Dear Wege Speaker friends, COVID-19 (coronavirus) continues to present challenges to organizations and communities across the country, and we are all beginning to feel its effects. … More Wege Speaker Series Lecture of April 23 is cancelled. »

Written content by Amanda St. Pierre • Videographer/photographer by Bryan Esler. The Wege Foundation was pleased to support the construction of the new Kids’ … More Kids’ Food Basket: Growing Direct Food Access and Urban Agriculture in Grand Rapids »

Wege Prize 2020 draws field representing 24 countries, 64 academic institutions, and 100 academic disciplines; inspires student teams to collaborate across boundaries and help … More International Student Design Competition’s Largest Field To-Date Reflects a World Ready to Work Together for a Better Future »

Trout Unlimited is a cold water conservation organization that works on a national level conserving and protecting cold water fisheries and watersheds around the … More WMCAT – Trout Unlimited and the Rogue River Watershed »

The Highlands can be remembered as a pesticide and fertilizer-filled golf course. “It was a very manicured land with short grass just over two … More WMCAT – Restoration and Rehabilitation of The Highlands »

Now in its sixth year, Wege Prize is organized by Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s (KCAD’s) Wege Center for … More Wege Prize 2019 Winners »

*Above photo: Christiana Figueres, the moving force behind the Paris Climate agreement, delivers the 2019 Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability at the University … More NO VICTORY WITHOUT OPTIMISM »

The Senior Vice President for the Hip Hop Caucus will address environmental justice issues on Thursday, April 11, 2019 Grand Rapids, Michigan – February … More ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE & CLIMATE LEADER MUSTAFA SANTIAGO ALI TO PRESENT AT ANNUAL WEGE SPEAKER SERIES »

“The Wege Foundation has partnered with the West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology (WMCAT) to help share our grantees’ stories.” Article by Arieal … More The Mosaic Scholars bring diversity and creativity to the table. »

Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s (KCAD’s) Wege Center for Sustainable Design has announced the winners of Wege Prize 2018, … More Wege Prize 2018 Winners »

Thank you again for another successful speaker series event. We were very happy with the appreciation for Dr. Lanham and the positive feedback we … More Thank you for your attendance! »

The distinguished professor at Clemson University will address issues related to the environment, social justice and bringing nature into the urban experience on Thursday, … More ON BEING A RARE BIRD: ESTEEMED SCIENTIST DR. DREW LANHAM TO PRESENT AT ANNUAL WEGE SPEAKER SERIES »

“My profession is traveling around to bum people out.” So began the University of Michigan’s Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability given recently by … More Earth is Running Out of Time »

In 2009 Calvin College faculty members Gail Heffner and Dave Warners launched Plaster Creek Stewards after learning that Plaster Creek (named for the plaster … More Green Team Teens Dig In to Heal Their Watersheds »

West Michigan Center for Arts & Technology, an afterschool program for urban high school stdents, opened in 2005 downtown after three Steelcase leaders flew … More WMCAT Rhymes with ‘WINcat’—For Good Reasons »

In 2011 Grand Rapids Community faced a serious problem. While 15% of all students graduated after two years, only 5% of African- American males … More GRCC Steps In To Right an Academic Unfairness »

Every year an estimated 4,000 to 6,000 children in Kent County are sexually abused. Only 1 in 15 of those cases is ever disclosed. … More The Children’s Assessment Center Beams Light on a Dark, Destructive Secret »

At Wyoming’s San Juan Diego Academy every morning begins the same for the mostly Latino students. The Catholic school’s Principal Dr. Manuel Brenes gathers … More Si Se Puede »

Global Student Design Competition Focused on the Circular Economy Names Winners of $30,000 in Prizes Winning teams announced in Wege Prize 2017; 2018 competition … More Wege Prize Winners Announced 2017 »

*Pictured above from the left, Laura Wege, Blandford Nature Center President Jason Meyer, Blandford Development Director Corey Turner, Wege Foundation staff member Katy Furtado, … More Wege Family Tours Blandford Nature Center »

Finalist teams named in international design competition focused on the circular economy;  five innovative ideas will face off for $30,000 in total cash prizes … More Wege Prize competition organizers are thrilled to announce the finalist teams for Wege Prize 2017! »

Pictured above: Grand Rapids Mayor Rosalynn Bliss congratulates Dr. Taylor after the University of Michigan professor delivered The Wege Lecture at Aquinas. Artist and … More Need for Inclusion in Environmental Non-profits »

