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MICA Bicentennial Weekend Starts Next Friday! 🎉
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You’ve seen the schedule. You may have even thought, “That sounds cool,” before immediately returning to whatever was due in six hours. So here’s the shortcut:
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🎨Hear from the artists: Jen Stark ’05 and Jeff Koons ’76
🚇Do the weird one: Going Underground: The Underbelly Project
💼Think about what comes next: Creative Entrepreneurship: Alumni in Conversation
🥳Be part of the 200th: Find your class, dress your decade and join the Parade of Classes
🥂Keep Saturday night going: Students age 21+ can enjoy Taste of MICA for free (normally $25). Just show your valid ID at the door.
🎙️Finish with a story: Stoop Storytelling Live at MICA
That’s the shortlist. There’s plenty more happening, but if you’ve been waiting to decide what you’re actually doing, now’s the time.
Pick your things. Register. Then get back to that deadline.
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| MAKE YOUR MICA BICENTENNIAL WEEKEND PLANS |
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Stoop Storytelling comes to MICA!
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During MICA Bicentennial Weekend, keep the celebration going on Sunday, October 11, with a special Stoop Storytelling at 2 p.m. This live event features MICA "people telling their extraordinary true tales of their lives" as working artists and MICA alumni.
The lineup for this exciting show is Taha Heydari '16, Monika Ikegwu '20, Katie Pumphrey '09, Artie Sadahiro '26, and Faculty Tony Shore '93. Plus musical guests Micah E. Wood '09 and Eze Jackson. Come and stay for these magical stories and music!
Get your ticket as part of the Bicentennial Weekend or attend this event alone.
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| STOOP STORYTELLING TICKETS |
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Volunteer for MICA Bicentennial Weekend!
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Help us welcome alumni, families, students and friends back to campus for MICA Bicentennial Weekend! We're looking for faculty and staff volunteers to help throughout the day on Saturday, October 10, with three-hour shifts available from 9am - 9 p.m.
As a thank-you, volunteers will receive complimentary access to MICA Bicentennial Weekend events when they're not volunteering, plus free lunch on Saturday, regardless of shift time.
Give us three hours and spend the rest of the Weekend celebrating 200 years of MICA with us!
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| VOLUNTEER HERE |
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Creative Entrepreneurship and Social Innovation Conference Now Free to Faculty, Staff, and Students
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October 2–3, 2026
We are excited to personally invite you and your students to an Annual Creative Entrepreneurship & Social Innovation Conference (CESI).
With our theme, "Envisioning the Creative Economy: Define It, Create It, Impact It," we have created a special conference for visual, performing, literary, and technical artists and for those artists whose craft has yet to be defined. So whether you are a new, emerging or seasoned artist, this weekend was curated with you in mind. We will have networking opportunities, inspirational talks, an art market, and even a special awards ceremony honoring those in the creative ecosystem. Best of all, this conference is now available for free for faculty, staff, and students.
MICA Faculty, Staff, and Students can attend the CESI conference for free.You must register with MICA email.
This conference focuses on the resources, practices, and pathways that help creative entrepreneurs build sustainable careers. Additionally, all attendees will have the opportunity to connect with state and regional partners who fund, advise, and invest in artists, including the U.S. Small Business Administration's Baltimore District Office, Maryland Capital Enterprises, the Maryland Women's Business Center, the Black Arts District, and the Maryland State Arts Council.
If you know community partners who would benefit from this conference, a new community partner code (MICA-Partner26) provides a $25 discount, bringing the conference cost to approximately $50 for two days of professional development.
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| REGISTER HERE |
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24-Hour Access to Continue at Lazarus
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The Provost Team heard critical feedback from graduate students and has decided to maintain 24-hour access to Lazarus. Changes previously communicated about operating hours will not take effect on October 1.
The intent was to be responsible stewards of the building: to lower energy use, advance our sustainability goals, and make more efficient use of staff during late-night hours. Conversations about building hours had been an area where they thought there was alignment; however, the significant feedback received in recent days made clear that swipe card data does not accurately reflect how the building is used overnight.
The Provost Team appreciated hearing from students and wants to learn more about how studios are used. An in-person conversation on September 30 at 3 p.m., in Lazarus Auditorium, will let them dig deeper and make sure future decisions about Lazarus reflect how the building supports student work. The conversation will review building usage, security, and sustainability. Student perspectives are essential to getting things right.
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The Passing of Dan Dudrow
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We just learned that Dan Dudrow, Artist, Mentor, emeritus faculty member of MICA’s Painting Department, and 1963 Hoffberger graduate, passed away from cancer on Monday, September 7th.
