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West Michigan PBL Summit

November 01, 2024

West Michigan PBL Summit

The West Michigan PBL Summit took place on September 24, 2024, at Grand Valley State University's Eberhard Center in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The event brought together over 100 people to re-ignite a collaborative network of Project-Based, Problem-Based, and Place-Based Learning (3P) educators across the Greater West Michigan Region! 

John Spencer, former middle school teacher and current full-time professor, was the keynote speaker and facilitator of the Summit.  He delved into the power of PBL by Design and incorporated themes of student voice and choice and PBL for all students.

The Summit incorporated "Community and Design Spotlights" to highlight design thinking partnerships between K-12 students/educators and business/community organizations.  Thank you to the educators and community partners who joined us in person to share their partnerships! 

  • GHSP and Grand Haven Area Public Schools: Annie Ratke, Andrew Ratke, Adam Zuniga 
  • Seven Business Partners and Hamilton Middle School: Ashley Meyer 
  • MACkite and Grand Haven Area Public Schools: Beth Bolthuis, Amanda Tejchma, Andrew Ratke, and Caleb Berko 
  • GMB and Byron Center Public Schools: Erin Bastic, Lesley Emmons, Michael Gilpin, Wendy Porter, and Eric Kelliher 
  • Michigan Design Council and Allendale Public Schools: Sarah Lema 
  • Enterprise Tool & Die, City of Wyoming and Wyoming Public Schools: Jonathan Bushen, Eric Kelliher 
  • futurePREP'd at Ottawa Area ISD 
  • Boys & Girls Clubs of America 
  • Corewell Health 
  • DeWys 
  • Haworth 
  • Kids' Food Basket 
  • Ottawa County Park & Recreation Commission 
  • Replenish at GVSU 
  • Verplank Trucking Co. 

This Summit was hosted by the MiSTEM Network's Greater West Michigan Region, along with a team of staff from Ottawa Area ISD futurePREP'd, Muskegon Area ISD 3P Learning, Kent ISD STEM, Grand Rapids Public Museum, and GVSU Groundswell Stewardship Initiative.  

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Page last modified November 1, 2024