Photo: The Wege Foundation’s newest program staff, Leslie Young and Emily Aleman-McAlpine, in The Foundation office at 99 Monroe with the Wege Foundation glass logo … More Renewed Emphasis on Old Values »

  Director of diversity, equity & inclusion at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment to talk about the social inequalities … More SCHOLAR AND ACTIVIST DORCETA E. TAYLOR Ph.D. TO LECTURE AT 21ST ANNUAL WEGE SPEAKER SERIES ON THURSDAY, APRIL 13 »

An historic real-estate transaction for Grand Rapids was announced in early 2017 when Blandford Nature Center teamed with the Land Conservancy of West Michigan … More Blandford Plus A Golf Course: A Gift To The Future »

Elissa Hillary is thrilled that 900 area businesses are part of Local First, but that’s just the start. The president of Local First is … More LOCAL FIRST IS GOOD FOR GRAND RAPIDS »

One of America’s great writers of both fiction and non-fiction, the late Wallace Stegner was a pioneer of the environmental movement starting in the … More THE WILDERNESS LETTER From “Coda: Wilderness Letter,” copyright by Wallace Stegner, 1960. »

Working into the wee hours Friday night, December 9, 2016, the U.S. Congress authorized $1.5 billion to pay for Great Lakes restoration over the … More Saving the Great Lakes Started in Grand Rapids May 2004 »

The program dedication for the festive gala reopening of the St. Cecilia Music Center reads, Chuck Royce and Peter Wege: two incredible men and … More When One Good Surprise Leads to Another »

Dr. William Clark, Harvard Professor at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, delivered the 15th Peter M. Wege Lecture on Sustainability at the … More Fifteenth Annual University of Michigan Wege Lecture »

Now in its fourth year, Wege Prize is a global transdisciplinary design competition that gives teams of five college/university students the chance to work … More GLOBAL STUDENT DESIGN COMPETITION AWARDING $30K FOR INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS »

Disability Advocates of Kent County identifies an organization that gives people with disabilities access to our county’s opportunities. As its mission states, this non-profit helps “people … More What’s In A Name? »

Courtesy of the University of Michigan Center for Sustainable Systems If you happen across a photo of people from the 1970s, you’ll notice one thing. … More Simple Sustainability Stats »

$444,000 grant awarded to Kendall College of Art and Design of Ferris State University’s Wege Center for Sustainable Design to extend Wege Prize competition for … More Wege Foundation Grant Propels West Michigan-Based Student Design Competition Toward Broader Global Impact »

The Industrial Revolution changed the world of work from farms to factories is over. A new economy is needed. Jose Maria Figueres, former president of Costa … More Beyond Fossil Fuels: U of M Wege Speaker »

The Case for Justice at the Ends of the Pipeline Crystal Lameman Intergovernmental Affairs Spokeswoman for the indigenous Beaver Lake Cree Nation, Alberta, Canada … More THE REAL COSTS OF OIL »

The Master Lecture Series ENVIRONMENTAL LECTURE Tuesday, March 22, 7 pm Speaker: Daniel H. Janzen CLICK HERE TO VIEW FLYER

The Grand Rapids Art Museum is holding its 6th annual children’s art contest sponsored by The Wege Foundation and inspired by the late environmental … More CALLING ALL CHILDREN ARTISTS »

April 27, 2015, architect Ed Mazria gave the 19th annual Wege Lecture urging Grand Rapids to join Architecture 2030, the program he founded in 2006 to … More Grand Rapids Joins Architecture 2030 In Record Time »

When Peter Martin Wege moved to Grand Rapids to open his own metal-furniture business in 1912, he could not have imagined Metal Office Furniture—started on a … More Father and Son Embedded in Steelcase’s New Report »

Ellen Satterlee leaves the role she has played for 25 years as CEO of The Wege Foundation and now takes a seat as a … More A Fitting Tribute To a Quietly Amazing Leader »

Dear Friends, And I do consider you friends—of mine and certainly of Peter’s and of The Wege Foundation’s!  Some of you know I am … More WEGE FOUNDATION CEO: The Torch Passes »

September 3, 2015; Grand Rapids, MI – The Wege Foundation announced today the retirement of Ellen Satterlee as President and CEO, effective October 30, 2015. … More Wege Foundation announces retirement of CEO »

In July 2015, Wealthy Theatre again made history by converting all its lighting to LED making it the first restored theatre in the world to achieve … More Friendship, Varneau, and LED Lighting »

