The computer gaming industry earns more than $60 billion dollars each year. Hollywood's use of computer animation only grows. Yet computer programming is not a focus in K-12 education in Michigan. The folks at GameStart see both an educational and entrepreneurial opportunity. They offer programming classes to 3rd through 8th grade students with a focus on the game that sets every kid's heart a-flutter.
Ann Arbor may be Michigan's hotbed for innovative startups but sometimes those innovations have trouble gaining a toe-hold in the local market. From healthcare apps to wind energy technology, Concentrate takes a look at a trio of technologies we'd like to see more of here.
A group of U-M students are redefining what it means to build something from scratch. The first Makeathon launches later this month, where teams of students from U-M and the College for Creative Studies must develop and fabricate a physical prototype in 36 hours. Luckily they have the resources of Detroit's TechShop at their disposal.
Concentrate continues its interview with out-going Ann Arbor mayor John Hieftje. Last time we chatted with the mayor about his time in office and the upcoming final year. In this installment we get his long-term outlook on the city and its challenges.
Welding since he was 12 years-old, Thomas Hosford now manages his father's architectural fabrication and prototype machine shop. But BMX and mountain bikes are in his blood. He designed his first bike in 2001, joined a pro riding team in 2004, and now runs his custom bike frame business, Ordnance Bikes, on the side.
As Ann Arbor's longest serving mayor John Hieftje has been instrumental in establishing what our community is today and helping chart what it'll become tomorrow. In a two-part interview Concentrate chats with the out-going city leader about his achievements and frustrations, final plans and hopes for the future.
Architect John Barrie went from a "relatively few well-off clients" to "a whole lot of very poor clients" and couldn't be happier. After seeing how villagers struggled without electricity in Latin America, Barrie decided that he could make a difference - by launching Appropriate Technology Collaborative, a non-profit that develops low cost solar energy technology for communities in need.
Blockers. Jammers. Fresh meat. Roller Derby is more than just the latest hipster entertainment, it's a growing sport with calls for inclusion in the Olympics. Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti's trio of teams may indulge in hilariously cheeky names but they are packing some serious athletic mojo.
A kids' science museum, a natural history museum, a reptile zoo, an art musuem, an archeology museum and soon, a pinball museum. Pretty cool for a city that often gets labeled as a small college town. Set to open after the new year, the Ann Arbor Pinball Museum's 165 machines won't dethrone Las Vegas' Pinball Hall of Fame's 200+ machines, but it'll give it a run for its quarters.
Necessity is the mother of invention... and innovation. What else would turn a breakfast and lunch cafe into a tutoring space? Well, the generosity of Beezy's Bee Roll, who offered 826Michigan her space for their evening tutoring workshops when Ypsilanti Middle School closed its doors.
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