ALLENDALE, Mich., Sept. 14., 2023—The Growing Michigan Together Listening Tour is stopping at Grand Valley State University (GVSU) to hear directly from college students about their vision for the future. Michigan’s Chief Growth Officer Hilary Doe will lead the event, which is scheduled for 2:30-3:30 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 25 in Room 2266 of the Russel H. Kirkhof Center.
The interactive listening session will ask students to provide feedback on the factors that go into their decision about where to live and work after graduation. The feedback gathered during the session will directly feed into the recommendations the Growing Michigan Together Council provides to Gov. Whitmer in December.
“We are actively collecting feedback to create strategies that ensure our state remains a place where the brightest minds, like our college students, not only want to stay but can thrive,” said Chief Growth Officer Hilary Doe. “By actively involving young people in shaping our state’s future, we can empower our youth to be architects of their own dreams right here in Michigan. I look forward to speaking with the students at GVSU about their vision for the future and how we can work together to grow Michigan.”
As an added incentive to participate, two GVSU students who attend the listening session will be randomly selected to receive a $500 scholarship. To be eligible, students must attend the event in its entirety and be enrolled in classes next semester.
While in West Michigan for the GVSU listening session, the Chief Growth Officer plans to make additional stops in the community to hear from a diverse collection of voices. Her stops include events with the Grand Rapids Chamber, Economic Club of Grand Rapids, Office of Global Michigan and The Right Place.
The Growing Michigan Together Tour kicked off in August and has since been making stops in communities across the state to discuss local challenges and growth opportunities. The tour is committed to meeting college students where they are—on campus—convening both traditional students and adult learners with stops at universities, colleges and community colleges. Engagements will include move-ins, on-campus listening events, homecomings and other youth-focused events across the state.
Gov. Whitmer established the bipartisan Growing Michigan Together Council to develop a statewide strategy to attract talent, improve education, modernize infrastructure and continue Michigan’s economic momentum. The Council is tasked with preparing and submitting a report to the governor and legislature on ways the state can grow its population. Gov. Whitmer recently announced workgroups for the council. Workgroups include 1) Infrastructure 2) Jobs, Talent and Economy 3) PreK-12 Education and 4) Higher Education.
To learn more about Growing Michigan or to submit feedback, please visit growingmichigan.org.
CONTACT:
Rachel Felice
rachel@momentstrategies.com