After 20 years with the Wege Foundation, Terri McCarthy, Vice President of Programs, retired at the end of May, 2015. Over the course of her … More Terri McCarthy Bids a Loving Farewell »

The ongoing news stories on our country’s unemployment numbers identify a serious economic concern. And while there are many reasons people can’t get jobs, those most … More Stepping Up for Next Step »

Six years ago 14 students entered the sixth grade at Grand Rapids Public School’s City High Middle to attend the brand new Center for Economicology, CFE. … More ECONOMICOLOGY HIGH SCHOOL NAMED BEST IN STATE »

Peter Wege’s grandson Andrew Goodwillie used the occasion of Earth Day to remember his grandfather when he introduced architect Edward Mazria as this year’s 19th annual … More Mazria’s Road To Zero: Phase Out All CO2 Emissions by 2050 »

Private, public partnership working toward final designation from Architecture 2030 by end of year Grand Rapids Mayor George Heartwell today announced Grand Rapids has been … More Grand Rapids Achieves Emerging 2030 District Designation in Effort to Reduce Energy Use in Downtown »

by Catalyst Radio (Catalyst Radio) on Friday Apr 3rd, 2015 12:30pm in NEWS in collaboration with Linda Gellasch and WYCE Radio 88.1 FM   … More Catalyst Radio: Architecture environmentalist Mazria is keynote for Wege Speaker Series »

NEWS RELEASE For Immediate Release Contact: Elena Tislerics Coordinator, Wege Prize Chief Communications Officer, Kendall College of Art and Design elena@wegeprize.org  $30,000 awarded in … More Wege Prize 2015 – Results »

by Cheryl Roland Click here to read article  on WMU’s website March 30, 2015 | WMU News KALAMAZOO, Mich.—A team of five Western Michigan … More WMU student team wins national Wege sustainability prize »

Louie Schwartzberg, an internationally recognized time-lapse photographer of nature, doesn’t like the fact that the average age of visitors to national parks is 57. No wonder, … More LOVE THE PLANET WITH A FREE PHONE APP »

Architect and founder of Architecture 2030 to talk about developing architecture districts that serve as a business model for urban sustainability The Wege Foundation will host … More ARCHITECT EDWARD MAZRIA TO BE KEY SPEAKER FOR 19TH ANNUAL WEGE SPEAKER SERIES ON THURSDAY, APRIL 23, 2015 »

What could be Grand Rapids’ first fund-raiser was a bright idea a small group of women called the Union Benevolent Association came up with in 1891 … More Mary Free Bed: 1891-2015 »

Edward Burtynsky is an environmental warrior whose artistic weapon is a camera. For over 30 years, the Canadian artist has turned aerial photography—via planes, helicopters, and … More The Wonder of Water…”Until it’s gone.” At the GRAM »

The personal friendship between Peter Wege and Fred Meijer resulted in many good works for West Michigan, including Meijer Gardens as Peter was one of the … More Wege Talk at Meijer Gardens Will Entertain and Educate »

By Monica Scott | mscott2@mlive.com Follow on Twitter on December 12, 2014 at 1:17 PM, updated December 12, 2014 at 4:21 PM GRAND RAPIDS, … More Grand Rapids receives $100,000 grant from The Wege Foundation for two schools »

Eleven times a day someone in Kent County is abused in domestic violence, and almost always the victim is a woman and a mother. … More YWCA Women’s Shelter Redone and Renamed »

Gift to establish the nation’s first collegiate economicology program as envisioned by Peter Wege Aquinas College and the Aquinas College Foundation today announced a … More THE AQUINAS COLLEGE FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES $2.5 MILLION GIFT FROM WEGE FOUNDATION  »

In 2009 Blandford Nature Center had to reinvent itself from a tax-payer funded organization into an independent non-profit with Annoesjka Steinman as the first … More Blandford’s New CEO: a Story of Friendship and Mentoring »

By Jeffrey Kaczmarczyk | jkaczmarczyk@mlive.com  GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Philanthropist Peter Wege has bestowed $1 million on the Grand Rapids Symphony. Wege, who underwrote the … More Peter Wege’s estate gives $1 million gift for Grand Rapids Symphony’s endowment »

The 10th Conference was held September 9-11, 2014, in the city where HOW was born: Grand Rapids, Michigan. In May 2004, the late Peter … More HOW Conference Comes Home Ten Years Later »

GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) – The St. Cecilia Music Center announced Monday they’ve received a $1 million endowment from the Estate of Peter M. Wege. … More $1 Million Gift to St. Cecilia Music Center »

