GVSU Education Programs News
Alumni create PBS show Wimee's World
July 02, 2024
Welcome to Wimee's World
In the heart of downtown Grand Rapids, a team of four Grand Valley alumni are creating what they hope is the next “Sesame Street.”
“Wimee’s Words“ is a live, interactive TV show inspiring a new generation of children to learn and create. The show uses innovative technology to allow viewers to contribute their ideas in real-time.
“We’re revolutionizing how kids engage and watch content by allowing them to co-produce the show,” said Michael Hyacinthe ’13, U.S. Navy Seabee veteran, CEO and founder of Wimage, the media company that produces the show.
The star of the show is Wimee, a fun, playful robot puppet who loves to explore and create. Kevin Kammeraad ’98, lead puppeteer, said Wimee’s personality is full of curiosity, joy and empathy.
“I love the awe that kids see and feel when they interact with Wimee,” he said.
Stephanie Kammeraad ’01, author, educational consultant and tech director, described Wimee as a big kid. “He’s always learning with kids,” said Stephanie, who is married to Kevin. “He doesn’t know all the answers.”
Creating Wimee 1.0
In 2016, Hyacinthe developed an app to help veterans tell their stories through art. The app was Wimage, named for its ability to turn words into images instantly. Hyacinthe said he discovered it was a perfect match for kids.
“We’re inspiring kids to become visual storytellers, authors and illustrators,” he said.
To make the app more kid-friendly, Hyacinthe asked his friend Kevin Kammeraad, a master puppeteer, artist and performer, to help create a character to be the face of Wimage. The two friends worked with a puppet builder to make the first version of the character, Wimee 1.0, using repurposed objects found in their houses, including a fruitcake can and wheels from a model airplane.
From classrooms to live TV
Over the next few years, Hyacinthe and Kammeraad brought the puppet and app into hundreds of classrooms around Grand Rapids for Wimee Workshops, visual storytelling workshops for preschool and elementary students to share their ideas that were then incorporated into songs, stories and illustrations.
When the COVID-19 pandemic forced schools to go remote in 2020, the Wimage team adapted the workshop to an online show and the puppet was redesigned to Wimee 2.0, a more TV-friendly version of the character.
Every weekday during the pandemic, the Wimage team recorded an episode in Kammeraad’s attic. Partnering with Kent District Library, the show was live-streamed on Facebook and YouTube, and viewers could continue adding ideas to the show by commenting on the video. Hyacinthe estimated they created close to 250 episodes.
In 2021, the team expanded to include Jim Dague, a.k.a ScribbleMonster, who became the new showrunner and co-writer, as well as colleagues at Kent District Library. A year later, the Wimage team moved to their current studio in downtown Grand Rapids and Wimee evolved into his current 3.0 version, built using 3D printing and featuring lights and gears.
Today, “Wimee’s Words“ is co-produced by WGVU Public Media and broadcast on more than 20 PBS stations around the country, reaching 60 million homes.
Co-producer and director Gwen Trautman ’22 said her favorite part of the show is working with their team of Lakers and collaborators. “I get to be surrounded by thoughtful, compassionate creatives who share the same mission as me: to provide educational resources for children,” she said.
Inspiring young creators
On the brick walls of the Wimee studio is a collection of colorful pictures hand drawn by “superfans,” children who have deeply connected with Wimee and shared their illustrations. During a recent episode, one of those fans, Liam, got a special shoutout from Wimee. When Liam heard Wimee mention his name, his parents said he shouted, “I can't believe it!” That afternoon, his dad drove Liam to the studio to meet Wimee and deliver a thank you letter and a drawing of Liam with Wimee.
“It was just beautiful knowing this character can have that impact,” Kevin Kammeraad said.
Trautman said: “Nothing is more amazing than watching these kids connect with Wimee in the same way I connected to my favorite characters when I was younger. It truly shows me that the work that we do matters.”
Where you can find Wimee:
The Grand Rapids Children’s Museum has an exhibit, Wimee’s Dreams, where kids can produce their own Wimee videos using a green screen. Wimee is also featured in two children’s books, ”Wimee Creates with Vehicles and Colors“ and ”Wimee Learns about Money,“ written by Stephanie Kammeraad and published by Zonderkidz.
Earlier this month, Wimage launched a new app, Wimee’s World, where kids can create and interact with an AI version of Wimee. The Wimee team continues to host workshops in classrooms throughout Michigan and around the country.
“All these things could not have come out of just one of our brains,” Stephanie said. “I love that there’s a group of us and we’ve created something really special.”
Find past episodes of Wimee’s Words at PBS.org and on WGVU and PBS stations. Fans and the public are invited to visit the Wimee studio and store in Grand Rapids to see how the show is created and find Wimee books, shirts, and keepsakes. Learn more at wimee.tv and subscribe to Wimee on YouTube.
The article photo by Amanda Pitts shows (left to right) Gwen Trautman ’22, Stephanie Kammeraad ’01, Wimee, Kevin Kammeraad ’98, and Michael Hyacinthe ’13.
This story was originally posted on Grand Valley Magazine. For more information on this story, contact Alex Priebe in Alumni Relations - (616) 331-3591.