Preparing young students living in south Dearborn and southwest Detroit for college is the focus of a new collaborative pilot project. The Arab Community Center for Economic and Social Services (ACCESS) and Henry Ford Community College will offer "a for-credit college preparation course," which "aims to help students successfully transition to and complete community college education," from September 21 - December 17, 2010, from 3 - 4:30 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays, according to the class announcement. Instead of holding it at the community college, they will offer the class out in the community, at ACCESS Youth & Family Center, which might better access students living in the area.

"This geographic area was selected due to the high low-income and immigrant population in these communities," the announcement reads. It reports; "Data shows that youth and young adults in low income communities are less likely to enroll in college, and for those who do enroll, their chances of succeeding are low. The idea behind this initative is to 'bring the college to the community' to ease them into the experience, as well as to help them achieve academic success once enrolled."

The class is in no way exclusive to a particular race or ethnicity (they are targeting high school seniors and adults between the ages of 21 and 24 with a G.PA. between 1.8 and 3.2), however one could conclude from the fact that it is being held at ACCESS that the project will likely reach some of the Arab students living in South Dearborn, as well as students belonging to other minority groups in the area. For more information contact Justine Flores at jflores@accesscommunity.org.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info

The Michigan Humanities Council has awarded 13 public humanities projects with nearly $155,000 in grant money. The funding is supporting programs and exhibitions at museums, heritage festivals, research and publishing projects, theater programs, and other types of arts and culture programming in cities across Michigan. Find out what the 13 arts, cultural, and educational institutions plan to accomplish with the money. Recipients are spread out across the state in Sault Ste. Marie, Hancock, Marquette, Traverse City, Holland, Kalamazoo, Whitehall, Saginaw, East Lansing, Ann Arbor, Detroit, and Dearborn, MI. The money will go a long way towards ensuring that these culturally enriching projects succeed and fulfill their potential.

Also, the Arts & Humanities Touring Program is accepting grant applications for traveling exhibits and performances happening until September 30, 2010. The award supports “touring performers, artists, exhibitors, and humanities presenters listed in Michigan's 2009-2012 Arts & Humanities Touring Directory,” an online directory offered by the Michigan Humanities Council and the Michigan Council for Arts and Cultural Affairs. Eligible applicants include “any Michigan nonprofit organization, institution, school, library, museum, chamber, association, or local government agency” that is “the sponsoring organization,” according to the program’s website. Grant applications will be accepted through September 2, 2010.

Jennifer Eberbach is a professional journalist and writer. Find contact information on her website www.jenthewriter.info