Kendall College of Art and Design (KCAD) has announced a second year of opportunities and applications for Wege Prize High School | Collaborative Studio, a unique learning experience that pays student participants $500 each. The organizers are calling on principals, teachers and counselors to nominate their most interested students for KCAD’s successful summer program, which inspires and honors rising high school juniors and seniors with the stipend and a unique chance to collaboratively design circular solutions that address “wicked problems” found in West Michigan.

With a framework inspired by the globally recognized Wege Prize collegiate competition – whose international success has ensured its five-year continuation with a doubled total purse prize of USD $65,000 – the cutting edge, two-week high school student workshop was created by KCAD’s Wege Center for Sustainable Design. During this session running from July 25th through August 5th, 2022, an academically talented cohort of 15 students from West Michigan schools will work together to first identify systemic issues that affect the region’s community and environment — and then devise their own actionable and feasible solutions, whether a new service, business model, or project.

KCAD’s program is open to only 15 West Michigan rising high school juniors and seniors. Students with diverse interest areas and eager, enthusiastic viewpoints are encouraged to apply.

• There’s no cost to participate — and each student receives a $500 stipend and daily free lunch.
• Interested students can be nominated by an educator or apply on their own.
• Students only need to submit their application for consideration by June 27th, 2022.

Accepted students will be notified on July 1, 2022. In the application, students detail their areas of interest and provide nomination and letters of recommendation from a teacher, employer, or counselor. They also describe personal experiences, passions, and awareness of related subjects.