America’s Public schools are the entry point for success, and teachers lead the way. But they can’t do it alone. Students are with them … More LITERACY CENTER NEEDS YOU »

GRAND RAPIDS, MI – Peter M. Wege lived to see his hopes and dreams come true. The Grand Rapids philanthropist lived to be 94 … More Community remembers favorite son, Peter Wege »

GRAND RAPIDS, MI — Peter Melvin Wege loved giving away his money. And give it away he did — millions of dollars in grants large … More Retired Steelcase chairman, philanthropist Peter Wege dies at 94 »

WEGE, PETER Peter Melvin Wege fulfilled his life’s mantra by doing all the good he could for as many people as he could for … More Peter M. Wege – Obituary »

         What begins as a fun day of golf at Blythefield Country Club ends up producing stellar young men like new … More Greens to Green:  Golfing for Sustainability »

        Tom Kiernan, CEO of the American Wind Energy Association, refers to the free potential of wind-energy as “the magic of … More 18th Annual Wege Speaker Series – THE MAGIC OF WIND »

Ever since Leonardo da Vinci drew a flying machine patterned after birds’ wings, humans have looked to nature for good ideas.  And why not, … More Beetles to Bees to Bacteria Fighters: Nature’s Teachers »

        APRIL 27 4 p.m. or April 28 11:30 p.m. on PBS Those are the debut times for a new documentary about … More GREAT LAKES PEOPLE:  MARK YOUR TV CALENDARS! »

The March 18, 2008, New York Times titled a major news article in the business section, “Corporate Sponsorship for a Wind Farm.” The corporation … More Steelcase Honors Wege For All the Right Reasons »

Consider what these things have in common.  A vegetable garden in every living room; potato-made plastic bags; a hands-on cradle-to-cradle learning center in the … More Students Tackle a ‘Wicked Problem’ for $30,000 »

The huge, ugly, leaping Asian Carp now threaten the $23 billion fishing-boating  economy of the Great Lakes.  Five years after Congress ordered the U.S. … More Clock Ticking on Keeping Asian Carp Out of The Great Lakes »

Born four years ago, pretty blue-eyed Harmony Taylor was perfect except for missing her right hand. She used her toddler-sized prosthetic until she outgrew … More Collaboration at Its Miraculous Best »

Five years ago the Grand Rapids Public Schools and Peter M. Wege joined forces to create a sixth-grade program focused on environmental education at … More Parent Magazine: One of the “Coolest Schools in America” »

The October invitation to “See you under the stars for a bedazzling evening” happened under a tent with  200 nature lovers wearing Jeans and … More Wonder, Blandford Nature Center’s Goat, Steals the Show »

Jim Hackett learned teamwork early on when he played football for the legendary Bo Schembechler at the University of Michigan. Hackett never forgot Bo’s … More STEELCASE CEO SPREADS AROUND THE CREDIT »

Let there be no doubt that Peter M. Wege’s has legacy bearers who continue to do “all the good” they can.  Two of them … More The Wege Mission Carries On »

If you want to know the rest of the story, click on the link below to Andy Buchsbaum’s Guest Column in Bridge Magazine. If you love … More Sanity broke out in the U.S. House of Representatives. »

Peter M. Wege’s beloved Lowell farm is the setting for this inspiring video of an environmental and educational program The Wege Foundation started three … More Path to College starts at Wege Farm »

In 1938 Grand Rapids Police Department Superintendent Frank O’Malley saw a worrisome statistic. That year 147 young people were arrested for various crimes. Whether … More Camp O’Malley Fighting Juvenile Crime 71 Years Later »

The noisy chatter of children filling the seats on three sides of the stage quickly turned to hushed attentiveness as six Arabian princesses appeared … More Three Aladdin’s Three Wishes and the PAC »

The 30th annual Aquinas Emeritus Award went to a husband and wife who in their individual ways have demonstrated the highest standard of honoring … More Motorcycles, Arabians, 20 Grandchildren, and the Emeritus Honor »

There is family history behind The Wege Foundation’s recent gift to Clark Home. When Peter M. Wege’s widowed mother, Sophia Louise Dubridge Wege, was … More History Behind the Gift to Clark Home »

Mark Van Putten has more than 30 years of experience in environmental policymaking and nonprofit organizational leadership at the international, national, regional, and local … More Wege Foundation consultant delivers Commencement Speech at U of M »

During Aquinas College’s Commencement ceremonies May 4, Ellen Satterlee, CEO of The Wege Foundation, was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Public Policy.  Since 1988, … More Wege Foundation Leader Earns an Honorary Doctorate »

