The University of Notre Dame is a preeminent research university that offers an outstanding undergraduate and graduate education guided by a Catholic mission. It is located in Notre Dame, Ind., adjacent to the city of South Bend and approximately 90 miles east of Chicago.

St. Mary's College is an independent Catholic school for boys and girls of all faiths aged 0-18. We are a thriving community which places a high value on outstanding academic achievement and all-round personal development. Our school is built on strong values which emphasise the importance of caring for others and striving for excellence in all we do. Boys and girls can start at our Bright Sparks & Early Years department (0-4 years) soon after birth and progress to our Preparatory School (4-11 years) before moving on to the College (11-18 years), where typically they achieve up to 100% pass rates at both GCSE and A Level. Our rich programme of extra-curricular activities equips our pupils with the skills and values which will guide and support them throughout their lives.

Highly selective, nationally renowned and internationally oriented, Kalamazoo College is the home of the K-Plan, a personalized and integrated approach to the liberal arts and sciences. The K-Plan combines rigorous scholarship, study abroad, career development and civic engagement in a flexible curriculum that allows students to make the most of their unique interests and gifts. Founded in 1833, K is among the 100 oldest colleges and universities in the nation, serving 1,398 students from 39 states and 29 countries. At K, we do more in four years so students can do more in a lifetime.

For 40 years, the Culver City Education Foundation (CCEF) has successfully impacted the academic achievement and overall success of K-12 students across the entirety of the Culver City Unified School District (CCUSD). CCEF funded programs are as diverse as the student community it serves, ranging from needs such as visual and performing arts, college readiness, science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and various initiatives that ignite student success. To learn more, visit www.ccef4schools.org.

The Upjohn Institute is an independent, nonpartisan nonprofit organization that provides research, practice and policy analysis on employment and unemployment issues. Our research focuses on labor market developments that threaten the livelihood and well-being of workers and the policies and programs designed to reduce those threats and mitigate hardships caused by job loss. We also house the Employment Management Services Division, the administrative entity for the local Workforce Development Board, administering all of the federal and state employment programs for southwest part of Michigan.

WMed is committed to excellence and health equity through transformative medical education, high-quality, patient- and family-centered care, innovative research, and community partnerships within a just culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Our vision is health equity for all in Southwest Michigan through innovation in the practice and study of medicine. The medical school is a collaboration of Western Michigan University and Kalamazoo's two teaching health systems, Ascension Borgess and Bronson Healthcare. The medical school is a private nonprofit corporation supported by private gifts, clinical revenues, research activities, tuition, and endowment income. Building upon a $100 million foundational gift in 2011, WMed is a recipient of the Empowering Futures Gift, a philanthropic commitment of $300 million to support the mission of the medical school. WMed contributes to the economic vitality of Southwest Michigan through the services we provide as well as the creation of 1,600 new jobs and an annual estimated economic impact of $353 million in Kalamazoo and Calhoun counties. WMed is fully accredited by the Liaison Committee on Medical Education and the Higher Learning Commission. The medical school offers a comprehensive, innovative four-year Doctor of Medicine degree program and two Master of Science degree programs in Biomedical Sciences and Medical Engineering. We train physicians in 10 residencies and five fellowships accredited by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education. To support our educational mission, we have Joint Accreditation for interprofessional continuing education, which incorporates accreditation by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. WMed is building upon Kalamazoo’s century-long foundation of drug discovery and medical device development with a strategic investment in clinical, laboratory, community, and educational research.

Grace International School in Chiang Mai, Thailand, offers affordable, high quality education to the children of Christian workers in Southeast Asia. One-third of the world’s population, more than two billion people, live within a three hour plane flight from Chiang Mai, making it a strategic location. Grace has been in existence for 15 years and has served more than 1,500 students from more than 20 countries. The ministry of GIS enables hundreds of missionaries to minister in SE Asia.

Ed and Darlene Lowe established the Edward Lowe Foundation in 1985 to leverage entrepreneurship as a strategy for economic growth and community development. In contrast to most U.S. foundations, which are grant-giving entities, we are an operating foundation that funds its own programs. Our entrepreneurship initiatives are focused on second-stage companies — growth-oriented firms that have moved beyond startup but haven’t yet reached maturity. Our peer learning, leadership education and strategic information programs are geared to help these companies continue growing. We also educate communities about the unique challenges second-stagers face, how to work with them — and how to develop the kind of culture they need to flourish. To scale our impact, the foundation delivers its programs to second-stagers through other entrepreneur support organizations, which includes chambers of commerce, small business development centers, technology councils and economic development agencies. Although many programs are conducted on our partners’ turf, such as PeerSpectives CEO roundtables and Economic Gardening, we host leader retreats and facilitator training at Big Rock Valley (BRV), our headquarters in southwest Michigan. BRV is also integral in our land stewardship initiatives. A 2,000-acre property comprised of woodlands, wetlands and prairies, BRV’s diverse habitats support a wide variety of species, many of which are endangered or threatened. To preserve BRV’s environmental integrity, the foundation employs a number of innovative land management practices. In addition, we allow researchers to use the property for studies that can expand the knowledge base of conservation science.

West Michigan Cancer Center (WMCC) is changing the tide on cancer. WMCC is an ambulatory, stand alone cancer center. We are treating, beating and curing cancer more than ever before, and helping patients move beyond it so it doesn’t maintain a grip on their lives. We have the technological resources, clinical skill, support services, and experience to best meet your individual challenge, which explains why more people are referred and treated here than anywhere else in the region. If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with cancer, plan to fight it and fight to win. Together, we win.

La Lumiere provides a college preparatory education based in character, scholarship and faith for day and boarding students in grades 9-12. The founders of La Lumiere believed that education and faith should walk hand-in-hand to engender character and strong academic performance. La Lumiere School believes that what distinguishes one person from another is strength of character, inquisitive nature, tolerance, sympathy, and leadership qualities. La Lumiere School was founded by a group of Chicago and Indiana businessmen in 1963, as an independent Catholic boarding school for boys grades 9-12 and a post-graduate year. The first Headmaster, James Moore, guided the school until 1979 and then again from 1988 to 1993. Throughout the years, La Lumiere has evolved, adding new buildings and facilities, admitting girls in 1978, and adding innovative curriculum. It remains true, however, to its mission in practice and spirit each day of the academic year. La Lumiere is located in Northern Indiana, just north of La Porte and west of South Bend.

The American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers is an educational and scientific organization dedicated to the advancement of engineering applicable to agricultural, food, and biological systems. ASABE comprises members in more than 100 countries. Agricultural, food, and biological engineers develop efficient and environmentally sensitive methods of producing food, fiber, timber, and renewable energy sources for an ever-increasing world population. The image above provides a profile of ASABE's membership and their contributions to society. ASABE membership is open to all—engineers as well as non-engineers—who are interested in engineering and technology for agricultural, food, and biological systems.