From the humblest of beginnings in southwest Detroit in 1999, a small dance class has grown to serve more than 3,000 kids across the city and beyond with expanded arts programming. Alissa Novoselick, executive director of Living Arts, approximates that since about 2008, the operating budget of the organization has, like the participants, multiplied in number, from about $150,000 to almost $1 million. "It's not just…

As the top finisher, Witherspoon will receive a $10,000 cash prize, solo appearances with major orchestras, performances with the Sphinx Symphony Orchestra and an appearance on the radio show, "From the Top." “I’m a huge supporter of the Detroit Symphony Orchestra and realize the fact that music education also positively impacts success in the classroom," said Pistons Vice Chairman Arn Tellem in a release. "During our…

Promising signs of growth include the facts that Flint Fresh is developing a regional food hub for food processing that could help area growers, and the North Flint Food Market just received a large grant from the Michigan Good Food Fund. In addition to getting healthy foods into the hands of more people, these initiatives are creating openings for the development of sustainable local…

An infusion of grants is coming at just the right time for four Head Start agencies in Detroit that this month must begin re-competing for federal cash they’re in danger of losing. The Head Start Innovation Fund — operated by the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan — on Tuesday announced the grants totaling $1.1 million. In addition to helping provide professional development for the agencies that…

Through a pilot launched in Detroit's Brightmoor neighborhood last fall, the station is aiming for bigger impact in early childhood education. It's bringing caregivers together to discuss best practices, sharing its Pre-School-U curriculum to educate teachers, caregivers and parents on the developmental stages of young children, bringing its programming and apps directly to children and parents and exploring ways to use them to increase school…

Jeffrey Seller, a metro Detroit native and the producer of the hit Broadway musical 'Hamilton,' has donated $1 million to the Mosaic Youth Theatre of Detroit through his foundation. Announced last month, the grant will help fund two programs, the theatre's summer camp and the Mosaic Experience Empowerment Program. It will be distributed over five years from the Seller-Lehrer Family Foundation. That foundation was…

Detroit is fueled by community heroes dedicated to supporting children. In every pocket of the city, there are people nurturing and investing in our youth. From teachers and counselors, to doctors and nurses; librarians and statisticians, to mentors and artists. Some are youth themselves advocating for their peers. Others are caring adults who look to protect, guide and provide for kids. Narrowing down a list…

One of Starfish Family Services’ core strengths is its ability to serve children and families through a variety of early childhood, children’s mental health and family support programs. But that same breadth of service has also been its Achilles’ heel. Information on the clients in each of its programs lives in different, siloed systems. That creates stress and frustration for parents who are asked to…

Since the Sphinx Organization launched its educational, touring and competition programs 22 years ago, the number of black and Latinx musicians who hold seats in major orchestras around the country has begun to rise. During the same period, commissions, tours and solo performances by musicians of color have also grown, said Sphinx President and Artistic Director Afa Dworkin. But diversity in the leadership ranks of classical…

As Michigan’s newly elected governor and legislators prepare to take office, one of the largest crises facing our state is going largely unnoticed: adverse childhood experiences (ACEs). A growing body of science and research show that young people who experience abuse, neglect and household dysfunction, collectively known as ACEs, without intervention, have a very high likelihood of facing risky health and social behaviors, chronic health conditions, low…