Students from Kalamazoo Public Schools Visit Campus

Nearly 800 Kalamazoo Public Schools middle-schoolers visited Kalamazoo Valley Community College last month through the Cougars Rising program to experience campus life and to build an understanding of the transition from high school to higher education.

Cougars Rising, a new college initiative, is an expansion of the experiential college experience for KPS students. As part of the program, students also visit Western Michigan University through the Bronco Buds program in the ninth grade.

"This is a great opportunity for the college to work closely with both Kalamazoo Public Schools and Western Michigan University and support students earlier in their educational journey," explained Kevin Lavender, interim director of Early/Middle College, dual enrollment, youth pipeline and camps. "We want to expose and educate area youth about the benefits of dual enrollment and Early/Middle College before they get to high school."

Students engaged with college students, faculty and staff, while learning about majors, academic resources and extracurricular activities. Hands-on activities included a mini wind turbine kit competition led by the college's Wind Turbine Technician Academy instructors and an art flipbook project with college students in the Applied Arts and Media Technologies program. The day also included lunch in the college's Cougar Cafe.

"These visits foster connections between students and colleges and show students how they should be preparing academically, behaviorally and mentally for future career and college pathways," said Tracy Miller, Ph.D., KPS coordinator of postsecondary pathways, instruction and student services. "These types of experiential learning opportunities help students make informed decisions about their futures and envision what college life would look like."

For more information about Cougars Rising, dual enrollment or Early/Middle College, contact Lavender at or 269.488.4509.