There have been some great things happening here at WMCAT and various media outlets have taken notice. From Michigan Radio, Grand Rapids Business Journal and Rapid Growth Media to WZZM and MLive, we have found our programs and students making headlines. To learn of some of the awesome things taking place at our organization, click on the links below.
WMCAT IN THE NEWS
WMCAT Launches Cybersecurity + GRC Career Training Pathway
October 2022 – MLive: Google helping fund tuition-free Grand Rapids training program
October 2022 – WGVU Mutually Inclusive: WMCAT’s Adult Career Training Programs
September 2022 – MLive: Unemployed adults offered tuition-free cybersecurity training for in-demand jobs
September 2022 – WGVU: WMCAT offers tech career pathway program for adults
September 2022 – MiBiz: New WMCAT training program opens access to career opportunities in tech
September 2022 – FOX 17: WMCAT opening doors with tech training
September 2022 – Crain’s: A spate of tech programs aims to build Grand Rapids’ talent pipeline
September 2022 – GRBJ: WMCAT opens enrollment for adult tech careers
Black History Month 2022
February 2022 – WOODTV8: Maranda visits WMCAT to learn about partnership with Meijer for Black History Month
February 2022 – MLive highlights teen artists working on Black History Month designs for Meijer
February 2022 – Fox 17: Grand Rapids teens partner with local artist to create Black History Month apparel for Meijer stores
February 2022 – WGVU: Young, local artists with WMCAT debut Black History apparel at Meijer stores
Jamon Alexander Named WMCAT President + CEO
March 2021 – GRBJ highlights Jamon Alexander’s experience
March 2021 – WGVU describes Jamon Alexander’s dedication to the WMCAT mission
Black History Month 2021
February 2021 – School News Network talks to teen artist Elijah Brown about the message of his design
February 2021 – Grand Rapids Magazine showcases WMCAT’s collaboration with Meijer for Black History Month
February 2021 – Detroit Free Press highlights teen involvement in Black History Month T-shirt design
March 2020 – WOOD TV 8 captures 9th Annual iBall in photo gallery
March 2020 – GRBJ Change-Ups highlight iBall honorees and the hire of Gretchen Mousel
March 2020 – WMCAT, John Ball Zoo and Grandville Avenue of the Arts announce “PikaZoo”
February 2020 – WMCAT students earn high honors in art competition
February 2020 – Women’s Lifestyle shares iBall gala and interview with honoree
February 2020: FOX 17 covers announcement of WMCAT 20/20 event
February 2020 – GRBJ: WMCAT to host conference on prosperity
February 2020 – WMCAT announces WMCAT 20/20 conference
January 2020 – GRBJ highlights Jamon Alexander in Inside Track
January 2020 – REVUE shares event preview for 9th Annual iBall
December 2019 – School News Network covers Girls for Change at WMCAT
November 2019 – FOX 17 shares Step Year enrollment
November 2019 – EightWest talks with WMCAT’s Brandy Arnold about Step Year enrollment
October 2019 – Workforce Development Director honored with ’40 under 40′ award in West Michigan
October 2019 – Jamon Alexander named ’40 under 40′ for third year by Grand Rapids Business Journal
September 2019 – The BBB of Western Michigan Awards WMCAT President + CEO with ‘Trust Award’
September 2019 – Daniel Williams awarded BBB Trust Award
September 2019 – WMCAT’s Daniel Williams talks to WGVU about his appointment from Governor
September 2019 – WMCAT holds enrollment information session for fall classes
August 2019 – WMCAT Opens Fall Enrollment for 15th Year of Programming
July 2019 – Cybersecurity experts live-hacking at the Cyber Hub at WMCAT
July 2019 – Reporter Jake Berent from WWMT Newschannel 3 is live via Facebook from the Purple Event
July 2019 – WOOD TV 8 covers cybersecurity event at WMCAT
July 2019 – WGVU Radio talks with the Cyber Hub at WMCAT about 7th Annual Purple Event
July 2019 – MITechNews.com: Cybersecurity professionals to compete in live hacking competition
June 2019 – Meet the new program training West Michigan’s professionals on cyber security threats
June 2019 – Students create Pokémon trail at Blandford Nature Center
May 2019 – WMCAT contributes to national study
May 2019 – FOX 17: Teens create Pokémon Go-Inspired Trail at Blandford Nature Center
April 2019 – School News Network covers former EPA official’s visit to WMCAT students
March 2019 – WOOD TV 8: Photo Gallery of iBall 2019
