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Reporter Jocelyn Frank shared Deidre Hosek's story as an example of how public-private partnerships have helped people find work in Michigan but Eight Forty-Eight asked, what about Chicago?

As the Great Lakes region continues to face high rates of unemployment, many manufacturing workers find themselves laid off and lacking credentials to find new work. State-funded agencies are teaming up with community colleges and private businesses to help get workers back into jobs.

All week, Front and Center looked at the real-life challenges facing workers in the Great Lakes region.As part of that conversation, North Country Public Radio’s Brian Mann has been on the road talking to people on the Canadian side of the border.

Front and Center continues this week with a look across the Canada-U.S. border. One of the questions being asked is why communities on the Canadian side of the Great Lakes region seemed to be faring so much better economically than cities and workers on the U.S. side.

It is often said there is strength in numbers.  In this global age, cities, states and countries are learning they can often accomplish more by working together.  But balkanization, competition and lack of coordination often prevent genuine cooperation.The eight American states and two Can

 Throughout the Great Lakes region, a swampy, unassuming grassland habitat known as a wetland plays a vital role in preserving the Great Lakes ecosystem.Wetlands act as natural filters, cleaning Great Lakes water, and mitigating flooding while providing wildlife habitat.But over the past two ce

 All week we’ve been talking about how the Great Lakes region can capitalize on its pristine environment. But across the Upper Midwest, mining companies are prospecting for iron, copper, nickel and rare earth metals. This new mining boom promises to jump-start stalled local economies.