Category Archives: Blog
Detroiters search for missing students
by: Natalie Fotias | Oct. 4th, 2021 The fall of 2020 was a back-to-school season like no other. It had been nearly six months since the COVID-19 pandemic had altered our daily ways of life, including shuttering schools. Few children returned to the classroom that fall, with the majority of school districts and parents opting […]
Read more »New poll finds Michigan voters demand investment in kids
by: The Skillman Foundation | Sep. 20th, 2021 Nearly two-thirds of Michiganders say they would support increasing public funding for children and youth to counter inequities and the effects of pandemic-related ills, including disrupted learning and impaired mental health (anxiety, depression, ADHD), according to findings of a new poll commissioned by The Skillman Foundation and Michigan’s Children. The survey of 800 likely general election voters across every region in the state revealed deep concerns […]
Read more »What Michiganders want: Investments in children
by: The Skillman Foundation | Sep. 20th, 2021 Michiganders expect more investment in children. 62% support Even if it raises their taxes. 58% support Across every region of our state. Top Concerns Kids falling behind in school because of the pandemic Kids living in households that struggle to afford basic needs Exposure to trauma in […]
Read more »Wellness Works Update: Grant Funding Awarded to Youth-Serving Partners
by: Ashlee Schmidt | Sep. 14th, 2021 In June, The Skillman Foundation announced its Wellness Works Initiative, pledging to grant $3 million toward wellness programs and activities for Detroit youth, educators, and youth-service providers. The Initiative is partially supported by a grant from the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative DAF, an advised fund of the Silicon Valley […]
Read more »Angelique Power: Designers of our own destiny
by: Angelique Power | Sep. 13th, 2021 And so we begin. Fall on the horizon. Leaves bursting into brightness. Sun stretching longingly across the tall buildings and lush backyards of Detroit. A sense of ending and beginning again simultaneously. Possibilities that come amidst change. Curiosity for what might be, palpable in the cooling air. Today […]
Read more »Public opinion survey: quality and funding of public K-12 education in Michigan must increase
by: Launch Michigan | Sep. 8th, 2021 LANSING, Mich. – As new backpacks are stuffed with fresh notebooks and pencils and teachers prep their classrooms for the return of students, a public opinion survey released today shows many voters lack confidence in K–12 quality and funding. The statewide survey of 600 voters commissioned by Launch Michigan […]
Read more »People who partner
by: The Skillman Foundation | Aug. 31st, 2021 Those dedicated to solving complex social and systemic issues know: collaboration is king. An individual can spark change, but to make and sustain change takes a movement of many. Collaboration makes it possible—but it doesn’t make it easy. Of these basic steps, each gets harder: agreeing on […]
Read more »Detroit Students Discuss Needs for Upcoming School Year
by: Council of Michigan Foundations | Aug. 30th, 2021 This post was originally published by the Council of Michigan Foundations. View the original post. As school districts across Michigan continue to grapple with how to safely welcome students back to classrooms this fall, a group of Detroit students ─ directly connected to our community of […]
Read more »The Skillman Foundation’s 2021 Mackinac Policy Conference Session
by: The Skillman Foundation | Aug. 24th, 2021 This year’s Skillman Foundation Mackinac Policy Conference session unveiled findings from a poll issued by The Skillman Foundation and Michigan’s Children. The poll finds that Michigan residents expect more investment in children. Across all geographies and demographics, voters expect their dollars to be put to work to […]
Read more »Let’s Talk: School in 2021 & Beyond
by: The Skillman Foundation | Aug. 18th, 2021 Detroit students talk about what’s most important for the future of school. Lamont Satchel, Jr. (class of 2021 Detroit graduate) moderated a conversation with Mathias Neloms (middle school student) and Mosammad Jahan and Willyne Smith (rising seniors), members of our President’s Youth Council. They discussed what’s worked […]
Read more »The Pandemic’s Impact on Kindergarten Enrollment
by: Ammara Ansari | Aug. 5th, 2021 What Does this Fall Hold for Children, Families, and Schools? This blog was co-authored with Walter Cook, a researcher with the Detroit Education Research Partnership at Wayne State University DERP (Detroit Education Research Partnership) at Wayne State University and the Learning and Evaluation team from The Skillman Foundation often […]
Read more »Please stop saying “kids are resilient”
by: Natalie Fotias | Aug. 3rd, 2021 “Kids are resilient.” People usually express this as a prideful proclamation about the strength of the human spirit. I know this is the intention, but nevertheless, it comes across to me as a dismissal of child suffering and the responsibility adults have to protect and guide young people. […]
Read more »Supporting Detroit’s Black-Led Nonprofits
by: Terry Whitfield | Jul. 21st, 2021 At the onset of the pandemic, Detroit’s nonprofit ecosystem stepped up to provide needed resources to children, youth, and families across our community, many doing so without the promise of additional funding support. Their only aim was to make good on the promise they made to serve their […]
Read more »City Programs Educate Children on Nature Conservation and Gardening
by: Christal Phillips | Jul. 13th, 2021 Sustainable food systems did not cross L’Oreal Hawkes-Williams’ mind until she saw a news report on a lettuce recall from E.coli contamination. That news story changed Hawkes-Williams’ life when she realized that she had no control over the food that she was giving her children to eat. “It […]
Read more »Unexpected Partners and Unlikely Allies: Seeking Common Ground
by: David R. McGhee | Jun. 25th, 2021 This post was published originally by the Council on Foundations. Read the original posting here. When I formally entered the field of philanthropy, I was certain of my commitment to improving the overall quality of life for children and families. But to be frank, what I was […]
Read more »Announcing Angelique Power as our Next President CEO
by: The Skillman Foundation | Jun. 21st, 2021 The Skillman Foundation is delighted to announce that Angelique Power will lead the organization as president & CEO, beginning on September 13th. Power is an accomplished champion for racial justice who comes to the Foundation after serving as president of the Field Foundation in Chicago. “Selecting Angelique […]
Read more »Wellness Opportunity for Detroit Principals
by: The Skillman Foundation | Jun. 11th, 2021 Each day, principals pour their energy and hearts into supporting teachers, staff, and students. To support their courageous journey, The Skillman Foundation has partnered with educational experts Rema Reynolds Vassar, PhD of Eastern Michigan University and Dr. Curtis Lewis of Black Male Educators Alliance to offer an […]
Read more »Announcing our Wellness Works Initiative
by: The Skillman Foundation | Jun. 10th, 2021 The Skillman Foundation was founded with the mission to help children thrive and excel into adulthood. Supporting this mission means we must constantly seek to understand the factors that stand in the way of young people’s happiness and prosperity. So when the pandemic broke, we reached out to young people, youth program providers, and educators to understand the greatest emerging needs and worries. […]
Read more »Detroit Kids Deserve Culturally Responsive Education
by: Lindsey Barrett | Jun. 10th, 2021 Joy, connection, self-expression, excitement, curiosity, love. These are all experiences that belong in our classrooms and set the stage for deep learning. That’s right, these are experiences that belong in our classrooms right here in Detroit. In our classrooms filled with Black and Brown students—students with dynamic identities […]
Read more »The Skillman Foundation supports DPSCD’s culturally responsive literacy initiative
by: The Skillman Foundation | Jun. 3rd, 2021 A $654k grant over two years will help launch the Detroit Perspectives Project for high school students The Skillman Foundation is partnering with the Detroit Public Schools Community District to launch the Detroit Perspectives Project. Through a critical review of the English Language Arts high school curriculum, […]
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