CNC Router Revolutionizes Visual Arts Program

The Shepherd Visual Arts program teaches students a variety of hands-on skills, and thanks to the recent purchase of a ShopBot CNC (computer numerical control) router, has expanded options for students within the fine arts, industrial arts, robotics, and athletic programs at Shepherd schools.

Thanks to the Brattin Memorial Art Fund at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, Shepherd Public Schools made the purchase of a ShopBot CNC router. This innovative, computer-controlled machine aids students in precision carving areas that are up to 4 feet wide, by 8 feet long, by 8 inches deep. Since its purchase, Shepherd schools have begun teaching these technologies at the middle and high school levels to inspire students to pursue creative careers, tackle problems, and manufacture professional art.

So far, Shepherd students have created pieces of art for local businesses in the community such as Mitchell’s Deli, Maple Creek Golf Course, Shepherd VFW, The Fireside Grill, and the Hair Razor. These projects have ranged from commercial signage to custom sculptures. The Shepherd Visual Arts program has also utilized the router for school beautification projects and to fabricate low-cost tools and fixtures for the district.

The utilization of the new ShopBot CNC router has already made a large impact but will continue to serve students and the community through art creation and exhibition in the future.

Film Festival Provides Artistic and Cultural Experiences to Community

The Central Michigan International Film Festival (CMIFF) is an annual event providing top-quality film screenings to the community that features an inclusive and diverse slate of films.

Programming provided a unique cultural experience to the community as many of the films championed the stories and/or work of women and other underrepresented populations. 

A grant from the Jane McNamara and Louise Williams Fund and the Dr. Leonard E. and Louise A. Plachta Fund at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation helped to fund one daily free film screening over the course of the five-day film festival in February 2020.

While the majority of film-goers are local, the film festival draws visitors from across the state and attendance has continuously increased over the last two years.

“Our festival can be an important cultural event and economic driver for the Mt. Pleasant area,” said Dr. Patricia Williamson CMIFF Director and Associate Professor at Central Michigan University’s School of Broadcast and Cinematic Arts. “We worked with local hotels to provide accommodations for independent filmmakers and also hosted our first-ever filmmaker party and fundraiser at Art Reach. The event allowed filmmakers, sponsors, and community members to gather and discuss film in a beautiful setting with live music, food, and drink.  We also offered our first ever Film School on CMU’s campus, providing educational opportunities to high school students from across the state.”

For more information about the Central Michigan International Film Festival and the films, visit cmfilmfest.com.

Wellspring Literary Series Completes 11th Year of Arts Programming

Public access to the arts in Isabella County is often problematic due to the price of tickets.

The Wellspring Literary Series, founded and facilitated by Robert Fanning, is a free annual community event series hosted by Art Reach of Mid Michigan that provides free programming to the community featuring the work of musicians, writers, and poets.

Thanks to the Russ Herron Poetry Fund at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, community members in Isabella County are able to participate in enriching and diverse programming each year. The free events include Michigan art, poetry, music, and complementary food from Max & Emily’s restaurant.

Some features of the program include poetry readings by Michigan poets and Central Michigan University (CMU) students, as well as musical performances by musicians from CMU’s School of Music. The program completed its 11th year and was made possible with the support of their partners, CMU’s English department and Max & Emily’s.

More than 150 attendees enjoyed musical entertainment and poetry presentations from prominent poets at the two events held earlier this year prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. The event featured Jason Irwin and Jen Ashburn, followed by student reader Amanda Olsen with music by CMU student saxophone sextet. The November event highlighted poetry by Michelle Penaloza, followed by student reader Jordan Gakle and music by Joe Hertler.

The Wellspring Literary Series has become well known throughout the state and continues to be a quality program with a strong support base each year from community members, musicians, writers, and poets.

Junior Achievement Educates Amidst 2019-2020 School Year Challenges

Our community is dedicated to supporting student success by fostering an understanding of economic concepts. The programming of Junior Achievement of North Central Michigan is crucial to providing lifelong skills to students.

Junior Achievement allows teachers throughout the community to request programs to be scheduled in their classrooms. They are then matched with a volunteer who hosts several sessions in the classroom on topics related to financial literacy, work readiness skills, and entrepreneurship.

Thanks to the Kellogg Youth Fund at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, over 695 students throughout various school districts and grade levels in Isabella County were able to participate in Junior Achievement programming between September 2019 and June 2020. These students were part of 35 fully-completed programs in K-12 classrooms prior to the COVID-19 state-wide shutdown of schools in March.

Since the shutdown of schools, Junior Achievement programs have adapted in Isabella County and new remote learning options have been implemented to offer sessions and resources online.

