Posted on: September 28, 2020

Creating Access to After-School Arts Programming with Living Arts

Detroit, MI (September, 2020) After-school art programs matter — especially in Detroit, where only one of every two students receives arts or music education. In areas like Southwest Detroit, where students are vulnerable to high poverty and drop-out rates, there is both a greater need and a greater gap in opportunity. Research shows that a quality arts education has the potential to tremendously impact children who are vulnerable to these challenges.

Livi

Stories of Impact Natural Environment

Posted on: September 28, 2020

Restoring Rivers, Preserving Our Great Lakes with Conservation Resource Alliance

Traverse City, MI (September 2020)—In 1995, scientists warned that the Great Lakes were dangerously close to an “ecological tipping point.” They suggested that if nothing was done the entire ecological ecosystem would collapse. To reverse course, the same scientists suggested concurrent paths to resiliency: 1) restoring the rivers and tributaries that flow into the Great Lakes, and 2) preserving coastal wetlands.

Info

Stories of Impact Learning Initiatives

Posted on: June 3, 2020

Helping Children Read and Learn with the Downtown Boxing Gym

Detroit, MI (June 2020)— Khali Sweeney grew up in the Detroit Public Schools not knowing how to read or write. He remembers the narrative that was reinforced to him over and over again — “it doesn’t matter what you do, you’re going to be dead or in jail by the time you’re 21.” It’s a narrative he never forgot, and one of his motivations in creating the Downtown Boxing Gym.

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Stories of Impact Economic Vitality

Posted on: June 3, 2020

Accelerating the Growth of Small Food Start-Ups in Eastern Market

Detroit, MI (March 2020)—With its rich, 128-year history, Eastern Market is one of the most beloved destinations in Detroit — a vibrant pubic market that fosters community connections, celebrates Detroit’s diversity and showcases its food culture. Over the past 15 years, under the management of Eastern Market Corporation, the district has also emerged as one of Detroit’s leading centers for entrepreneurship of all kinds, particularly in the food industry.

Sinc

Stories of Impact Natural Environment

Posted on: June 3, 2020

Enhancing and Protecting Northern Michigan’s Most Valuable River Systems with Huron Pines

Grayling, MI (March 2020)—Clean water and healthy fish and wildlife populations are critical in making Michigan a great place to live, work, and visit. For 46 years, non-profit organization Huron Pines has been working to enhance and protect our valuable river resources in Northern Michigan. One of its priorities includes reconnecting coldwater brook trout streams, providing immediate benefit for rivers and aquatic life, and the communities that surround them.

In 2

Stories of Impact Economic Vitality

Posted on: January 8, 2020

Vacant Lot Redeveloped into Selden Courtyard, Part of a Larger Innovation Hub

In the heart of Detroit, Midtown, is one of the city’s most exciting commercial and residential districts. While burgeoning with pockets of creativity and culture, Midtown is yet to have a central area that supports innovation, collaboration and enterprise.

Stories of Impact Arts and Culture

Posted on: January 7, 2020

Expanding Access to the Arts in Detroit Public Schools with Pewabic Pottery

Detroit’s inner-city youth often lack access to the outlets for creativity and self-expression that are available to their peers in the suburbs. When these teens enter high school and college, they start with a social and cultural disadvantage compared with teens from more affluent families. Detroit Public Schools and Pewabic Pottery are working to address this inequity.

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Walters Family Foundation Learning Initiatives

Posted on: January 7, 2020

Bringing to Life a One-of-a-Kind Zoology Program at University Prep Schools

Detroit, MI (December 20, 2019)—“What we found in our research is that there isn't an urban school system and a large urban zoo partnering to create a zoology animal science program. So, we thought, ‘We're going to be the first."" Mark Ornstein, Chief Executive Officer, University Prep Schools

Stories of Impact Natural Environment

Posted on: December 20, 2019

Preserving Michigan’s Scenic Waterways Through Local Stewardship with American Rivers

Michigan is a state defined by water. While it is known for its connection to the Great Lakes, it’s also home to some of the most outstanding rivers in the United States: from the Au Sable, Manistee and Pere Marquette rivers in the south to the Presque Isle, Ontonagon, and Paint rivers in the Upper Peninsula. While boasting some 51,438 miles of rivers and streams, just one percent of these waterways are protected nationally as “Wild and Scenic.” Those that are designated need ongoing stewardship.

Stories of Impact Learning Initiatives

Posted on: December 6, 2018

Coaching Underserved Students to Success in College and in Life

The majority of jobs in Michigan – 62 percent – require a post-secondary education. Many underserved students are unable attain these jobs and the economic security that they will provide because they do not meet the education criteria. In community colleges, for example, only a fifth of students graduate. Students often struggle as they navigate complex college requirements and juggle the demands of work, family and financial obligations.