What would you do with five to ten minutes to present a plan for making Kalamazoo a better place to live?
The Kalamazoo Public Library and its ONEPlace program to support non-profit groups has launched Kalamazoo Connect to help various groups in the area network. On February 11th three presenters will give TED-like Talks about their ideas for making Kalamazoo a better place to live.
ONEPlace Director Thom Andrews says there were several good presenters for the first event. He says while only three were chosen, this will be regular event, taking place once a quarter. Andrews says some of the people who submitted ideas this time and were not selected could be asked back in the future.
The first presenters include "A's for J's" which is trying to encourage student achievement. The Kalamazoo Nature Center will have a presentation about the "Michigan Butterfly Project." And Acorn Farms, which has started a program to serve adults with autism.
Andrews says the criteria are ideas that focus on "community building" that focus on a large audience that people can engage in. But he says the ideas can come from large organizations, small groups or individuals.
