Today is our 25th anniversary! In celebration of our first quarter of a century, we are beyond thrilled to share that we have secured $7,625,000 to continue our out-of-school-time programs for five years.
In addition to providing critical childcare after school, SEEDS EcoSchool provides academic and cultural enrichment after school four days per week during the school year plus six weeks of camp in the summer.
Thanks to funding from the Michigan Department of Education in collaboration with the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, this program will continue to be free for students at 12 schools across 6 Northern Michigan school districts.
$1.7 million for Benzie
The programs at Betsie Valley Elementary School and Benzie Central Middle School are funded for an additional five years and will serve students through the 2028-2029 school year. The program at Benzie Central High School received a grant last year that will allow us to continue to serve students there through the 2027-2028 school year.
$1.2 million for Forest Area
A five-year grant for Fife Lake Elementary School and Forest Area Middle School was secured in 2023, which will support the continuation of the program at both schools through the 2027-2028 school year.
$1.5 million for Kaleva & Mesick
The programs at Kaleva Norman Dickson Elementary School in Brethren and Floyd M. Jewett Elementary School in Mesick both received renewals of their funding through the 2028-2029 school year. Both of these programs have been open since 2014!
$2 million for Kalkaska
The programs at Rapid City Elementary School and Kalkaska Upper Elementary School received renewals of their funding through the 2028-2029 school year. The program at Kalkaska Middle School is returning for the first time since 2014, and is also funded through the 2028-2029 school year. SEEDS EcoSchool additionally provides out-of-school-time programming to students at Birch Street Elementary school on a payment basis.
$1.2 million for Marion
The funding for the program at Marion Elementary School was renewed and will serve students through the 2028-2029 school year. Last year, SEEDS EcoSchool secured a five-year grant that allowed it to expand to Marion Middle School. That funding will support the new program at the middle school through the 2027-2028 school year.
These grant dollars are a win for our rural youth and communities. As we look to the next five years and beyond, we are committed to continually nurture and inspire young minds across Northern Michigan. We believe that the work we do here sends positive ripples across the world, and together, we will continue to build a brighter future for all.
