Grand Rapids, MI (December 2025) —When a student at STEM Greenhouse solved a math problem that stumped even Dr. Keli Christopher – a Ph.D. engineer and the program’s founder – it wasn’t just a classroom victory. It was proof of what can happen when young people are given the right tools, time and belief.
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Alpena, MI (June 2025) —A third grader crouches beside a tank, steadying the controls of an underwater robot he helped build with his classmates. As it dips beneath the surface, he guides it through a simulated mission – focused, confident, completely immersed. In that moment, he isn’t struggling to sit still or catch up on reading – he’s a navigator, a problem-solver, a leader. “That’s what drives me,” says Daniel Moffatt, Stewardship & Education Specialist at the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary. “Watching a kid suddenly light up because he’s building something, doing something, solving something. You know you’re witnessing transformation.”
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Detroit, MI (April 2025) — Every morning used to be a struggle for one Detroit father. His son, resistant to school, dreaded the idea of learning. But everything changed when the boy joined the Center for Success Network, a nonprofit dedicated to empowering youth through literacy. Before long, he was so excited about attending that he’d grab his backpack even on weekends, forgetting the Center wasn’t open. Stories like this are exactly why the Center for Success Network exists: to make literacy a fun, life-changing experience for youth in Detroit and Pontiac.
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Detroit, MI (August 2024)—Forbes named it #1 of the top ten healthiest sports. It’s a calorie burner, a flexibility booster, a mental toughness builder, and so much more. It’s squash. At Racquet Up Detroit, squash isn't just a game – it's a catalyst for unleashing youth potential. Participants enjoy world-class coaching, robust academic support and character-building activities from the 5th grade all the way through graduation from high school and college.
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Kalamazoo, MI (May 2024)—At a recent parent focus group in an underserved corner of Kalamazoo, families in need were asked a simple question: “What are the barriers to engaging your family with KRESA services?” A brave female raised her hand with an emotional answer: fear of judgment and stigma. This mother of young ones worried that a home visit by KRESA to assess needed services would result in criticism of her family’s housing predicament and reporting of her living situation – so she avoided them, foregoing services her family truly needs. Other parents nodded in agreement. Creating common spaces for these visits emerged as a solution.
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Detroit, MI (March 2024)—When chef Molly Mitchell is whipping up a meal in the sparkling new commercial kitchen at the Downtown Boxing Gym, it’s not uncommon to find 10 eager helpers by her side. “What are you making? Can I be your assistant? What new techniques can you teach us?” These budding chefs are so curious and excited to be a part of the journey from prep to plate, they’re happy to take on any task, even the small ones, like folding towels and sorting silverware.
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Detroit, MI (May 2023)—Derek Aguirre, Executive Director of Racquet Up Detroit (RUD), has a picture hanging on his office wall that means a lot to him. It’s 2010 and he’s standing with a class of 5th graders in the MacDowell Elementary School gymnasium. He remembers trying to convince them to try out for Racquet Up Detroit – a new afterschool program in the neighborhood that combines squash with academics. SquashBusters began in Boston in 1996 and its successful youth development formula spread to more than 20 member programs across the country, including Racquet Up Detroit. “I remember the kids looking up at me thinking, “Who is this guy?” he says, with a laugh.
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Detroit, MI (January 2023)—Studies show that when it comes to college studies and careers in zoology, African Americans are enormously underrepresented. In fact, less than three percent of all zoology degrees are awarded to African American students. University Prep Schools, which has a 98 percent African American student population, wanted to change that statistic, and cultivate a strong pipeline from its science classrooms to university zoological studies and careers.
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Alpena, MI (April 2022)—“The best way to get someone to protect something is to get them to love it and the best way to get them to love it is for them to experience it.” That’s one of the mottos driving the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary (The Sanctuary), says Superintendent, Jeff Gray. Located in Alpena, the 4,300 square-mile, federally-protected marine sanctuary is the nation’s first freshwater sanctuary and contains over 200 of the world’s best-preserved historic shipwrecks.
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Detroit, MI (November 2021)—The COVID-19 pandemic proved to be an incredibly challenging time for students, parents and teachers alike. The stressors of online schooling and work-from-home set-ups created less than ideal environments for families. Luckily, spaces like the Downtown Boxing Gym (DBG) exist, a free academic and athletic program that provides Detroit students with the tools they need to succeed. Since 2007, the organization has provided tutoring, mentorship, enrichment programs, college and career prep, social-emotional skills building, and basic needs support.
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