March 2019 – WMCAT’s own Amy Knape on FOX 17 sharing about iBall 2019
March 2019 – WGVU Morning Show talks with Daniel Williams about WMCAT’s focus on equity and innovation in our community
December 2018 – WOTV’s Maranda highlights WMCAT project that promotes creativity at all ages
November 2018 – InCyberDefense highlights new cyber hub at WMCAT
October 2018 – WMCAT joins state push to focus on cybersecurity
October 2018 – New Hub On Michigan Cyber Range Opens in Grand Rapids
September 2018 – Rapid Growth: Program helps adult workers achieve living wage jobs and family stability
WMCAT Moves Into New Space on the Westside
September 2018 – GRBJ highlights WMCAT’s new location on Westside
September 2018 – Radio interview with WGVU News covering the new location
September 2018 – Grand Rapids Magazine: WMCAT Breaks In New Digs
September 2018 – WOOD TV interviews Daniel Williams and covers ribbon cutting event
September 2018 – FOX 17 highlights new WMCAT space
September 2018 – WZZM 13 features WMCAT’s ribbon cutting on September 5
August 2018 – REVUE Magazine shares a sneak peek of WMCAT’s new Westside location
July 2018 — Grand Rapids Business Journal features Adult Career Training Program and Partners
June 2018 — Adult Career Training Program on The WGVU Morning Show with Shelley Irwin
May 2018 — Teen Fashion Show featured on eightWest
May 2018 — WMCAT Adult Program Director Jamon Alexander on Comcast Newsmakers
May 2018 — WMCAT receives $30,000 grant from National Endowment for the Arts
May 2018 — Rhythm and Race Documentary Re-airs with Al Green Footage
May 2018 — Students’ film traces history, influence of Grand Rapids’ African-American music scene
May 2018 — Eight West talks with WMCAT and Comcast about “Rhythm and Race” screening
May 2018 — Student musicians take the stage at Pyramid Scheme
April 2018 — WMCAT Teaching Artist Mike Saunders and Teen Artist Cierra Barrera on Eight West
March 2018 — WMCAT Director of Social Enterprise Adam Weiler talks design thinking on Rapid Growth
March 2018 — Governor Snyder appoints WMCAT President and CEO Daniel Williams to broadband board
March 2018 — WMCAT’s Public Agency to facilitate GRPS Listening Tour
December 2017 — Better Business Bureau names Torch Award winners
October 2017 — ArtPrize winning installation features ceramics work of WMCAT teen artists and teaching artist
October 2017 — NEA funding and its impact on WMCAT featured on MLive
August 2017 — New home on west side: Laying the Foundation event covered on WZZM 13
August 2017 — WMCAT’s Laying the Foundation for new building covered on MLive
August 2017 — Fox 17 covers Laying the Foundation event for new building
June 2017 — MLive promotes Pharm Tech and adult career training opportunities
May 2017 — The Rapidian spotlights summer camps for teens
May 2017 — Summer Camps at WMCAT featured on Fox 17
May 2017 — Teen Summer Art Camps featured on Eight West
May 2017 — Our teen-produced documentary on African American music featured on WOOD TV 8
April 2017 — Joining the Your Biz Your Town segment on The Morning Show with Shelley Irwin on WGVU
March 2017 — WOOD TV 8 covered iBall 2017 for their web site
March 2017 — iBall spotlight on WZZM 13
March 2017 — WMCAT’s iBall featured on Fox 17 Morning Mix
March 2017 — GRNow Covers Teen Documentary Premiere “Rhythm and Race: A History of African American Music in Grand Rapids”
February 2017 — WMCAT Teaching Artist Mike Saunders on WGVU The Morning Show about new documentary
February 2017 — WMCAT Student Film Premiere in The Rapidian
January 2017 — MiBiz feature on WMCAT as one of best managed nonprofits
January 2017 — Rapid Growth outlines key development in 2017, including WMCAT’s new space on West Side
November 2016 — GivingTuesday spotlight on Fox17
WMCAT Receives Award from White House
December 2016 — West Michigan Woman profile on Keloni Seawood-Walton
November 2016 — Shelley Irwin interviews Daniel about White House experience
November 2016 — WZZM welcomes Daniel and Keloni on Noon Show
November 2016 — MLive covers WMCAT receiving National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award
November 2016 — WOOD TV features award ceremony
November 2016 — Grand Rapids Business Journal covers award from First Lady
November 2016 — Rapid Growth Media feature
Watch the ceremony from the White House here (WMCAT featured at the 30 minute mark).
