More than seventy representatives from twelve Great Lakes islands recently attended a summit in September of 2017 on Beaver Island, off the coast of Michigan, to talk about the Great Lakes Island Initiative. The mission of this emerging organization is to support a coalition of Islands dedicated to forming a better understanding of shared problems and possible solutions.
The work to organize and launch a Great Lakes Islands Initiative is currently supported by the Northland College Center for Rural Communities, the Michigan Office of the Great Lakes, the Island Institute of Maine, and community members from Great Lakes islands. An Island Fellowship program is one component of the Initiative.