MCAN awards 10 schools with Game Changer Grants

LANSING, Mich. — MCAN recently awarded 10 schools across Michigan with Game Changer Grants for the 2021-2022 school year. In total, $9,294 in grant funding has been provided to Game Changer grantees.
 

Available exclusively to College Bound Michigan (CBMI) host sites, MCAN’s Game Changer Grants support creative solutions piloted by schools to help inspire and excite students as they prepare to transition from high school to postsecondary education.

“MCAN is proud to support these ten grantees and their game-changing efforts to increase postsecondary attainment for students across Michigan,” said Ryan Fewins-Bliss, MCAN executive director. “The COVID-19 pandemic has pinched the high school to college pipeline at a time when we desperately need more well-trained people in the workforce. As we work to reach Sixty by 30, we must ensure that all students — especially low-income students, first-generation college-going students and students of color — have access to postsecondary degrees and certificates that will prepare them for the economy of today and tomorrow.”

Projects funded by the Game Changer Grants include a range of initiatives that contribute to building a school and community’s college-going culture. From FAFSA completion efforts at school sporting events to partnerships with local businesses and recent graduates for college and career presentations, Game Changer Grant projects address college affordability and increasing access to postsecondary and career opportunities.

The 10 grantees are as follows:

• Bad Axe High School (Bad Axe, Mich.) – $730
• Inland Lakes High School (Indian River, Mich.) – $1,000
• Lapeer High School (Lapeer, Mich.) – $564
• Michigan Islamic Academy (Ann Arbor, Mich.) – $1,000
• Northwest High School (Jackson, Mich.) – $1,000
• Pickford Public Schools (Pickford, Mich.) – $1,000
• Sault Area High School (Sault Ste. Marie, Mich.) – $1,000
• St. Charles High School (St. Charles, Mich.) – $1,000
• Three Rivers High School (Three Rivers, Mich.) – $1,000
• Yale High School (Yale, Mich.) – $1,000

Michigan high schools that want to build and support a college-going culture within their communities are encouraged to register for CBMI for the 2022-23 school year. CBMI brings together all of the statewide initiatives — Michigan College Month, College Cash Campaign and College Decision Day — into one campaign to help bring Michigan closer to Sixty by 30. The one-step application process will register schools for all three initiatives and provide access to exclusive funding opportunities, like Game Changer Grants.

For additional details about CBMI and to become a partner, visit https://micollegeaccess.org/initiatives/cbmi.