Battle Creek, Mich. One Year Later: A Community “on the Move”

Feb. 10, 2014, Bethesda, Md. -- Just one year ago, community leaders in Battle Creek, Mich. joined forces with the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region and The Harwood Institute for Public Innovation to tackle tough social challenges. They embarked on the undertaking with the help of a three-year grant that the W.K. Kellogg Foundation awarded the United Way to make Battle Creek the first-ever Beacon Community – a national model for uniting individuals and organizations using Harwood practices that engage the whole community. Check out the following op-ed from the Battle Creek Enquirer describing the progress the community has made toward its goal of becoming a prototype for achieving widespread positive change:

Beacon Community Initiative: Battle Creek is on the move Battle Creek is on the move. We see evidence of this in our vibrant schools, bustling business corridors, places of worship and recreational locales. There’s energy here that’s hard to define and tough to harness. We have organizations dedicated to the greater good and individuals who refuse to accept anything less than success for our beloved but imperfect Cereal City. These are admirable traits for any community. Read more