This grant will enable the staff of Mott Middle/Early College High School to continue its replication and research efforts. Through a partnership with the State of Michigan, Mott Middle/Early College High School administrative staff will direct the Center for Middle and Early College in Michigan, which provides technical assistance for the sixteen nascent middle/early college high schools and operates as a hub for national dissemination of Michigan's progress in the development of middle and early colleges. In response to requests to share its instructional model and innovative curriculum for high school students with school districts throughout Michigan, Mott Middle/Early College High School currently serves as a learning lab for "best practices" in high school reform, and represents a valuable resource for other school districts struggling to address the needs of disengaged students.

Through the Partnerships for Change project, the Land Information Access Association helps local governments in Michigan design and enact effective intergovernmental land-use planning and management policies and programs. This grant increase will allow the association to assist the citizens of the city of Ecorse, located in southeast Michigan, to envision a better future and become more actively involved in local decision-making processes.