Regional Summits, hosted annually by each of the REP4 founding higher education partners, bring together learners from local and regional high schools and youth-serving organizations to generate ideas that transform their lives, their communities, and education itself.

Learners build essential skills and take charge of their education while institutions encourage and assess ideas for educational change.

At Grand Valley, learner cohorts of rising 11th and 12th graders are identified by schools and organizations throughout the region who have joined as partners in co-creating the Midwest Learner Design Summit experience. 

The 2024 Summit journey will enable students to develop a deeper understanding of themselves and their futures and take advantage of expanded college opportunities and benefits available to participants who successfully complete the program.

Now Live

Now Live

Now Live

• Build and steward a robust network of innovative high schools and community-based organizations as partners
   
• Designate institutional experts and staff with dedicated time, commitment and passion for engaging the network and associated experiences 
   
• Incubate worthy projects and share results across and beyond the REP4 national alliance to expand the impact of collective work
   
• Provide philanthropy investment for the experience at zero cost to participants
   
• Provide the benefits for participation outlined below, upon successful completion of the experience
  
   

• Convene and sustain a cohort of 10-20 high school student participants annually
   
• Recruit a cohort of rising 11th and 12th graders from diverse backgrounds, but with an overrepresentation of students from low-income households, first in their family to go to college, and other historically marginalized students
   
• Identify a consistent Adult Lead from the partner organization to convene, register, guide/engage, and retain the student cohort and participate in Adult Lead orientation virtual training, held: Monday, July 15 (9 a.m. to 1 p.m.) 
   
• Guide cohort through Learner Design Summit experience, with the virtual components held Wednesday and Thursday, July 17-18 (1 p.m. to 5 p.m.) and one in-person experience on Wednesday, July 24 in Grand Rapids and Allendale (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.) or Thursday, July 25 in Grand Rapids and Allendale (9 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

• Participate in quarterly check-in meetings convened by GVSU

• Agree to be available for the 2024 National Convening, as a synchronous, virtual REP4 event for all alliance partners, learner participants, and invited guests

• Admission application fee waiver and guaranteed admission upon successful completion of the experience

• College course credit-awarding opportunities that count toward graduation: 1 credit for Midwest Learner Design Summit participation.
   
• $250 stipend
   
• GV Pledge free tuition for participants with Family AGI and Assets of $50,000 or less, as reported on the FAFSA
   
• T4 Scholarship competition for rising 12th graders who will be first generation college students
   
• Learn and practice Design Thinking and gain entrepreneurial skills
   
• Connect with peers, coaches, and professionals to support future and lifelong learning
   
• Engage in student capacity building for college and career opportunities

• Professional development and personal network expansion
   
• $1,000 stipend
   
• Opportunity to convert experience to university coursework for credit: continuing education, graduate education, or State Continuing Education Clock Hours credit through the Michigan Department of Education
  
   

Adult Lead Orientation

July 15, 2024, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Virtual

Part 1

July 17-18, 2024, 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Virtual

Part 2

July 24, 2024, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
GVSU Allendale Campus

or

July 25, 2024, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
GVSU Allendale Campus

Cohorts select one date from above and attend together

September 2024
Virtual – Learn More
School and classroom watch parties encouraged