On April 24, The Dominican Sisters of Marywood celebrated the new life of Aquinata Hall as a licensed Home for the Aged.  Built in … More Aquinata Hall, Peter M. Wege, and a Sacred Scapula »

In a talk titled Math to Maps to Moms, Dr. Marie Lynn Miranda gave the 17th Wege Foundation Lecture at Aquinas College April 18.  The … More U of M Dean Delivers Aquinas’s Annual Wege Lecture »

In 2006 Peter M. Wege’s environmental vision led to the nation’s first Habitat Home awarded LEED  (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification.  That … More Habitat Owners Earn Their New Homes »

Caitlin Wege and her sister Jessica Wege McClear stand by the hand-carved basswood doors leading into one of two sixth-grade classroom in the new … More Peter Wege’s Granddaughters Tour Blandford School »

Jessica Wege McLear and Caitlin Wege are pictured above with Dr. Mary Sue Coleman, President of the University of Michigan. The sisters came across … More Family Members Come to Michigan for the Wege Lecture »

After years of dreaming, discussing, and designing, a farmer’s market for the inner city is now happening.  Seven abandoned warehouses on a city block … More FARM FOOD? FAMILY FUN? FIND THE DOWNTOWN MARKET »

Pictured above, the new 7,000 square-foot LEED-certified Blandford School sets a precedent for the Grand Rapids Public Schools. Not only does it feature the … More GRPS’s Blandford School Raises the Bar »

If anyone else had announced one cold day in early 2004, “We have to save the Great Lakes,” The Wege Foundation staff would have … More A Rose By Any Other Name… »

Very few people know that the word “gilda” is actually derived from the ancient Latin term for “volunteer.”  And if you read that with … More A Linguistic Discovery Helping Cancer Patients »

Two years before the historic 1972 Clean Water Act was passed to fight water pollution, a concerned group of Great Lakes residents were already … More Great Lakes’ Pioneer Caretakers Gather »

On a chilly May day in 2006, Peter Wege dedicated Lloyd and Kathleen Flanagan’s 145-acre farm as Kent County’s second permanently preserved farm. Tom … More Preserving Farmland Now is The Key to Michigan’s Future Economy »

Saint Mary’s medical staff and friends participate in the Bishop’s blessing of Saint Mary’s new guest quarters for families of patients from out of … More Sophia’s House Opens with a Blessing »

Grand Rapids Public Schools City High/Middle School recently hosted an all-day seminar based on Peter Wege’s two books, ECONOMICOLOGY I and II. City’s Economicology … More ECO EXPO Takes Over City High/Middle »

An historic groundbreaking took place in May marking the first public school in Grand Rapids  to be built with 90% of the $2 million-plus  … More Blandford School: A GRPS Gamechanger »

Ferris State University’s Kendall College of Art and Design held a dual celebration in May when the doors opened to its $31 million renovation … More Kendall Presidents: Hail and Farewell »

Healing lead-poisoning in children with backpacks? According to the new Dean of Michigan’s School of Natural Resources & the Environment, books in a backpack … More University of Michigan’s  Newest Dean Wows Her Audience »

Two of Peter Wege’s granddaughters, Jennifer Wege from North Carolina and Caitlin Wege from California, came to Grand Rapids in March to attend LaughFest, … More KROC TOUR WITH JENNIFER AND CAITLIN WEGE »

Sophia’s Guest House at Saint Mary’s Health Care is named after Sophia Dubridge Wege, Peter M. Wege’s mother. The three-story  Guest House – built … More The Wege Foundation Honors Peter Wege’s Mother »

Matt Vande Bunte | mvandebu@mlive.com By Matt Vande Bunte | mvandebu@mlive.com  Follow on Twitter on March 20, 2012 at 12:17 PM, updated March 20, 2012 at 12:53 … More Steelcase son Peter Wege to enter environmental hall of fame »

How many people know that studying fine art not only enhances artistic skills, but also raises reading scores? Some 1500 third-graders from the Grand … More NEWS FLASH on Improving Children’s Reading Skills: ART »

Talk about raising the roof! Grand Rapids’ popular Fulton Street Farmers Market is undergoing a $2.7 million upgrade  converting it into a year-around enterprise.  … More May 5 The New and Improved Fulton Street Farmers Market Opens Up »

Baxter Community Center kicked off 2012 by filling a vital need in caring for their youngest clients when they opened a colorful new room … More Baxter Opens  A New Nest For Sparrows »

