Eastern Michigan University receives three grants through KCP Initiative

Eastern Michigan University has received funding through three grants that come from the Michigan Legislature’s Martin Luther King, Jr. - César Chávez - Rosa Parks (KCP) Initiative. The initiative focuses on bolstering educational opportunities for at-risk students and supporting the educators who will be teaching them.

According to an article on Eastern Michigan University’s website, Tracey Sonntag, who serves as the associate director of EMU’s Holman Success Center, was quoted as saying of receiving the funding, "We are incredibly grateful for this funding from the KCP Initiative. These grants will allow us to continue providing essential support to students who face academic or economic barriers, helping them achieve their educational goals and contribute meaningfully to our community."

The funding that is coming via the initiative is divided into three separate grants that will be supporting three different programs within Eastern Michigan University.

The first, which has received $30,000 in funding from the KCP Initiative, is the Morris Hood, Jr., Educator Development (MHED) Program. Within this program, the Pathways for Future Educators Program works to encourage students from underserved backgrounds to become teachers to help shape the futures of others from similar communities. The program helps 40 students each semester to pursue a future in K-12 education.

The second, which has received $66,844 in funding from the KCP Initiative, is the Michigan College/University Partnership (MICUP) Program. The MICUP Program is a transfer student-focused program that serves as a pipeline to bring students from Michigan community colleges to Eastern Michigan University to continue their education by earning a bachelor degree. Among the ways this program supports transfer students is through offering scholarships and academic support. 

The final program that has received grant funding through the KCP Initiative is the Select Student Support Services (4S) Program, which has received $101,691 in funding. The program is intended to help students who are facing hardships, whether academic or financial. The program provides financial aid services, mentoring, workshops, and more to help students work through their difficulties.

Regina George, who serves as the director of Eastern Michigan University’s Pathways for Future Educators program, expressed how necessary these grants are to continue providing support for students, saying, "These grants are essential for our efforts to diversify the teaching workforce and ensure that pre-kindergarten through twelfth-grade students have access to qualified and caring educators. The Morris Hood grant, in particular, will allow us to provide much-needed assistance to students who might otherwise face barriers to pursuing a career in education."

The KCP Initiative is an effort of the State of Michigan Workforce Development Agency. The Initiative aims to provide access to Michiganders of economically disadvantaged backgrounds to have the opportunity to receive college-level education. 

For more information about Eastern Michigan University, visit the school’s website.