It’s estimated 67,000 school aged students will have access to before, after, and summer school programs supported with a $50 million state budget allocation. The State of Michigan’s Department of Education is distributing the grant money among 130 youth-serving organizations operating at 780 locations statewide.
In Grand Rapids, 11 OST programs are receiving money including Baxter Community Center, Bridge Street Ministries, Camp Blodgett, Grand Valley State University, New City Kids, Oakdale Neighbors, Refugee Education Center, STEM Greenhouse, The Edge Urban Fellowship, The Other Way Ministries and the YMCA, by way of State Alliance of YMCA’s.
Many of them are Grand Rapids Expanded Learning Opportunities Network members. Christy Knetsch is ELO Network Chair-Elect and Executive Director of New City Kids. She said, “The ELO Network is dedicated to collective impact not only in theory, but in practice when youth-serving organizations advocate for funding and work together to ensure every young person in Grand Rapids has access to high quality programs.”