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.

Sacred Earth is a year-long series focused on the intersection of climate change, sustainability, earth care. Sponsored by the Fetzer Institute, the series encourages readers to examine how they view their home planet, their beliefs, and values and encourages them to use their eco-imagination to forge a stronger relationship with the earth.

The Nonprofit Journal Project has evolved to highlight various points of focus, and most recently we partnered with the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to shine a spotlight on health nonprofits working to solve workforce shortages and related challenges.

One of the most pressing issues facing Memphis is food insecurity among seniors.  To shed light on this issue and offer possible solutions, IMG’s High Ground has partnered with the Metropolitan Inter-Faith Association (MIFA).

Art plays a vital role in rural areas, fostering community bonds and revitalizing spaces. Small communities across Michigan have created art alleys, art and sculpture gardens, put up statues, and painted murals on buildings, streets and even basketball courts.  Across Michigan, towns embrace art to beautify and create a sense of belonging, supported by various organizations like Michigan State University Extension.

Southwest Michigan Second Wave explores a unique arts angle, focusing on solutions and connecting with local artist Maya James, delving into "social practice art" and featuring Nicole Lee's story.    

 Amplifying Youth Voices in Soapbox Cincinnati raises awareness of youth mental health challenges and sharing community-based solutions responding to the dilemma.