Our Approach

The Foundation aims to increase educational opportunities that will help Flint area children, youth and adults achieve success in school, work and life. By adopting a holistic approach to education, we aim to ensure that students achieve success from early childhood learning, through K-12, and into higher education and career-training opportunities.

We support the renovation and construction of K-12 schools that foster quality learning environments and are aligned with community revitalization. By expanding access to high-quality early childhood education, addressing gaps in the K-12 education system, supporting community education and afterschool programming, and strengthening Flint’s higher education institutions, we aim to create equitable and sustainable education pathways and ensure long-term success for Flint kids and families.

We have four strategies to achieve our goals:

Renovating or constructing K-12 school buildings to ensure high-quality learning environments.

Our grant funding supports:

• Construction of new school buildings for Flint kids.
• Renovation of K-8 schools, ensuring facilities are designed to bolster community education programs.
• Collaboration among K-12 system leaders to align new and renovated school facilities with community revitalization.

Fostering a coalition of K-12 schools that provide integrated services to help Flint kids succeed.

Our grant funding supports:

• The Flint Center for Educational Excellence to provide programs, help inform sound policies, and engage parents and community members to positively impact the education ecosystem for Flint kids.
• The Network for School Excellence to assist schools in improving academic outcomes for Flint kids.
• Research and advocacy to help ensure schools serving Flint kids have adequate funding and a pipeline of qualified educators.
• A demonstration site that explores and implements innovative national best practices, such as team-based teaching, teacher pay increases and other national best practices to assess impacts on student outcomes.

Supporting efforts to inform state policies that increase access to quality early childhood education and increase funding for early childhood care and its workforce.

Our grant funding supports:

• The Flint Early Childhood Collaborative as it leads efforts to expand high-quality early learning in Flint.
• An environment in which local stakeholders lead on state and national advocacy efforts.
• Efforts to ensure early childhood education centers and home-based providers have a pipeline of quality educators.

Ensuring high-quality, local postsecondary options at Mott Community College, University of Michigan-Flint, Kettering University and Michigan State University to prepare residents for the future.

Our grant funding supports Flint’s higher education institutions to:

• Improve their desirability in an increasingly competitive market and ensure their degrees help graduates obtain a career in a field of their choice.
• Drive economic development for residents and the community.