May 4, 2026

A broad approach to K-12 can help Flint kids — and the entire community — thrive

Three girls smile as they look through books. — Students at Westwood Heights’ McMonagle Elementary School debuted a book they published about the Thrive Afterschool program. Photo: Jenifer Veloso

Every child in Flint should have as much opportunity to succeed as any child living in more affluent parts of Michigan or our nation. This belief has guided our local education work at the Mott Foundation for nearly a century, and as we celebrate our centennial, I’m inspired by how our community is working together to improve education for all Flint kids.

Educators, families, school boards and community partners are working side by side to strengthen educational opportunities for young people, from early childhood education to college and career training. The Mott Foundation is proud to support these collective efforts because we know that, when the community works together with a shared purpose, Flint kids thrive.

We’re proud of the support that we’ve provided to schools that serve Flint kids, like Flint Community Schools, Flint Cultural Center Academy, Genesee Early College and Mott Middle College. While we’ve long supported Flint’s early childhood, community education and higher education systems, we knew that expanding our grantmaking to strengthen Flint’s K-12 ecosystem was critical.

While Flint is home to more than 14,000 school-aged children, those kids attend school in more than 20 districts throughout Genesee County.

That’s why, several years ago, the Mott Foundation made a strategic shift in our grantmaking to focus on supporting Flint kids — no matter where they attend school. Our commitment to this new approach led us to create a new position on our staff. In 2021, Thomas Parker, a former superintendent with deep expertise in education, joined the Foundation as an executive in residence to help guide partnerships aimed at strengthening the education continuum in Flint.

In 2023, we supported the launch of the Flint Center for Educational Excellence with more than $10 million in initial grants. The Flint Center coordinates six critical initiatives: community education, afterschool programming, the Flint Early Childhood Collaborative, a parent collaborative, a community council on education and the Network for School Excellence.

The Network, in particular, is unique in how it brings together eight schools from six school districts that serve Flint kids to collaborate on improving outcomes. We’re seeing shared ideas from FCS, Flint Cultural Center Academy, International Academy of Flint, Westwood Heights Schools, Carman-Ainsworth Community Schools and Beecher Community School District. When educators share their expertise and learn from each other, all of their students benefit.

Two men, two women and one student smile and bend down to the camera after having cut the ribbon at the opening ceremony for a school building. — (From left to right) Flint Community Schools Superintendent Kevelin Jones is joined by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Flint student, Ridgway White and Jeanette Edwards, Brownell-Holmes Neighborhood Association president, at the grand opening of The Cube @ Brownell-Holmes last year. The Cube, a community hub built for students and neighborhood residents, was one feature of the newly renovated Brownell-Holmes STEM Academy Campus. Photo: Jenifer Veloso

We also have supported major improvements to school facilities because Flint kids deserve spaces that inspire them. In late 2023, we granted $14 million to FCS to renovate the Brownell-Holmes campus on the city’s north side. Expanding on a deep partnership between FCS and the Brownell-Holmes Neighborhood Association, the renovation underscored our long-held belief in the power of community education. The project included upgrades in both school buildings, new playgrounds and athletic facilities, and construction of a community hub called The Cube that serves students, staff and residents alike. The work at Brownell-Holmes shows that, when we support community schools, entire neighborhoods thrive.

Just north of Flint, we granted $10 million to help renovate Beecher High School. When that building reopens for the 2026-27 school year, it will feature innovative classroom spaces, a reimagined curriculum focused on career pathways and community education programming.

More recently, we provided over $5.3 million to support needed demolition and design work for a new FCS high school on the former Flint Central campus. We continue to work with FCS leadership and the Flint Board of Education to understand how we can help make this exciting vision a reality for Flint kids.

A rendering of a Flint Community Schools high school. — The rendering showcases a possible design for the new Flint Community Schools high school being planned for the former Flint Central site. Rendering: Stantec

Because play and physical activity are so crucial to young people’s education and well-being, we also committed $20 million to support playgrounds and parks across Flint. We already granted more than $7 million of that total to renovate every FCS elementary school playground. FCS leaders and the board of education are working alongside the community to create the kind of welcoming and vibrant spaces Flint kids and families want and deserve.

Something powerful is happening in our community. Schools are collaborating. Educators are learning from one another. Families are engaged. And partners across the public, private and philanthropic sectors are rowing in the same direction.

The Mott Foundation is honored to support these efforts and looks forward to even more exciting announcements in 2026 that will foster a vibrant and inclusive community. In Flint, we will not allow our children’s success to be determined by their ZIP code.

Our founder, C.S. Mott, believed that each individual’s quality of life is connected to the well-being of the community. Nearly 100 years later, that belief continues to guide us. When we all come together to support our families, Flint kids thrive. And when Flint kids thrive, our community thrives.