Kalamazoo Times

Occupational therapy students at Western Michigan University (WMU) recently participated in a wellness event aimed at increasing community access to health care. The “You Belong Here” event, held on October 24, was organized in partnership with Bronson Healthcare and the Northside Association for Community Development. It marked the first student-led initiative of its kind at WMU, providing wellness assessments and recommendations without requiring insurance or a medical prescription.

“We were able to apply our knowledge of what we are learning in the classroom to real life,” said Lexey Ambrosia, a doctoral student from Dearborn, Michigan. “It was amazing to interact with fellow individuals from the Kalamazoo community and know that we are providing people with opportunities to have more access to health care.”

The event allowed students and health care providers to collaborate on comprehensive assessments for community members. According to Azalia Gonzalez, project lead and faculty specialist in WMU’s Department of Occupational Therapy, “By leveraging the expertise of established community partners, this project provides a unique experiential learning opportunity for students while delivering accessible health services to the public through a preventative lens.”

The project is part of WMU’s second cohort of 2025 Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grant recipients. This group includes four projects led by faculty from different colleges addressing issues such as sustainability, affordable housing, and inclusive health care practices:

- Empowering Pre-Service Teachers in Family-Centered Early Intervention

- Solar Decathlon 2026: Pioneering Affordable Net-Zero Housing Solutions

- Sustainability Practicum with the City of Kalamazoo

- You Belong Here: Inclusive Care for All

Dr. Chris Cheatham, interim provost and vice president for academic affairs at WMU, stated: “The Experience-Driven Learning Venture Grant recipients provide our Broncos with meaningful, resume-worthy opportunities that prepare them for success.” He added: “This is exactly what the Venture Grants are all about: They serve as a launchpad for faculty-and staff-led programs that empower students to apply their classroom knowledge to relevant experiences. We congratulate the Venture Grant recipients and thank them for providing incredible opportunities for our Broncos.”

Students involved in these initiatives gain practical experience connecting theory and practice as they prepare for their careers. Ambrosia commented on her participation: “Participating in this project affirmed that I want to pursue occupational therapy as a career. There were many areas of the profession that I have never been exposed to before, and preparing for this event provided me with that opportunity.”

Another grant-funded project launching in summer 2026 is a sustainability practicum led by Dr. Kate Martini, assistant professor of psychology. This program will allow undergraduate and graduate students to use behavioral approaches to address sustainability challenges within organizations. The new practicum site will be developed in partnership with the city of Kalamazoo to create strategies reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Some students previously worked with the city during summer 2024 on waste diversion projects as part of a Broncos Lead internship.

Martini noted: “Creating an ongoing partnership with a site that will serve as a setting for meaningful research and practical experience will set our program apart in our field while providing students with beneficial tools and resources.” She also emphasized workforce needs: “Providing students with real-life experience in the application of these tools and principles to address environmental issues has become increasingly important, as the demand for green skills in the workforce has outpaced the supply of qualified workers.”

Funding for these grants comes from the Empowering Futures Gift along with support from WMU’s Office of the President and Office of the Provost.

For further details about grant projects or university news, readers can visit WMU News online.