Post High School Options Made Possible by Fiat Chrysler

FCA Grant Provides Opportunity for Avondale Academy Students to Explore Post High School Options

AH UCAN, an affiliate of the Michigan College Access Network, works to create a college-going culture among Avondale School District students, their families and the entire community with an end goal of increasing post high school education participation and completion rates. The success of the organization’s mission is linked to receiving funding support from community business members and corporations including a generous donation by Fiat Chrysler Automobile, headquartered in the City of Auburn Hills. 

 Avondale Academy counselor, Janette Mow, assists a student exploring collage options

Avondale Academy counselor, Janette Mow, assists a student exploring collage options

“Opportunities for students to prepare for college and to explore post high school options are made possible through grants and donations from our business partners,” said AH UCAN Coordinator, Diane Baldwin. “Without the financial support of companies like FCA, some high school students might not think that college is even possible for them.”  

The $2500 grant from FCA, provided to AH UCAN and distributed to Avondale Academy, an alternative high school in the Avondale School District, is being used to help prepare students for options after graduation. “Looking at employment trends linked to college graduates in STEM related fields gave us some direction for the best way to allocate the grant money,” said Janette Mow, counselor at Avondale Academy. “We decided to use the funds for a math tutor for students who needed additional instruction beyond the classroom and also to cover transportation costs for the Academy students to attend a two-day STEM workshop at Oakland University.”

The tutor works with students in Geometry and Algebra I and II with the goal of improving the students’ ACT and SAT math scores which are vital for college acceptance. Student participation in the STEM workshop this spring will be an engaging way to introduce students to next steps after high school and careers that may interest them and may be new to them as well. The workshops include two hours of STEM educational modules, a campus lunch experience, and an hour and a half spent on a technology-focused tour of the Oakland University School of Engineering and Computer Science, the new Engineering Center, and the campus.

Avondale School District Superintendent, Dr. James Schwarz, expressed his appreciation to FCA for their generosity, citing the company’s donation as a demonstration of the power of the business community supporting student achievement. “We are grateful that FCA provided funding for these opportunities for our students,” he said. “There is really a bigger picture here though that goes beyond the funding. This is a clear demonstration to our students that they have community support to pursue and continue their education after they graduate. That’s a powerful statement that could inspire a student as they are considering their post-graduation choices” he added.

 

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