As we begin a new calendar year and continue the school year, we are grateful to those supporters who donated to our Foundation at the end of 2012. We appreciate that you made our mission to fund programs that benefit Detroit students a giving priority.
We are so pleased that many donors were drawn to our mission after learning of our Foundation through our Brick Program. Support for their specific schools led them to support the early childhood, arts and culture, STEM (science, technology, engineering and math) and other important programs, through the Foundation.
Through the year, I want to keep you updated on the programs we’re funding that are only made possible because of the financial support of our individual and business donors. A new example is a grant we just awarded to the DPS Police Department.
This grant will allow students from Detroit middle schools to visit DPS Police Headquarters via field trips that the schools otherwise would not be able to provide. This will help young people – at an especially pivotal age – understand safety and personal responsibility. They will have the opportunity to discuss some of the most important issues to students of middle school age, including bullying and gun safety.
This is an example of how we deliver on our mission of funding programs outside of the core curriculum that offer great benefits to Detroit students both inside and outside of the classroom. Thank you for your interest and what we are doing. I look forward to reporting on new successes in 2013.