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The Foundation is pleased to support once again the annual Evening of Fine Arts through generous support from Sodexo. The event features elementary, middle and high school students and it will be an evening of celebration of their abilities for the students and their families.

The Foundation staff is so pleased to be able to keep this 40+ year Detroit tradition going, especially at such an iconic local venue, to showcase the range of skills and arts education throughout DPS.  We are committed to continuing a tradition of excellent in arts education in Detroit that spans and connects generations.

In many parts of the world, Detroit is known as a capital of music and art. Along with corporate supporters, we would like to make sure that reputation is maintained and even enhanced by the new generation of students.  Tonight’s Evening of Fine Arts is a celebration of that future.

If you boil down what we do and why we do it, it really comes back to putting DPS students on a path toward a full educational career and, ultimately, college graduation.  From the pre-schoolers in the “Grow Up Great” program to the high schoolers studying engineering, the students we support will need college degrees in order to compete in the global marketplace.

The latest studies show that a college degree means anywhere from $700,000 to $1,000,000 in lifetime earnings versus stopping education after high school.  Think about the economic impact on our community if we could get significantly more Detroit students to graduate from college.  And it isn’t just about the money.  The life experience of college enhances the lives of graduates but also their families and others around them.

In the commencement speech, I shared one of my favorite quotes, from Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, the former president of Morehouse College.  I think it speaks to our Foundation mission and the needs of DPS students:

“It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn’t lie in not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach. It isn’t a calamity to die with dreams unfulfilled, but it is a calamity not to dream. It is not a disaster to be unable to capture your ideal, but it is a disaster to have no ideal to capture. It is not a disgrace not to reach the stars, but it is a disgrace to have no stars to reach for. Not failure, but low aim is sin.”

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The team’s co-founder, Sean Mann, says the team wants to do more than just play on a DPS field.  So, now through April 29^th, the team will donate 10 percent of its proceeds to the DPS Foundation for each season pass it sells.  Passes are just $30 for the season that starts May 12^th and can be purchased at the following link: www.detcityfc.com/tickets. So athletics enthusiasts will be able to help programs that benefit students, as well as seeing a new sports team in Detroit.

The team is also enhancing the field so the school can take pride in hosting a minor league soccer team, as well as a State Championship football team.  “People know the name Cass Tech, but now we need to get people there,” said Mann.  “This will provide a DPS school with some great exposure.”

Mann also says that several DPS alumni, who played soccer through their school careers, have a chance to make the team after tryouts are complete.  Now, that would be a real kick, wouldn’t it?

DETROIT, Mich. (April 17, 2012) – Committed to serving the community and educating today’s youth, the Chevrolet Detroit Belle Isle Grand Prix (CDBIGP) is proud to announce its partnership with PNC Bank to host two mathematics and science programs for Detroit Public School (DPS) students centered around racing.

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The programs, Fifth Gear and Grow Up Great, are funded by a grant from the PNC Bank Foundation. Built around a math and science curriculum, the goal of each program is to generate excitement for careers in science, technology, engineering and math through motorsports. While the Grow Up Great program is designed for preschoolers, the Fifth Gear initiative is focused on DPS fifth grade students.

In the weeks leading up to the Grand Prix, DPS classes that have been selected to participate in the programs will incorporate the curriculum into the classroom. On Friday, June 1 – PNC Bank Free Prix Day at the Grand Prix – the students will continue their learning on Belle Isle. They will get a rare opportunity to interact directly with actual race teams and engineers competing in the Grand Prix and experience hands-on learning, building on the classroom lessons.

Robotics teams from Detroit Public Schools Cass Technical High School, Westside Academy and Davis Aerospace Technical High School also will attend on June 1, bringing robots they have created to display on-site and serve as mentors to the younger students.

We’re happy to see a popular, positive event – the Grand Prix – back in Detroit. Like with the North American Auto Show, we’re proud to connect corporate supporters with students to experience Detroit’s “big events” in engaging ways.

The Grand Prix organization, with Roger Penske’s support, plans to make these long-term programs that will help make 5^th grade in DPS a year eagerly awaited by students in future years. We look forward to sharing highlights of June 1^st with you.