Kalamazoo Times

Western Michigan University (WMU) is set to engage students, faculty, and staff in community service through the Spring into the Streets event, aimed at assisting local Kalamazoo neighborhoods from April 11 to April 13. This program has been revitalized from a former student-focused initiative into a broader three-day event by WMU's offices of student engagement and community engaged learning/service learning, in collaboration with campus and community partners. Families are encouraged to participate to enhance the experience.

Shawn Tenney, director of service learning, emphasized the event's importance: “The weekend is an answer to the needs expressed by our community partners and a need for not only Western students to learn but for the entire community to make connections.” Tenney also announced that the program will become a semiannual event with another session, Fall in the Streets, planned for October 3 to 5. She noted that this involvement helps college students, particularly international ones, gain resume-worthy and life experiences.

Members of the campus community interested in volunteering can register via ExperienceWMU until 5 p.m. on April 9 and are encouraged to contact Tenney with any questions.

The schedule for Spring into the Streets begins on Friday, April 11, with activities including a crafting session for seniors and middle school students. Volunteers will also have the chance to engage in basketball and origami with the Boys & Girls Club. Saturday, April 12, offers diverse volunteering opportunities, such as assisting at a science fair, cleaning a community tool-lending garage, and preparing the Kalamazoo Literacy Council Read and Seed Trail. The day includes a park cleanup which lasts until 3 p.m. The event concludes on Sunday, April 13, with a cleanup at Verburg Park from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

For more updates, visit WMU News online.