In addition to mentoring generations of students who kept in touch with him long after graduating, Dan was an amazingly hard-working artist who maintained an ongoing and consistent studio practice until recently. Dan served MICA in various ways and even stepped in as Dean at one point. His work is currently on view in a show in the Russo Gallery, Winter Visual Arts Center, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, PA.
Our thoughts are with his family, friends and all the students who learned from him over his decades of mentorship. A memorial is being planned and we will share that information when it comes available.
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| CURRENT SHOW ON VIEW |
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MICA On-demand Merch Store
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Don't forget to get your MICA Merch! Choose your color, logo and size. We are constantly adding new items!
If you are looking for a specific item, send us an email at communications@mica.edu with the subject "MICA Merch idea," and we'll look into adding it.
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| SHOP ONLINE |
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Jennifer Schmidt, Undergraduate Speaker Series, Fine Arts
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Monday September 28, 2026, 12-1pm in Falvey Hall
Please join us for a lecture by Jennifer Schmidt, hosted by Fine Arts and sponsored by the Undergraduate Speaker Series. Jennifer Schmidt is a multi-disciplinary artist living in Brooklyn, NY, who works with print media, graphic design, textiles, writing, and sound to create site-responsive installations, multiples, video, and performances that question the role of visual iconography and repetitive actions within a given environment. Her current research explores the role of industrial, digital, and photographic technology in thinking about print and multiplicity within a circular economy of images, materials, and ideas.
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2027 UP/Start Venture Competition Info Session
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Monday, September 28 6pm-7pm
Join us for a virtual information session about the 2027 UP/Start Venture Competition! Learn more about the application process, eligibility requirements, accelerator program, and how you can compete for a share of $105,000 in seed funding to launch your creative business. Come see how the UP/Start Venture Competition can help get your creative business dreams in motion. Open to MICA classes of 2026 and 2027.
Register at the link below.
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| REGISTER HERE |
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Closing on Tuesday
Making America Again: So Strong, So Brave, So True
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On view: August 28 - September 29
Sheila & Richard Riggs Gallery
Making America Again: So Strong, So Brave, So True, includes artwork by a representative cohort of Ford/Philip Morris Foundation Fellow for Artists of Color (1985-1999), whose careers have had a decided impact in the global art world. The exhibition was curated by Dr. Leslie King Hammond, Graduate Dean Emerita and Founder of Center for Race and Culture, and Dr. Lowery Stokes Sims, Curator Emerita, Museum of Arts and Design.
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DEVOTED: 20 Years of The McMillan-Stewart Endowed Chair in Painting Exhibition
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On view: August 28 - October 11
Decker Gallery, Fox Building
As a part of our year-long Bicentennial Celebration, MICA will bring together–for the first time–the work of 29 women artists who have made lasting connections with the school and its community. DEVOTED celebrates the open, unstinting exchanges fostered by the chairship.
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Double Life: Mikita Brottman in Conversation with Jane Lewty
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October 1 at 7 pm
Enoch Pratt Central Library, Poe Reading Room
400 Cathedral Street, Baltimore
Author and psychoanalyst Mikita Brottman explores the corrosive and sometimes deadly nature of obsessive love and deep hatred in a Double Life: The Anatomy of a Premeditated Murder. The book, to be released on September 29, examines the 2015 murder of Florida physician Teresa Sievers, whose seemingly successful family life concealed marital tensions and complicated relationships.
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Ocarina Making Workshop
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October 2, 5 - 8PM
Jubilee Arts, 1947 Pennsylvania Avenue, Baltimore
Free ocarina making workshop hosted by France Merrick Fellow, Bella Bailey, in partnership with Jubilee Arts. Learn how to make your own ceramic instrument. All supplies included. Register using the QR code on the poster, as there are limited spots available.
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| REGISTER HERE |
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CATALYST - Exhibition by Center for Mission & Community Education
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On View: October 1 - 28
Reception: October 5, 3 - 5 PM
Mosher Living Room, 1st Floor, 81 Mosher Building
What brings us together? The Center for Mission & Community Education invites the MICA community to CATALYST, this year’s Fall Mission Exhibition, curated by Campus Community Fellows. CATALYST shows how people coming together and acting as neighbors holds power and manifests into action. Featured work explores themes involving connection, collaboration, belonging, gathering, and collective action. What different ways do humans connect to create something meaningful? How can we as artists create spaces for encounter, dialogue, participation and collective reflection? What possibilities arise when different perspectives, experiences, and ideas meet around a shared purpose?
