Community Education Partners Spotlight

Our education system, and most importantly our local students, has been deeply impacted by the ripple effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Grand Rapids Community Foundation acknowledges the immense need that exists for students right now, especially students and families of color.

The pandemic, as you know, is disparately affecting Black and brown communities, and threatens damage that could be generational.

Patrick Placzkowski, CEO of the Boys and Girls Club Grand Rapids

The Boys and Girls Club is among a group of local organizations that began individually offering critical in-person, academic support for students and families navigating the digital school environment. The collaboration of organizations also includes Baxter Community Center, Bridge Street Ministries, Grandville Avenue Arts and Humanities, New City Kids, The Other Way Ministries and YMCA of Greater Grand Rapids. They work together to identify best practices and advocate on behalf of their students. Each organization has redesigned their typical after school programs to provide in-person learning support for students enrolled in Grand Rapids Public Schools as they navigate the virtual learning model. They offer virtual learning support, access to reliable internet connection, learning materials and more. Some programs are even able to offer Individualized Education Program appointments, transportation to the program and meals.

The Community Foundation values collaboration and shared learning, and was inspired by this informal, collaborative group of organizations working to offer unique support for students and families this year. Additionally, our Dream Fund Committee, comprised of student, parent, community member and school volunteers was consulted and endorsed this approach. In response to their leadership, the Community Foundation awarded grants of $15,000-20,000 for each site, for a total of $140,000. “While philanthropy alone cannot fill the educational gap that exists,” says Erika VanDyke, program officer at Grand Rapids Community Foundation. “These grant partnerships are a piece of the puzzle in supporting their critical work.”

The flexibility in this funding is one of the things that sticks out like a bright and shining light. It illuminates just how clearly you understand the realities of nonprofit work in a season that has been filled with words like pivot and unprecedented. Each organization here is meeting an authentic felt need of kids and families. However, the uncertainty of how we will keep it going in the next semester has been daunting… Your advocacy and support speaks volumes that our community is clearly behind us.

Christy Carlin Knetsch, executive director of New City Kids: Grand Rapids

Thank you for working to support all of the programs that are helping students and families navigate this strange virtual landscape. There is a lot of work ahead of us no doubt, and plenty to be concerned about for the future, but the benefits of these programs are already on the kids’ faces every day. Not to mention families having one less thing to worry about with everything going on, school teachers having a dedicated team to communicate with on how each child is doing, and so on. Thank you for prioritizing this work in our community!

Scott Bloem, executive director of The Other Way Ministries

This week is hitting [our students] hard with exams and the days becoming so short. One guardian shared that her granddaughter was refusing to participate in activities because she was so stressed about failing her math class and that finding some in-person help is slowly bringing her back…It has been pretty incredible to be able to hold these spaces for them, emotionally and academically. Knowing we have support to keep up through these upcoming winter months is just awesome.

Steff Rosalez, CEO of Grandville Arts & Humanities