General information about KDPS

Why Kalamazoo Block Parties?

These parties are part of a community placemaking program that changes the way in which residents and community members view a neighborhood. Partnering with our local law enforcement agencies (Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety and the Sheriff's Office), neighborhoods and areas are selected where crime has impacted their ability to connect in a meaningful way with kids. 

​

The event is coordinated and designed by Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center, whose mission is to create experiential learning opportunities for college interns in marketing, public relations and event management.  The college students create the games, envision the ability to mix and match supplies to create new games and opportunities to have fun.

What to expect!

The event is coordinated and designed by KELC Events (Kalamazoo Experiential Learning Center), whose mission is to create experiential learning opportunities for college interns in marketing, public relations and event management.  The college students create the games, envision the ability to mix and match supplies to create new games and opportunities to have fun.

Here are some key highlights!

• Hosting these events in neighborhoods with higher crime rates might appear to be challenging and intimidating for college students, but the outcome is a deeper understanding of diversity, the importance of inclusion, and the realization that education is critical to the ability to "disrupt" poverty and crime.

• The events typically take place from 2-4 p.m. and community groups join us as table vendors designed to share their services with the kids and families.

• Each year, this program features 5 events in 5 different neighborhoods and about ten officers work to attend to  and they appreciate the opportunity to just connect.