Teaching our youth to be prepared for the unexpected, financially or in the workplace, is more important than ever, and Junior Achievement of North Central Michigan will continue to work diligently to implement innovative methods of education.

Junior Achievement programming in an elementary classroom

Sacred Heart Academy Cheer Strengthens Program Through Camp

Getting involved in school extracurricular activities, such as Sacred Heart Academy (SHA) Cheer, is a valuable experience for students. Participants learn teamwork, stunting fundamentals, and tumbling while demonstrating school spirit.

Thanks to the Tumbl Trak Fund for Youth Fitness in honor of Doug Davis and Diana Hughes at the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, SHA Cheer was able to offset costs for SHA Varsity Cheer Team participants in 2019 and supported 13 athletes in 9th-12th grade with the initial costs of their cheer camp.

SHA Cheer was able to learn and grow through experiences and team-building activities at camp. This grant has propelled the program forward and strengthened the team for future seasons.

Sacred Heart Academy cheerleaders

Counseling Services Adapt Through Teletherapy

Providing counseling services in Isabella County has required a shift in format during the COVID-19 pandemic to serve the need in the community. Christian Counseling of Mid Michigan (CCMM) has responded by extending services to many low-income, homeless, and poverty-level clients through the use of telehealth therapy sessions.

Thanks to a grant from the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, CCMM provided 62 telehealth sessions that were not covered by the client’s insurance due to video conferencing reimbursement limitations. These sessions between March and June 2020 serviced individuals, couples, and children throughout Isabella County.

Providing counseling services via phone calls in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has given many clients a sense of normalcy and allowed them to progress in their sessions within the safety and comfort of their own homes.

Moving forward, Christian Counseling of Mid Michigan will be able to continue serving clients in the community through either telehealth methods or traditional in-person sessions.

Counselors of Christian Counseling of Mid Michigan

Emergency Shelter Remodel Serves Survivors

Remodeled kitchen in Emergency Shelter

Domestic violence occurs across all ages and demographic groups in Isabella County. Local organizations like R.I.S.E Advocacy, Inc. step in to provide emergency shelter to these individuals.

Each year, R.I.S.E. Advocacy, Inc. provides shelter, encouragement, and empowerment in this space for over 100 survivors who have experienced domestic violence. Women, children, and men alike utilize the facility when in need of a safe and supportive environment among other services.

Thanks to a grant from the Paula Arndt Women’s Fund through the Mt. Pleasant Area Community Foundation, R.I.S.E. Advocacy was able to remodel their kitchen area to be more functional and inviting for clients. The grant helped to fund new appliances, including a stove, dishwasher, and refrigerator.

The room is used for families to prepare meals, eat together, and also serves as a general gathering place within the shelter. The updated space increases convenience and serves as a room where advocates can host informal meetings with survivors to talk about progress and next steps.

Parenting Program Introduces New Online Resource to Empower Local Families

Life Choices of Central Michigan programming in action

Raising a child can be one of the most rewarding, yet difficult, things a person can do. Luckily, there are programs and organizations that are dedicated to helping parents with their new role.

Life Choices of Central Michigan (LCCM) is a nonprofit organization that serves our community by offering free services and programs related to pregnancy, parenting, and sexual health. 

Thanks to a grant from the Fabiano Family Fund, LCCM was able to make updates in their Empower Life Parenting Programs. From mid-July 2019 to Jan 2020, Life Choices served 35 unique individuals in their parenting programs, helping to empower young parents with knowledge as they face the large task of raising children.

With the funds provided by the grant, LCCM set up an online resource called Bright Course. Bright Course has experts in the field of study and provides researched-based material with almost year content updates.

The online curriculum allows LCCM to provide the most up-to-date content for the clients they serve and empowers parents by providing off-site support and educational opportunities. Many of the technology upgrades will be useful several years into the future.

Creating Stronger Communities by Supporting Families

Eagle Village logo. Orange stylized eagle.

Having early access to early preventative and therapeutic services can create long-term positive change in overcoming behavioral and mental health challenges. These services help to shape stronger families and healthier, more successful individuals and an important factor in encouraging families to seek out these services is by having financial assistance available.

Thanks to funds granted through the Kellogg Youth Fund and the Weisenburger Family Fund, five individuals from Isabella County of various ages were able to receive intervention and counseling services through Eagle Village.

One of these services is the Youth Challenge Weekend, where attendees confront their own challenging behavior patterns. Participants learn healthy decision-making skills and the importance of taking responsibility for their actions.

Many of those served through this program have a history of abuse and neglect, and some have been through, or are currently in, the foster care system and are experiencing difficulties. Other services include standard counseling, in which licensed therapists help with a variety of matters and are equipped to work with foster care families, histories of trauma, grief, and family challenges.

