supporting and underwriting Route Bay City.

In the summer of 2022, Issue Media Group relaunched its online, community-informed, digital publication in the Upper Peninsula. Working with a coalition of parnters, UPword focuses on innovation, talent, entrepreneurship, social innovation, and community development, while featuring U.P.-based talent.   

IMG publications like Model D and Metromode have partnered with local housing partnerships to provide continuous coverage of issues related to housing. And Southwest Michigan's Second Wave is reporting on housing issues in that region, thanks to a coalition of funders.

Here's a handful of stories about homes from Issue Media Group publications that touch on a variety of issues. They include everything from creating stable communities to innovative designs and construction.   

Southeast Michigan is a rich tapestry of communities with stories waiting to be told. Here’s how we’re working with four distinct Partner Cities to lift up their stories.

This year IMG teamed up with the Michigan After School Partnership (MASP) to elevate youth perspectives on the value of after-school programs through our Voices of Youth program. MASP advocates for statewide access to quality and equitable after-school programs, to ensure that all children and youth succeed. The year-long series has included youth voices in multiple IMG communities, including Southwest Michigan’s Second Wave, Rapid Growth, and Concentrate.  Articles have focused on a wide range of after-school programs, including youth advisory councils, climate change events, and clubs focused on entrepreneurship. 

In Soapbox Cincinnati, the Amplifying Youth Voices series raises awareness about youth mental health by reporting on community-based solutions. Stories and videos feature youth-serving grantees plus medical, nonprofit, education and philanthropic leaders. Grantees empowered youth to create change through projects and experiences providing them a voice that was seen, heard, and valued during a fast-paced timeline to initiate solutions. Amplifying Youth Voices is a pilot program from Interact for Health, a foundation serving a 20-county region to advance health justice. More healthcare organizations are coming together to respond to this challenge, testing with solutions-based processes and gathering data to determine a wider 10-year strategy. Solutions journalism reporting is an ideal match to explain, in a clear-eyed way, how local people are working together to solve a shared problem. Read the Amplifying Youth Voices series here. 

Historically, communities of color and low-income neighborhoods have not had equal access to green spaces. People, Parks, Power, a collaborative Partner Content series with The Conscious Connect, highlights people and organizations working to change that in Springfield, Ohio.