Leave Your Mark campaign announcement
November 2016 — Talking Leave Your Mark and Consumers Energy on Eight West
September 2016 — Grand Rapids Business Journal covers capital campaign announcement
September 2016 — MLive coverage of WMCAT’s new home on the West Side
September 2016 — MiBiz reports on $6.5 million already raised $7.5 goal for WMCAT capital campaign
September 2016 — Rapid Growth announces WMCAT campaign for new home
September 2016 — WMCAT campaign featured on Fox 17 Morning Buzz
September 2016 — WZZM attends WMCAT press conference on campaign announcement
Septemer 2016 — The Morning Show on WGVU interviews WMCAT development director on campaign
August 2016 — Reflections on a design thinking workshop at WMCAT from UIX in Rapid Growth
August 2016 — New teen mural in Wilcox Park featured on WZZM
July 2016 — Social Enterprise Manager Kirk Eklund in MiBiz
March 2016 — WMCAT Social Enterprise Ambrose profiled in NEU Magazine
February 2016 — Teaching Artist Mike Saunders featured on WYCE Catalyst Radio
October 2015 — WMCAT Executive Director on Comcast Newsmakers
October 2015 — Ambrose featured on Local First blog
September 2015 — New WMCAT Executive Director Daniel Williams announced in GRBJ
July 2015 — WMCAT Executive Director Kim Dabbs to leave for Germany October 1; MLive
July 2015 – WMCAT Executive Director Kim Dabbs to leave; GRBJ’s Street Talk
June 2015 – WMCAT Named Nonprofit of the Year by GR Chamber of Commerce; coverage in GRBJ
May 2015 — Social Impact by Design feature by WMCAT teens and Kim Dabbs in NEU Magazine from GVSU
May 2015 — Social enterprise grant from Grand Rapids Community Foundation covered in MLive
May 2015 — WMCAT profiled in Stellafly
March 2015 — WGVU Radio profiles WMCAT and our 10th anniversary
February 2015 — iBall 2015 and our honorees profiled in MLive
February 2015 — WMCAT team on Fox 17 Morning Mix and Morning News to promote iBall 2015
February 2015 – Fox 17 promotes iBall 2015!
