Bright Ideas

Battle Creek Elementary Brings the Community to School

Zinta Aistars Saturday, February 02, 2013

At Prairieview Elementary in Battle Creek, the Developing the Community School Project uses a holistic approach to achieve school success.

Early Childhood Education, Education, Healthcare & Wellness, School Readiness

Sustainability: The Next Generation

Matthew Piper Sunday, January 27, 2013

Detroit kids are into transformational change, getting turned on by green living science projects and taking positive ownership of their neighborhoods.

Enrichment Programs

Dreams Come True and Grades Improve at the Creative Youth Center

Victoria Mullen Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Story-writing workshops. Screenwriting workshops. Journalism classes. These are just a taste of what Grand Rapid's Creative Youth Center does to enrich at-risk kids’ lives.

Arts & Culture, Enrichment Programs

Dino's: Feeding Fans And School Kids Alike

Nicole Rupersburg Thursday, January 10, 2013

Dino's restaurant has been a beloved Ferndale fixture for over a decade. When the recession hit, owner Dean 'Dino' Bach started catering to keep his employees working and, unexpectedly, discovered a whole new business opportunity: providing healthy lunches to school kids.

Food, Nutrition & Nutrition Education

Makerspace culture for kids

Amy Kuras Saturday, January 05, 2013

The Mt. Elliott Makerspace in Detroit is nothing short of a place for transforming lives and handing kids the tools for determining their own future.

Arts & Culture

D.A. Blodgett - St. John's: 125 Years of Helping Kids

J. Bennett Rylah Monday, December 17, 2012

Twenty-five perent of children in Kent County are living in poverty. In the face of this startling statistic, D.A. Blodgett - St. John's, West Michigan's oldest child welfare organization, strives to make a difference.

Child Advocacy, Education, Family Stability & Independence, Financial Stability, Healthcare & Wellness, Housing

Happy Holidays from Michigan Nightlight

Michigan Nightlight Monday, December 17, 2012

The Michigan Nightlight team is taking a holiday break to spend time with our families and friends. We’ll be back on January 9, 2013, with more news, information and inspiration about the people, programs and projects that are making a difference in the lives of vulnerable kids.

Improving college access and completion for Michigan youth

Amy Elliott Bragg Monday, December 10, 2012

At the national, state, and local level, college access networks are leaving no stone unturned in an effort to increase college-going rates across Michigan and the entire nation.

Education, School Success

Fresh Food Fairy gives fresh perspective to veggies and fruits

Amie Heasley Tuesday, December 04, 2012

You don't have to clap your hands to keep the Fresh Food Fairy alive. Instead, Hether Frayer is doing what she can to make sure Kalamazoo children get it when it comes to fresh food so they can live longer themselves.

Education, Food, Healthcare & Wellness, Nutrition & Nutrition Education

Teaching kids about food from the ground up

Dawn Gorman Monday, November 26, 2012

Stephanie Reuter has melded her expertise and passion to create Grow. Cook. Learn., her exciting new Lansing business that uses a hands-on approach to teach kids about community, gardening, and cooking.

Education, Food, Healthcare & Wellness, Nutrition & Nutrition Education

Early Learning Neighborhood Collaborative prepares children for kindergarten and life

Heidi Stukkie Monday, November 12, 2012

When Dr. Nkechy Ezeh was growing up in Nigeria, they didn't have early childhood learning programs. No one knew what children were missing. Now that she lives in the U.S., what baffles her most is that we have early education, but not all children have access.

Early Childhood Education

Educating parents gives children their best shot

Margaret DeRitter Tuesday, November 06, 2012

The Great Start Plus program is designed to help Kalamazoo County families whose life situations put their preschool children at high risk of school failure. Margaret DeRitter talks to parents who are learning they can be their child's best teacher.

Early Childhood Education, Education, Parenting, Volunteerism

Saginaw youth a FORCE for positive change

Jeff Barr Tuesday, October 30, 2012

A young people's advisory board, part of the Saginaw Community Foundation, is making a difference. That's thanks in large part to a Kellogg grant which challenges the youth in the community to develop their own programs.

Community & Civic Engagement, Volunteerism

WorkZone Helps Youth Get Ready For Employment

Patrick Dunn Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Finding work in today's job market is tough enough. For at-risk teens, it can seem impossible. WorkZone, a program created and run by Ozone House in Ypsilanti, helps young adults to develop job-seeking skills and hone them through training and paid internships.

Employment and Job Training

Planting Seeds of Promise

Heidi Stukkie Saturday, October 13, 2012

Seeds of Promise, a Grand Rapids nonprofit organization that calls itself an urban community improvement laboratory, has recently received a grant to begin a self-sustaining, community-governance program in the area surrounding Dickinson School. Board President Ron Jimmerson explains their strategy.

Community & Civic Engagement