We can create lasting positive change through collaborative community efforts. By providing support to build stronger and healthier families, we help to create stronger communities.

Art Walk Central Immerses the Community in Art

Two girls coloring and taking part in Art Walk Central

Art Walk Central is an annual juried art competition and exhibit hosted by Art Reach of Mid Michigan. Art submitted for the event is displayed downtown and in the surrounding areas throughout the month of August.

Art Reach was awarded a grant in both 2018 and 2019 from the W. Sidney and Judith French Smith Community Fund to support Art Walk Central.

During the event, an abundance of free programs are offered for both youth and adults, to provide opportunities to create art and experience other art mediums. The grant helps to supplement the expenses associated with programming, such as staff or supply expenses.

“Free programming is great for the community and it allows us to meet our mission of keeping the arts alive and accessible for everyone, but there are expenses,” Amy Powell, Executive Director of Art Reach of Mid Michigan, said. “This grant allows us to have some income for those programs that we want to put on for free in the community.”

On average, over 100 artists participate in Art Walk Central each year with an estimated 4,500 people engaging with art during the event.

“The more art we can bring, the more experiences we have for people in the community to see cool, unique, thought-provoking art - for free,” Powell said.

Patron looking at chalk art on the sidewalk during Art Walk Central

Grant Supplements Purchase of Socks and Undergarments for Teens in Foster Care

Various packages of socks purchased for teens in foster care

Many children who come into the foster care system are in need of essential items such as clothing or hygiene products.

One organization that helps to address those needs is the Foster Closet of Isabella County.

Available to anyone that is living in foster care in Isabella County, the organization provides those necessities to children and teens that are placed into foster care.

In need of undergarments and socks for teens, a grant from the Kellogg Youth Fund helped to supplement the cost of purchasing those items for the foster closet. In total, the 99 pairs of socks and 17 packages of underwear and boxers that was purchased will go to help at least 20 teens. The grant also helped with the purchase of unisex Nike socks for sports or just regular wear.

By supplying these basic need items, foster families are then able to use those savings to help the children adapt to their new environment in other ways.

Program Uses Art and Music to Enhance Learning in Special Education

One of the most important aspects of a special education program is participation in the arts. Whether students are moderately cognitively impaired, severely cognitively impaired or severely emotionally impaired, art programs allow for creative expression and a new way to learn.

With help from the Kellogg Youth Fund, Gratiot-Isabella Regional Educational Service District (GIRESD) conducted an Artists-in-Residence program in collaboration with Michigan Arts Access (formerly VSA Michigan) during the 2018-2019 school year. All GIRESD special education classrooms in Gratiot and Isabella Counties benefited from the program.

Elementary students taking part in art and music

A total of 207 students, 17 classroom teachers and 61 paraprofessionals participated in the program. Each student engaged in eight hours of learning in either visual arts or music taught by painter Diane Clise, musician Renee Hahn or clay artist Barbara Taylor.

Two young children taking part in art and music programming

“I had a student who just started with me when Renee started coming. I was still learning about this student and he would often fuss during school time. He loved music. It was an ‘aha!’ moment when he smiled and began nodding his head to the beat of one of the songs,” one of the elementary teachers said. “After that, I began using music with him during various parts of the day. It helped him as he adjusted to the classroom.”

The program concluded with Show & Share events at each of the schools where the students demonstrated the music that they had learned, and all of the student artwork was on exhibit at the Mahoney GIRESD administration building during the month of May 2019.

Local 4-H Beekeeping Club Teaches Kids About Impact of Honeybees in Our Lives

BEElievers: two teens learning about bee keeping

Getting involved in 4-H teaches youth a multitude of life skills. Thanks to the Kellogg Youth Fund, Isabella County was able to start a 4-H beekeeping club called the BEElievers. The purpose of the club is to introduce youth to the issues that are impacting the honeybee population, deliver hands-on learning of beekeeping techniques, and to provide a greater understanding of entrepreneurial opportunities regarding the sale of honey and hive products.

Creating a label and learning what goes into the bottling and marketing of honey are vital to the sustainability of this club. The club sells the honey predominantly at the Isabella County Youth and Farm Fair in the Still Exhibit barn. During their first year at the fair, the club made over $700 in sales.

In the first year, approximately 10 youths participated regularly in the club. As the program grew, more youth, and adults helping youth, attended meetings and participated in the honey extracting process.

Teens taking part in bee removal

Participants in 4-H are four times more likely to give back to their communities, according to a Tufts University research study. The study also found that 4-H participants are also twice as likely to make healthy choices and to participate in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) activities.