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Lake Michigan College Community Profile
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Lake Michigan College's district has a
population of nearly 177,000 and extends along the Lake
Michigan shoreline from the Indiana line, north 60 miles
to South Haven. It encompasses all of Berrien County along
with the communities of Covert Township in Van Buren County,
and the South Haven School District.
Located on the Chicago/Detroit, Grand Rapids/Indianapolis
juncture, the region provides residents with the best
of both worlds: a small town lifestyle with easy access
to metropolitan amenities just 90 minutes away in Chicago
and Grand Rapids, and 3 hours away in Detroit and Indianapolis.
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Recreation & Quality of Life
Four distinct seasons are celebrated in Michigan's southwest.
With the Blossomtime Festival in the spring; water sports,
art festivals, antiquing and live outdoor music during
the summer; spectacular fall colors during the autumn
months; and ice skating and ice carving festivals in the
winter, southwest Michigan has something for everyone.
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Beyond the sailing, fishing, and swimming
afforded by nearby Lake Michigan and inland lakes, other
activities include biking on trails and on country roads,
golf at some of the Midwest's best courses and resorts,
and wine tours and tasting at the many wineries in the area.
A wide variety of agriculture has made locally grown crops
a major attraction for tourists and local residents alike
with farm tours, u-pick orchards, and roadside fruit stands.
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There is also rich arts community with galleries and studios dotting
the landscape throughout the region. Nationally know artisans in
glass blowing, sculpture, painting, and photography call southwest
Michigan their home base.
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The Lake Michigan College Mendel
Center serves as a year-around cultural center for the region.
In addition to the world-class entertainment programs put
on by the College through its Mainstage season, the Mendel
Center serves as the home of the Southwest Michigan Symphony
Orchestra. It also is the home of the Economic Club of Southwest
Michigan which brings in top-name political and social speakers
each year including former United States presidents, international
political leaders, national news correspondents, best-selling
authors, and sports and entertainment icons. |
Economy
Berrien County and the surrounding areas rely on manufacturing,
residential and commercial developments, recreation and tourism,
agriculture, and service industries to fuel the economy.
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The diverse range of businesses includes plastics, tool
and die, scientific equipment, automotive component production,
and food processing. The region is also serviced by several
chambers of commerce including Cornerstone
Chamber Services, Four
Flags Area Chamber of Commerce, and the South
Haven Chamber of Commerce.
Major employers include Whirlpool Corporation with its
world headquarters in Benton Harbor, Lakeland Regional Health
Systems, Michigan Pizza Hut Inc., American Electric Power/Cook
Nuclear Plant, and Bosch Braking Systems.
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The Lake Michigan College district
includes 17, K-12 school districts as well as several private
and charter schools. The College works closely with these
schools s as well as many others that lie outside of the College's
district.
With the Lake Michigan resource and over 300
inland rivers, lakes, and streams, the region is a popular
destination for visitors from throughout the Midwest, especially
the Chicagoland and Indiana areas. The area's central location
is serviced by major interstate highways, airports, rail,
and shipping channels, contributing to easy access to and
from the area. A strong network of restaurants, hotels,
bed and breakfasts, and recreational businesses serve year-around
residents, visitors, and a growing group of second home
residents.
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People
The population of the area has remained relatively stable over
the past few decades. Of the population over the age of 24 within
the College's district, 81.3 percent are high school graduates
or higher compared to the national average of 80.4 percent. Within
that same group, 19.3 percent hold bachelor's degrees or higher
compared to the national average of 24.4 percent.
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Population: 176,680
- White: 141,202 (79.9%)
- Black: 28,243 (16.0%)
- American Indian and Alaska Native: 808 (0.5%)
- Asian: 1,917 (1.1%)
- Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander: 73 (0%)
- Other: 2,391 (1.4%)
- Two or more races: 2,046 (1.2%)
Hispanic or Latino (of any race): 6,043 (3.4%)
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Census 2000 Summary
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Other Educational Institutions
The Lake Michigan College district includes 17, K-12 school districts
as well as several private and charter schools. The College works
closely with these districts as well as many districts that lie
outside of the College's in-district area.
The College is also within an hour's drive of major
public and private universities including Western Michigan University,
Kalamazoo College, the University of Notre Dame, Saint Mary's
College, Indiana University - South Bend, and Andrews University
in Berrien Springs.
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