Six towns in Northwest Michigan have joined the DESIGN STUDIO NETWORK.  The six are Frankfort, Benzonia/Beulah, Glen Arbor, Leland, Northport and Boyne City.

EACH DESIGN STUDIO IS ORGANIZED TO

• Grow local companies with higher paying technical, professional and managerial jobs
• by designing or redesigning inventions and products that can be sold to national markets
• that will serve as the basis for NICHE companies headquartered in your town.

Some thoughtful people believe that Cherry Republic in Glen Arbor, Michigan (Bob Sutherland, as a teen, started growing the company) is a great example of what could happen in each town.  Cherry Republic now sells “many varied and unusual” cherry products to national markets through their catalog business. www.cherryrepublic.com

Everyone desires higher paying technical, professional and managerial job opportunities so that our youth can remain or someday return to our town and help shape the destiny of our region.  Many leaders anticipate that we can grow locally owned businesses for our geographical area.  Most adults; however, normally don't have the time, expertise or cannot take the risk to engage in this challenge...at least that has been true in the past.

A second example is the Great Lakes Motor Works that has also spawned a new headquarters, Classic Instruments, that designs and manufactures classic dashboard instrument panels. See Classic Instruments description

There are four things that make the Design Studio Network distinctive and a future path for local development:

The DECISION MAKERS, leaders and staff for the local Design Studio will be senior high teens and college students who each possess one or more gifts and talents:

• creative
• artistically gifted,
• great at brainstorming,
• talented in a variety of skills such as writing, networking, etc. and
• highly motivated.
• Teens will COLLABORATE on design projects with other teens in a Northern Michigan Design Network.
•  It is a REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE that will shape the future of your town.  It is not a simulation or youth competition.  This engagement will be rugged and  it will be exciting.  It is also lifelong.  It does not end when you leave high school.  You will always be a part of the Design Studio Network.  We will be there to help you later as well.
  
• It is FLUID & FLEXIBLE because you and your local team members are in CONTROL.  Fluid implies that once you join a Design Studio, you can be part of a project for a period and then you might be dormant for season without being "kicked out of the Design Studio."  Flexibility means that you and your team set the schedule and determine the length of a project.  Daily practice sessions ending in state wide competitions just don't exist.  Your most creative time might be at MIDNIGHT.   We are interested in challenging and empowering each teen to produce real results that benefit you and your town not winning competitions.
  

You may have a friend with the talents and gifts to contribute and benefit from participating in one of the Design Studios.  Participation is free.  All costs are paid by people and organizations in your town.  We have PDF brochures in the sidebar under Member Benefits entitled the “Rugged Engagement” that you could also pass on to other teens who might be interested in joining a local Design Studio.

Although the Design Studio is a town project, we will collaborate with many local and regional organizations.   We periodically host introductory NETWORK MEETINGS during each month.  See the schedule of meetings in the sidebar. 

If you need more information, please explore this website and then call Bill Wilkie at 989.339.4998