While it was true that the State of Michigan supported public universities with more funds 30 years ago, there was still a need then for philanthropic support.

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The event celebrated the student winners of a broad range of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) competitions from across the country.

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ArtServe Michigan recently released a study that detailed the return on investment for arts and culture in the state. The report shows that for every dollar the state invests in arts and culture, 51 dollars are contributed to the state’s economy. The facts show what we have long believed – an investment in the arts provides more than just cultural value, which alone is important in its own right.

Experts, including those at ArtServe, have long believed that arts education increases children’s motivation to learn, making them more likely to attend school, and deepens their ability to pay attention. The College Board reports that, over a ten-year period, arts students outperformed non-arts students on the SAT.

The Foundation’s support of successful arts education programs in Detroit touch every age level of students. The PNC Grow Up Great pre-kindergarten program partners with Music Hall to bring artists into classrooms and preschool students into the theater. We have funded and sustained the Evening of Fine Arts to honor the top high school students in vocal, instrumental, dance, fine and visual arts. Plus, the Foundation is funding the Detroit All-City Marching Band and has funded the upgrade of musical equipment at several schools.

We hope others will join us in placing a priority on arts education so our future adults will be well equipped to lead and give back to the community. As a board member of the DIA, DSO, Cultural Alliance of Southeastern Michigan and Arts League of Michigan I am hopeful that we are creating an environment which nurtures future leaders for these and other cultural organizations throughout our region and State. We know this investment has even more than just cultural value, there’s also economic value.

You can find details on the ArtServe study here creativestatemi.artservemichigan.org/impact/education/

Two teams from Detroit Public Schools received special awards for their displays on safer and greener cities of the future.

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One of the individuals who was instrumental to the founding of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation is now being memorialized by a gift to our Foundation. Dr. Kenneth Stephen Burnley, a DPS graduate, was Superintendent of Schools when the Foundation was formed.  He shared the vision for a public-private partnership to form a separate foundation to benefit the children of Detroit.

Last summer, five years after leaving his position of CEO of DPS, Dr. Burnley passed away. At the time, he was superintendent of a school district in Alaska, following his passion of leading change inside school systems in need of new ideas and approaches. Following his death, his wife, Eileen Burnley, has established scholarship funds to benefit students in each of the school districts where Dr. Burnley served as superintendent.

The Dr. Kenneth Stephen Burnley Memorial Fund to benefit DPS students is now established at our Foundation. Mrs. Burnley provided the initial funding of $5000, designed to help DPS students reach educational goals. Funds can be applied toward costs such as textbooks, lab fees, uniforms or anything else directly associated with studies.

Dr. Burnley’s commitment to Detroit students will now carry on for a new generation.  We are very pleased that our Foundation could help Mrs. Burnley accomplish her philanthropic goal.

For the first time, the Auto Show’s Education Day – January 18^th – will include Pre-Kindergarten classes.  Students from the 14 classrooms at eight schools who are a part of the Foundation’s Grow Up Great Program, along with their parents and teachers, will learn about shapes, colors and basic science and auto education during a tour of the Auto Show floor at Cobo Center.  The cars won’t be the only stars as Cookie Monster will also make an appearance.

The Grow Up Great program is made possible by the generous support of PNC Bank.

And for the second year in a row, the Foundation is pleased to send students from the Davis Aerospace High School for Education Day.  This year, the Foundation is providing students with transportation and tickets to the Auto Show.  These are the Detroit students who attend a school designed to prepare them for aerospace, aviation and engineering careers, with classes that include Computer Assisted Design (CAD) and robotics.  Remarkably, every Davis High School students earns a pilot license upon graduation.

We share the hope of our donors that these students will be inspired by their visit to “The Show.”  This could be the beginning of innovative careers, made possible by this special access.  This is another example of the Foundation’s commitment to the future of our community through “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) education.

One example is a local company named METCO, an engineering services firm located in Downtown Detroit. This year, rather than host a holiday party, the company has generously decided to support education in Detroit with a $5000 gift to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation. METCO’s donation will support our efforts to fund “STEM” (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) programs that benefit many Detroit students. METCO’s gift is an example of how a Detroit-based business can make a significant impact on its community through philanthropy.

I’m also pleased to let you know that the world’s largest private employer, Walmart, has also chosen to continue to support our Foundation. Furthering the commitment to Durfee Elementary-Middle School, where a local Walmart store hosted a reading program and distributed free books to the students, Walmart staff received a Volunteerism Always Pays award from the Walmart Foundation to donate $1,000 to support the school’s library. Sam’s Club (owned by Walmart) then made an additional contribution of $10,000 through the Walmart Foundation to support Durfee.

Walmart has since provided a generous $50,000 donation to support DPS students through the Foundation.

If you received our annual appeal in recent weeks, and it’s sitting in your “pile” to review before year-end, please consider taking a look. It could help you make your decision on how you can follow the lead of METCO and Walmart and contribute to the future of our community in whatever way makes sense for you.  The appeal is also available here.

Happy Holidays from all of us at the Detroit Public Schools Foundation.  I look forward to keeping you updated on our progress in 2012.