Dr. Julie Chapin, director of the Children and Youth Institute, received notification yesterday that MSU Extension is being awarded a grant for $185,000 from the New York Life Foundation (NYLF) and the National 4-H Council. The grant is part of the Metro Youth in Governance Project funded by NYLF, intended to start new 4-H clubs in the Detroit area, expand the number of youth from underserved neighborhoods in community engagement activities, increase the number of volunteers working with youth in metro Detroit and provide opportunities for youth from these clubs to participate in the Citizenship Washington Focus program at the National 4-H Conference Center. Detroit is one of four cities to receive this funding.
We always welcome grants that help us achieve our goal of expanding the number of youth we serve, and this one is no exception. What is really remarkable about it to me is that we learned about the opportunity on May 23. The grant was due by June 13, three weeks after we first learned of the opportunity. Dr. Chapin was notified that the grant had been awarded to us late yesterday, June 15. So in the course of 23 days, Dr. Chapin and the team from District 11, consisting of Sandra Griffin, Laurie Rivetto and Tom Schneider, pulled this proposal together and were successful in taking advantage of this opportunity. Cheryl Howell, executive director of the Michigan 4-H Foundation, provided critical assistance in pulling together the proposal as well. The past 23 days haven’t exactly been calm and bucolic around MSU Extension, so this team’s ability to focus and put their best work forward on very short notice is remarkable. As to their success – a nice final endorsement to what we already knew about our team.
Thanks to the entire team who responded so quickly and so well to this great opportunity and for helping to show how MSUE is ready to respond quickly to ensure that we’re bringing resources to bear on Michigan’s critical needs.