After the 1960s race riots, Eastern Avenue Christian Reformed Church members made a bold decision. They converted nearby Baxter Christian School into a safe … More Letters to Peter Wege from S. African Travelers »

Wealthy Theatre is honoring its 100th anniversary that began with years of magical entertainment, followed by a time of decay, and now celebrating its … More Looking Back on a Theatre and a Friendship »

The overwhelming success of Gilda Club’s first LaughFest in March 2011 meant for sure the cancer-support group would do it again. With 55,000 people … More Gilda’s Club Planning LaughFest 2012 »

The $2.3 million campaign to put up a permanent school building for 60 sixth-graders in the Grand Rapids Public Schools will break ground in … More ‘Renew Blandford School’ a First for GRPS »

October 11, 2011, was declared Peter Wege Night by Grand Rapids Community College’s Foundation. The program described Wege as a “Local Legend” and “Global … More Grand Rapids CC Pays Tribute To Peter Wege »

In the fall of 2011, John Ball Park celebrated $12 million of planned upgrades with some of the key donors pictured here manning the … More “All Aboard!” Coming to John Ball Zoo »

Jamon Alexander, a former BEEP – or “Blandford Environmental Education Program” graduate – stands with Annoesjka Steinman (top left), Blandford Nature Center’s director, at … More Peter Wege’s Farm Hosts Friends of Blandford »

Aquinas’s Reflections Award this year went to three people who are not only long-time friends of the college’s, but they are also long-time friends … More Aquinas College Honors Triumvirate »

To Peter Wege, Jonathan is not only a gifted scholar, teacher, and researcher, but he is also one of Peter’s closest friends. They first … More Wege Surprise Honors Dr. Jonathan Bulkley »

Dana Friis-Hansen left his job as Executive Director of the Austin Museum of Art this summer to take over as CEO of the Grand … More New GRAM Leader Having Fun Already »

In April 2011, eight students and two educators from the Grand Rapids Public Schools’ City High/Middle School spent over a week in Costa Rica … More Economicology Students Share Costa Rica’s pura vida »

When Peter M. Wege and The Wege Foundation made the lead gift to found the cancer-support community known as Gilda’s Club Grand Rapids, Peter … More GILDA’S CLUB TEN YEARS LATER – on youtube.com. »

Public transportation in Grand Rapids is not only alive and well, it is also about to run better, faster, and more often. Thanks to … More ECONOMICOLOGY: THE RAPID’S SILVER LINE »

Chris Palmer delivered the 15th annual Aquinas College Wege Lecture at 4 pm April 15. Earlier in the day, the internationally known environmental filmmaker … More Wildlife Filmmaker Captivates GRPS Students »

Two generations of Peter Wege’s family turned out in April for the 15th annual Wege Lecture at Aquinas College given by Chris Palmer, the … More Wege Family Welcomes Wildlife Filmmaker to Aquinas »

When Susan Broman, Executive Director of the Steelcase Foundation, called Ellen Satterlee, her counterpart at the Wege Foundation, about Catherine’s Health Center, Ellen agreed … More FROM 3 TO 21 COMPUTERS: CATHERINE’S HEALTH CLINIC GROWS »

University of Michigan President Mary Sue Coleman described Dr. Larry Brilliant as a 60s Hippie idealist, a 1990s entrepreneur, and 21st Century high-techer. And … More 10th Wege Lecture at U of M – A Brilliant talk by Dr. Larry Brilliant »

The Wege Foundation & Aquinas College are pleased to present Chris Palmer as this year’s speaker. He has confronted sharks, stared down Kodiak bears, … More 15TH ANNUAL WEGE SPEAKER SERIES »

The first-ever Laugh Fest in the country opens in Grand Rapids March 10 with non-stop funny entertainment happening in 32 locations until March 20. … More GILDA’S CLUB BREAKS INTO LAUGHTER MARCH 10, 2011 »

The University of Michigan’s Center for Sustainable Systems in the School of Natural Resources and Environment will present the 10th annual Peter M. Wege … More 10th ANNUAL WEGE LECTURE ON SUSTAINABILITY »

After a three year application process, Grand Rapids Public School’s City High/Middle School is the first in the area to offer a Middle Years … More INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMA AT GRPS CITY HIGH/MIDDLE »

Thursday, September 23, the late environmental, activist artist/illustrator Mark Heckman, known throughout Michigan for his colorful billboards, won the top Media Great Laker Award … More SOOPER YOOPER Author Honored in N.Y. »

