Education

Educational institutions play a central role in growing a knowledge-based economy and encouraging a more engaged citizenry. As anchor institutions, colleges and universities bring opportunities for entertainment, arts and culture, healthcare and recreation, and serve as engines of economic development.

Make Your Case for Education

Start a conversation on education in your community. Here are some talking points to share with neighbors, organizations and local government officials:

• Building stronger partnerships between schools, the community, nonprofits and social services has strong financial, social and educational benefits.
• Children who participate in afterschool programs demonstrate greater gains in math and reading than non-participants.
• Academic performance, attendance, parental involvement and school safety improve when schools take a “whole child” and community approach to education.

Quick Stats

• For every $1 a school system spends on partnerships, it sees a return of $4 in the value of the services the district receives.
• Children’s Aid Community Schools consisted of more than $10 million in investments but benefits were calculated to nearly $51 million.
• Peak hours for violent juvenile crime and victimization are between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.

Additional Resources

A wide variety of resources on education are available on our Resources and Tools page.

Get Inspired

The following case studies demonstrate some creative uses of education in Michigan communities.

NEW! SEEDS Programs Empower Youth to Create Positive Change in their Community (Traverse City area)
The nonprofit SEEDS – Seeking Ecology Education and Design – empowers at-risk youth to make a difference in their community through After School Education and SEEDS Youth Conservation Corps programs. 

NEW! The Starting Block Kitchen Incubator (Hart) The Starting Block is a non-profit kitchen incubator that aims to help grow small business to eventually become long-term sustainable companies in the food systems and natural resources sector.
 The Berston Bicycle Club Project (Flint) The Berston Bicycle Club Project gives Flint youth the opportunity to learn about bicycling, healthy living, road safety and their community. Students who complete the program can take home a bike and the safety gear that goes along with it.
Artist Village Detroit The Artist Village serves as a creative hub for artists, students, business owners, and neighbors living and working in the heart of Old Redford. A once abandoned commer­cial strip serves as the center of the village and houses the historic Redford Theatre, a small coffee shop, vintage clothing store, and an art education program.
Clark Park Coalition (Detroit) This grassroots, nonprofit coalition has grown to offer positive activities for nearly a thousand neighborhood youth each year.
Frankfort Historic Landmarks Arts Center The Elizabeth Lane Oliver Center for the Arts is a re-purposed Coast Guard Station and serves as a popular community hub for residents and visitors.  The regional arts community has two galleries and three classroom spaces for art, music, literature, dance and exercise classes, as well as a professional test kitchen for the culinary arts.