January 2015 – GRBJ covers WMCAT’s new Social Enterprise
January 2015 — Development Manager Amy Knape profiled in Rapid Growth Media
January 2015 — WMCAT’s Kim Dabbs part of international residency at Stanford covered in Grand Rapids Business Journal
December 2014 — Coverage of WMCAT’s NEA grant in the Grand Rapids Business Journal
December 2014 — WMCAT receives National Endowment for the Arts Award coverage on MLive
November 2014 — Kim Dabbs gives overview of WMCAT on Comcast Newsmakers
October 2014 — WMCAT grad Daniel Lopez featured on WGVU The Morning Show for his experience with Park Journeys
October 2014 — WMCAT grad Daniel Lopez’s trip to Washington DC with Park Journeys profiled on Michigan Radio
October 2014 — State Farm Youth Advisory Board Awards WMCAT national grant for service learning
October 2014 – New partnership with Ottawa Hills High School profiled in MLive
October 2014 – WMCAT Teen Program Director Becca Guyette talks video games on WGVU’s Tech Talk segment
September 2014 — Two-Generation Program Launch with New Staff covered in MLive
August 2014 — WMCAT Teaching Artist George Eberhardt profiled in Rapid Chat
August 2014 — Kim Dabbs and WMCAT profiled in UIX feature in Rapid Growth
July 2014 — WMCAT’s Pharmacy Tech program sponsored by Meijer Inc. seeking students MLive
July 2014 — Grand Rapids Business Journal covers WMCAT’s Pharmacy Tech partnership with Meijer Inc.
May 2014 — School Network News dives deep into Teen Arts + Tech Program as innovative model
May 2014 — Teen Arts + Tech Exhibit previewed on MLive
May 2014 — Teen Arts + Tech Exhibit previewed on The Rapidian
May 2014 — WMCAT a finalist for White House award covered by WOOD Radio and GRBJ
April 2014 — WMCAT design thinking model featured in Edutopia in blog by Kim Dabbs
April 2014 — Teen Program a finalist for WOOD TV Connecting with Community
March 2014 — Featured on Maranda Where You Live as a River Bank Run Charity Partner
March 2014 — Teen App Design Team’s work with Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. featured on Michigan Radio
March 2014 — Executive Director Kim Dabbs discusses the digital divide in education on Michigan Radio’s Issues and Ale
March 2014 — WMCAT receives major grant for dual-generation program from Kellogg Foundation
February 2014 — WMCAT acquires UICA ceramic studio coverage in MLive and MiBiz
February 2014 — App Design Team featured in Rapid Growth
January 2014 — New board members listed in Grand Rapids Business Journal
January 2014 — Great profile on Teen Arts Program with photo gallery on MLive
December 2013 – MLive reports on state grants awarded to WMCAT and other arts organizations
November 2013 – WZZM and GRNow visit WMCAT to spotlight ornament project
November 2013 – WMCAT teens featured on Maranda Where You Live
October 2013 – Fox 17 talks to WMCAT teen artists about designing ornaments for tree in Washington DC
October 2013 – WZZM covers students making ornaments for Michigan’s Christmas tree in Washington DC
October 2013 – East Kentwood students visit WMCAT to begin our fourth year of this great daytime partnership
September 2013 – WMCAT helps launch Urban Innovation Exchange, an online publication focused on social innovation.
September 2013 – WMCAT Executive Director Kim Dabbs is featured in Kendall College of Art and Design’s Portfolio magazine.
August 2013 – Executive Director Kim Dabbs a featured panelist in Rapid Growth Speaker Series on Arts Education
August 2013 – Executive Director Kim Dabbs recounts cultural road trip in blog post in Rapid Growth
July 2013 – Our Adult Program Manager Jennifer Owens featured on The WVGU Morning Show with Shelly Irwin.
June 2013 – An Interview with Kim Dabbs, our Executive Director, about what WMCAT means to her.
June 2013 – National artist, Trent Temple, visited WMCAT to work with our teen artists.
June 2013 – Rapid Growth Media talks about our new Teen Program Director, Becca, joining our team.
June 2013 – Close up of Board Member, Brian Cloyd and how he shows his passion for urban education through WMCAT.
February 2013 – A video about the mission of WMCAT.
January 2013 – One of our teaching artists shares what WMCAT means to her.
December 2012 – Deck the Halls with your own National Christmas Tree Ornament
November 2012 – Inside Track: Creating a Culture of Opportunity for Students
November 2012 – Creating a Culture of Opportunity: Kim Dabbs in Rapid Growth