The five-year-old non-profit Comprenew Environmental collects and recycles used electronics, including computers and cell phones. Last year alone Comprenew kept over two million pounds … More COMPRENEW MEETS WEGE’S EDUCATIONAL & ENVIRONMENTAL MISSION »

The Wege Foundation is honored to support Mark Heckman’s “Sooper Yooper” because Peter Wege believes the problem of exotic invasive species is the single … More SOOPER YOOPER »

Ishmael Beah, born in Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa, was kidnapped by government troops when he was 12 and forced into … More Former Boy Soldier Speaks at City High’s Graduation »

Aquinas College announced its new Master of Sustainable Business Degree, the first of its kind in the upper Midwest, at a luncheon held May … More NEW MASTERS OF SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS DEGREE IN G.R. »

The very active and energetic Steelcase Retirees Club of invited the Wege Foundation to speak in May at one of their regular monthly meetings … More Steelcase Retirees Hear Update on Restoring the Great Lakes »

  You cannot save what you do not know and love. Aldo Leopold, American ecologist The week of Earth Day April 2010 was celebrated … More Famous Oceanographer Engages GRPS Students »

Dr. Sylvia Earle, a global authority on the ocean and Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society, both entertained and warned a packed audience at … More Wege Lecture Speaker Captivates her Audience »

When Ray Kroc first started selling McDonald’s hamburgs in Chicago, he was impressed by the dedication of Salvation Army members ringing bells on the … More Generosity In G.R. Makes $62 Million Kroc Happen »

Monday, March 22, 2010, Dr. John P. Holdren (pictured left), Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy for President Obama, … More University of Michigan Holds 9th Peter M. Wege Lecture »

March 24, 2010 A rain forest in Costa Rica is named for Peter Wege. The New York Times featured the world’s first newly built … More So Who’s This Peter Wege? And What In Heck Is Economicology? »

Blandford Nature Center is an environmental, wildlife nature center and school in northwest Grand Rapids created in the 1960s. Several years ago Blandford’s chief … More NEW BLANDFORD LEADER HITS THE GROUND RUNNING »

Peter M. Wege has forever said that if this planet is to be saved, “The kids must do it.” He’s counting on the children … More The Kids Take on : TAKE BACK THE TAP »

Despite 1.9 million people squeezed together for hours in freezing weather on Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20, City High School senior Britany Benson said … More Wege Foundation Sends Students to Inauguration »

To say the first economicology curriculum in town is up and running after one semester is not exactly true. Students at City High/Middle School … More City High/Middle School Students Hit Economicology Turf »

In 2002 when Joan Kroc, the widow of McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc, built a world-class family recreation center in a blighted part of San … More The Ray and Joan Kroc Corps Community Centers: How they came to be »

Seven representatives of The Wege Foundation, including Trustees Mary Nelson, Peter Wege II, and Ellen Satterlee, attended the 4th Annual Great Lakes Restoration Conference … More Wisconsin Governor Shares Good News on Saving the Lakes »

As the only child of Peter Martin and Sophia Dubridge Wege, Peter M. Wege began honoring their memory half a century ago. Because of … More Peter M. Wege Once More Honors His Parents »

After one year in operation as the world’s first art museum to win a Gold LEED medal from the United States Green Building Council, … More GRAM’S FIRST REPORT CARD »

Thanks to The Wege Foundation, the Grand Rapids Public Schools are infusing Peter Wege’s concept of economicology into the curriculum. Wege coined the word … More Economicology Principles Move into Grand Rapids’ Classrooms »

The forward-thinking president of Costa Rica Oscar Arias Sanchez has launched an international conservation effort that could help save 4% of the world’s biodiversity. … More PEACE WITH NATURE INITIATIVE »

In late July, 2008, The Wege Foundation invited friends from several West Michigan foundations to meet University of Pennsylvania professor Dr. Dan Janzen and … More U of P Biologist Discusses Costa Rica and Species Bar Coding »

The 2008 Climate Leadership Summit of the American College & University Presidents’ Climate Commitment concluded its two days of meetings in Grand Rapids, Michigan, … More ASU Chief Goes After Fellow Academic Leaders »

At a black-time banquet in the Amway Grand Hotel, Junior Achievement of West Michigan named Peter M. Wege the winner of the 2008 Edward … More Junior Achievement of West Michigan Honors Peter M. Wege »

“It will take education and leadership from colleges and universities to meet the environmental challenges we face and leave a healthy world for our … More ECONOMICOLOGY 2008 CONFERENCE: A Win-Win for Sustainability »

