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[/image_lightbox]What a joy it is to know that there IS a “DPS Foundation” working to raise badly needed funds for our Detroit Public School students and the vitally important services and programs they need and deserve — above and beyond what the DPS budget can provide!
Art, Music, Drama, Dance – just to name a few life-essential skills and experiences that we want EVERY child to have in abundance – are among the wonderful assets the DPS Foundation brings to our children – especially in schools where those services have long ago been cut. Exciting adventures in science, technology, tutoring, after school programs, mentoring, field trips, cultural and athletic experiences and recreational opportunities — above and beyond what the DPS budget can be stretched to cover — are badly needed for ALL our children.
Through the visionary leadership of Glenda Price, one of Detroit’s finest treasures, the DPS Foundation is here to fill the many gaps that exist in the operational budget that sometimes struggles to provide the basics. We know that our children deserve the BEST – not just the basics – and that every enhanced academic and extracurricular experience we can provide exposes them to the wonders of the world of the 21st century that awaits them. Knowing that these exciting options are there for them is motivating for our students and often inspires them to excel and seek college and career experiences of which they otherwise may never have dreamed or imagined.
My birth family was poor in resources but rich in ideas and commitment — and I was fortunate to have had piano lessons growing up. Because I loved it, this experience unexpectedly led me to be granted a full 4-year scholarship to college in piano performance, something that my parents could never have afforded. As the first in my entire extended family to attend college, I knew I was lucky – and even though my life and career have led me in directions far beyond Bach, Beethoven, Chopin and Brahms, my passion for music has centered me. It is embedded in my heart forever as a lifelong joy and has inspired me throughout my life.
The DPS Foundation will be able to make grants to provide more “art, music, drama, dance…” and countless other invaluable experiences for our children – — and one never knows which one will inspire which child. They ALL need this invaluable exposure to experiences that will enrich their lives forever and open doors for them that they never knew existed.
Let’s make it happen!