"...they said, ‘You wanna do more school?’ I said, heck yeah and they signed me up for the winter semester,” Jake Wigginton said.
Through Macomb Community College’s Map+ program, Jake Wigginton found a pathway into the skilled trades, landing an apprenticeship that allows him to keep learning while he works.
Via the link in our bio read our latest story with Outlier Media to learn how “earn while you learn” models are connecting metro Detroit students and workers to opportunity.
From partnerships with organizations like @kaboom ! to lessons from local leaders, Katie Brisson explores how national models can be thoughtfully adapted to meet the realities of rural communities across Southeast Michigan and Western New York.
As we continue to deepen our rural investments, we remain committed to listening first, supporting local leadership, and building on the strengths already present.
Read more via the link in our bio.
The @detroitchamber 's, Detroit Drives Degrees Community College Collaborative (D3C3) is driving real, system-level change across Michigan’s community colleges.
By redesigning advising, expanding mental health supports, and using data in new ways, colleges are working together to help more students persist and graduate. Hear from Lori Gonko, Interim President of @henryfordcollege on why D3C3 matters to them.
Tuition-free dual enrollment at community colleges is helping high school students get ahead on college and career pathways through early access to free college credits, meaningful cost savings for families, and wraparound support. We’re proud to partner with @media_outlier to spotlight how local community colleges are expanding these opportunities and helping more students build momentum toward degrees, credentials, and good paying careers.
Read more via the link in our bio.
More than $2 million is available to support out-of-school time programs across Southeast Michigan and this time, young people are leading the way.
Through With Youth For Youth (WYFY), young people are not just participating, they are setting the priorities, reviewing the applications, and deciding where the funding that impacts them goes. We are proud to support this powerful shift toward embedding youth voice and leadership into the afterschool systems designed to benefit them.
From youth sports to workforce development and beyond, programs serving ages 5 to 18 across Livingston, Macomb, Monroe, Oakland, St. Clair, Washtenaw, and Wayne counties are encouraged to apply by April 10th.
Learn more via the link in our bio.
🏀 The @detroitpistons are champions on and off the court! Celebrate their wins by championing what they believe in too, afterschool for all!
Afterschool programs, from youth sports, arts, trades, and more help young people discover their talents and build their futures. Because afterschool for all, creates champions in every field.
We’re rooting for you Pistons, thanks for rooting for our kids too!
Learn why afterschool matters, stay connected, & see how you can take action.
#AllInMichigan #AfterschoolForAll
Rural communities are rich with leadership, resilience, and innovation, though these stories are not always amplified in philanthropic spaces.
In the first post of our new blog series, Rural Insights for Philanthropy, Senior Director of Special Initiatives Katie Brisson reflects on what philanthropy can learn from rural communities.
As Katie writes, “In rural communities, civic life does not always happen inside traditional nonprofit organizations. It shows up in farmers markets, fire houses, Lions Clubs, libraries, and county fairgrounds. As a grantmaker, that means learning to expect and embrace the unexpected.”
Read the full blog, including an update on the Foundation’s Rural Philanthropy Fellows Program supporting community foundation partners across Southeast Michigan and Western New York. Link in bio.
Join us at St. Patrick Senior Center in Detroit on March 26 at 7PM for a free event about caregiving and aging well, hosted by award-winning journalist, Stephen Henderson.
We will showcase Detroit PBS’ caregiving initiative, and we’ll hear from our reporting team and collaborators who shared their caregiving stories with us.
Learn more and register at the link in our bio.
Grant applications are now open for the With Youth For Youth (WYFY) initiative in Southeast Michigan!
Led by a youth advisory council and supported by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, this opportunity will award over $2 million to out of school time programs that center youth voice, leadership, and belonging.
Organizations serving youth ages 5 to 18 across Southeast Michigan are encouraged to apply!
Learn more and apply by April 10th via the link in our bio.
🥇Gold Sponsor Announcement:
A longtime partner of Project Play, we are proud to have @rcwjrf as a sponsor of Project Play Summit 2026. RCWJF's extensive active lifestyle portfolio includes @projectplaysemi and @projectplaywny , regional efforts to build communities that support healthy and active children through sports and play. And through RCWJF's Built to Play initiative, the foundation has invested almost $17 million in play spaces and skateparks across Western New York and Southeast Michigan.
We thank RCWJF for their continued support of the Summit!
@perscholas Detroit is expanding access to good paying, technology related careers through no cost training, industry recognized certifications, and career coaching. We’re proud to partner with @media_outlier to spotlight how people in Detroit, Highland Park, and Hamtramck are gaining the skills employers are looking for across our region.
Read the full story via the link in our bio.
We all know that New York State has endless possibilities to get offline and get outdoors! A study funded by the Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Foundation through a grant to the Natural Heritage Trust outlines some of the best options in Western New York for adventure and culture and how the recreation industry contributes to the economy in this corner of the state. Visit the link in our bio to read the study.