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Birth of the Black Butterfly: Film Screening and Discussion
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Thursday, October 1, 1-2pm
Brown 320
This short mixed animated film follows a young film crew documenting the forgotten chaos that ensued when a black lawyer, George McMechen dared to move into an all-white neighborhood (near MICA) in 1910. The crew documents the white pushback, including the nation’s first redlining laws, making connections between the segregationist policies of 100 years ago and the housing inequalities and gentrification confronting Baltimore today. The film asks: “What can be done about the prohibitive forces that were unleashed in the 19th century that are still prevalent today?”
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#IWillListen
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Week-long program: October 5 - 9, 2026
#IWillListen Community Day, Wednesday, October 7 National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore), MICA Student Counseling and MICA Wellness. Meet your campus staff, faculty, student leaders, and leadership as they wear the #IWillListen shirts in support of your mental health.
College Mental Health Awareness Fair:
October 7th, 11:30 am-1:00 pm
Location: Fox and Meyerhoff Buildings - Lobby Area
Let's join together in promoting #IWillListen on campus in supporting student mental health and removing barriers from seeking help. Meet & Greet, Resources, Free Giveaways, and More.
Resource Stations can be found in Fox, Meyerhoff and Lazarus lobby areas - October 5 - 9, 2026
Take a moment to collect resources in supporting your mental health. Learn about #IWillListen Campaign and upcoming events that promote advocacy for College Mental Health.
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Game Night this Friday!
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Friday, October 2nd, 6 to 9 p.m.
Presented by Decker Library and Student Counseling Center at the Decker Library Unplug, play, and connect with fellow MICA students at Game Night, where board games, card games, D&D, pizza, and great company make it easy to relax and build new friendships. Decker Library and Student Counseling Center make this an event not to be missed!
Register through the MICA App link below
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Make an Impact: MICA Day of Service Returns
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Tuesday, October 13, from 9:00 am – 3:30 pm during Fall Break!
Join MICA students, staff, and faculty for Fall Day of Service. Check-in and project transportation will begin at BBOX. Across Baltimore, volunteers will work alongside community partners on hands-on projects including mural painting, neighborhood greening, park beautification, art room preparation, and creating vibrant painted boards for vacant homes. An additional installation day with the West North Avenue Development Authority will take place Saturday, October 17, from 10:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Spots are limited, so register through the Day of Service registration form and sign up early! Bring your creativity, energy, and commitment to being a good neighbor.
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Celebrate National Coming Out Day at MICA!
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Thursday, October 8, from 11 a.m.–1 p.m
Cohen Plaza
Join MICA Student Counseling Center and Office of Mission and Community Learning on for MICA’s National Coming Out Day celebration!
Come Make, Connect, & Explore with LGBTQIA+ organizations, artists, businesses, and resources from across Baltimore and right here at MICA.
Meet community partners including FreeState Justice, Dreams & Visions and the Skylight Boutique, Iron Crow Theatre, Creative Alliance, Red Emma’s, BWillow, SCRAP BMore, Dreamers & Make-Believers, and many more. Enjoy activities, discover local resources and queer-friendly spaces, visit MICA departments, and complete your event passport for a chance to win prizes! Stop by, bring a friend, and celebrate Baltimore’s LGBTQIA+ community with us!
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Visiting Artist Talk: Vincent Cianni
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Thursday, October 8, 1pm
Brown 320
Please join us for a lecture by photographer Vincent Cianni on his publication, Archive/Journal: 1985-1995/2001, a two-volume title that brings together two bodies of work. Volume 1, "Archive 1985-1995," reproduces 80 black-and-white photographs of the NYC Pride marches during the height of the AIDS epidemic. Volume 2, "Journal: 1985-2001," features personal narratives from Cianni's journals and visual stories of lovers and friends who were living with or who died from AIDS, reflecting on his journey with HIV and his experience with activism surrounding HIV/AIDS from the same period as the Pride photographs.
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Creative Alchemy: Reaching Through the Wire
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Opening Reception: November 2, 2026, 6:00 – 7:30 pm Exhibition: November 2, 2026 – February 25, 2027
81 Mosher, 1st Floor
Creative Alchemy: Reaching Through the Wire is an exhibition presented by MICA’s Center for Mission & Community Education in partnership with Jessup Correctional Institution (JCI), featuring artwork by individuals currently or formerly incarcerated at JCI. Through art and storytelling, the exhibition explores transformation, lived experience, and connection across physical and institutional boundaries.
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STUDENT SUCCESS & OPPORTUNITIES /
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Between the Pages: A Create Your Own Note/Sketchbook Event
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Wednesday, September 30, 2-3:30 p.m.
81 Mosher, 2nd floor
Presented by the Student Counseling Center and the Writing Studio! Design a personalized notebook filled with scheduling tools, time management strategies, guided writing prompts, and self-care resources to support your academic and personal well-being.