Visit www.css.snre.umich.edu/facts Since the early 1990s, Peter Wege has been actively involved with the School of Natural Resources and the Environment at the University … More Want Quick Green Facts and In-depth Info? »

On a hot August day in 2006, Peter M. Wege had the honor of cutting a big red ribbon to open the newly rebuilt … More NEW SOLAR PANELS SAVE ENERGY, PROMOTE LEARNING »

Elite athletes aren’t the only ones striving for the gold. Any new construction that is enrolled in the U. S. Green Building Council’s Leadership … More Early ‘Olympic’ Gold for GRAM »

Since he started The Wege Foundation in 1967, Peter Wege has always advocated collaboration. He knows the whole is greater than the sum of … More Wege Foundation joins Green Grand Rapids Coalition »

The beginning of a new year is a special opportunity for refreshing hearts, minds, and spirits. For the first time, the Franciscan Sisters of … More JANUARY AND EPIPHANY: A Time For Renewal »

The University of Michigan paid its highest tribute to lifelong East Grand Rapids resident Peter M. Wege by awarding him an honorary degree as … More PETER WEGE RECEIVES HONORARY DOCTORATE FROM THE U OF M »

The December issue of Grand Rapids Magazine published brief profiles on the 25 people their staff considered the city’s most important. The first person … More G. R. MAGAZINE NAMES PETER M. WEGE ONE OF CITY’S MOST POWERFUL »

William Clay Ford, Jr., Executive Chairman of Ford Motor Company, delivered the Seventh Annual Peter M. Wege Lecture at the University of Michigan November … More BILL FORD ANNOUNCES NATIONAL ENERGY COUNCIL AT WEGE LECTURE. »

In the fall of 2007, United Growth for Kent County gave Peter M. Wege its Land Use Stewardship Award. The environmental land-use organization recognized … More PETER M. WEGE WINS STEWARDSHIP AWARD FROM UNITED GROWTH »

On November 27, the Guardian Angel Homes of Grand Rapids honored Peter M. Wege by giving him their first Grand Angel Award. Grand Angel … More GUARDIAN ANGEL HOMES Names Peter M. Wege its first Grand Angel »

On October 22, 2007, Peter Wege realized every man’s dream. He became the Chief of the Grand Rapids Fire Department, complete with his name … More GRAND RAPIDS’ FIRST HONORARY FIRE CHIEF: PETER M. WEGE »

In the early 1990s, four women, mothers and grandmothers, realized Grand Rapids, Michigan, needed a place for children to play in creative and hands-on … More THE GRAND RAPIDS CHILDREN’S MUSEUM: Ten Years Later »

Elizabeth Edwards met with members of The Wege Foundation, Ellen Satterlee, Executive Director on the left and Terri McCarthy, VP of Programs on the … More ELIZABETH EDWARDS VISITS GILDA’S CLUB »

The September 14, 2007, Grand Rapids Press announced the opening of the Grand Rapids Ballet Company’s new 300-seat Peter Martin Wege Theatre, named for … More GRAND RAPIDS PRESS HEADLINE: “BALLET COMPANY’S NEW THEATRE TAKES A BOW” »

Wege Foundation Actively Fostering LEED-Certified Projects (Grand Rapids Business Journal’s front-page headline August 20, 2007) With a color photograph of the new Grand Rapids … More NEW GRAM MAKES WAVES IN GREEN CONSTRUCTION: »

ECONOMICOLOGY Enters a Global Curriculum at City High In the 1990s, Peter Wege coined the word “economicology” to define the balance the world must … More THE FIRST PILLAR – EDUCATION »

HEALING OUR WATERS What began as Peter M. Wege’s vision to save the Great Lakes by inviting 70 environmentalists to a Grand Rapids conference … More THE SECOND PILLAR: THE ENVIRONMENT »

The Wege Foundation’s signature gift in the Arts & Culture area of interest is the new Grand Rapids Art Museum. Even before the ribbon … More THE THIRD PILLAR: ARTS & CULTURE »

Saint Mary’s Health Care In the 1950s, Peter M. Wege gave his first gift to Saint Mary’s by printing the hospital’s bulletin. Wege was … More THE FOURTH PILLAR: HEALTH CARE »

THE FIFTH PILLAR: COMMUNITY SERVICE The Wege Foundation’s Fifth Pillar is Community Service. Peter Wege’s name is well known in the inner city of Grand … More THE FIFTH PILLAR: COMMUNITY SERVICE »