Register on the MICA app.
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| REGISTER HERE |
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Apply for the Arts in Leadership Fellowship
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Due Date for Applications is October 22, 2026
The MICA Arts in Leadership Fellowship is a competitive, paid four-year opportunity preparing students to become socially engaged artists, creative leaders, and nonprofit professionals. Fellows receive a stipend each year while working alongside Baltimore community organizations and developing leadership, project management, and grant writing skills.
Through hands-on experiences, Fellows build professional experience, meaningful relationships with community partners, and the skills needed to create sustainable impact. By graduation, Fellows have a strong network, a portfolio of real-world projects, and practical experience that can distinguish them in graduate school and the creative workforce.
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Call for designers, graphic designers and photographers
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Application deadline is October 2nd
Apply to be a Fashion Designer, Photographer, Graphic Designer. Click the link below for more information.
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MICA and MTA’s All Access Student Transit Pass!
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This Academic Calendar Year: The MTA’s All Access Student Transit Pass allows enrolled students at MICA to purchase a 31-day transit pass for $57.00. Activate the pass whenever you need it and travel for 31 consecutive days.
The All Access Student Transit Pass provides students with unlimited, discounted travel throughout the Baltimore metropolitan area, making it easy to get to school, shopping, sporting events, and other activities. It is valid for unlimited use on MTA CityLink, LocalLink, Express BusLink, Light Rail, and Metro Subway throughout the duration of the pass.
Unfortunately, The MTA All Access Student Transit Pass is not accepted on MARC Train service. MTA’s All Access Student Passes are exclusively available for purchase through the CharmPass mobile app. They are not sold at the MTA Transit Store or other pass sales locations.
CharmPass is the official mobile ticketing app for MDOT MTA. CharmPass is free to download for Apple and Android devices.
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HEALTH, WELLNESS AND SAFETY /
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Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) U Know?
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Wednesday, October 7, 2:30 to 3:30 pm
Private Dining, Meyerhoff
As part of I Will Listen, join us for a casual meetup centered on Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID). Connect with others, challenge misconceptions, and build community in a welcoming, low-pressure space. Lived experience, allies, and curious learners are all welcome—come to talk, listen, or just be.
Questions? email: counseling@mica.edu
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COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS AND PARTNERSHIPS /
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MICA Students: Open Call for Events, Performances, and Art Markets at the YNot Lot!
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MICA Students, Staff, and Faculty!
Did you know that the YNot lot has an open call for events, performances, and art markets?
Fill out the link on our page for more! The Open Call is open from September 28 - November 30, 2026.
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| MORE INFO |
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OPPORTUNITIES FOR ENGAGEMENT /
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Paid Community Engagement Opportunity
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Interested in spooky face painting? Love working with kids? Want to make some extra cash on a Saturday? Come join the South Baltimore Halloween Bash at Riverside Park on October 24, 2026 as a face painter! The Riverside Neighborhood Association is looking for two awesome, friendly and creative MICA students to paint faces for four hours at the SoBo Halloween Bash. Compensation at $50/hour. For more details, email mippolito@mica.edu
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Oh, Pearl!, Debut Picture Book from
Alania Caridad Hinckson
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Alania Caridad Hinckson (MICA Illustration '24) has published their debut picture book, Oh, Pearl!. It is a joyful, body-positive story about friendship, confidence, and celebrating what makes us unique, brought to life through Alania’s beautiful paper collage, gouache, and watercolor artwork.
If you’re interested in purchasing the book, the publisher, Picnic Heist, is offering a 20% off promotion using the code “MICA”
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Here are a few quick notes around submissions:
You may make your submissions as far in advance as you would like. But please make sure to select an issue date within a few weeks of the event.
ONLY the information in the "Submission Title" and "Submission Copy" fields plus your link and image will be included in the newsletter. The other fields in the form are for organizational purposes only.
If you are submitting an event, please make sure to include the date, time and location of the event in the copy. If all 3 are not present, your submission will not be included. We may not have the opportunity to contact you for clarification.
Please keep your submission titles to about 30 characters and your copy to under 100 words. This is meant to be a quick read. It's is, after all, called the MICA Minute!
As a reminder, the MICA Minute is for things happening over the next few weeks or for quick announcements. There are other avenues for bigger stories that require more space; the MICA Stories portal for instance. Think of it this way, the MICA Minute is for the WHO, WHAT and WHEN. MICA Stories go beyond that and include the HOW and WHY.
Here are the links to those 2 forms
Don't forget to submit your events to the Event's Calendar here in order to be listed on the website and the MICAapp. The newsletter and the events calendar are not connected and require different information.
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