By Mark | October 11, 2012 As I’ve mentioned here before, one of my favorite local non-profits is the urban farming education and advocacy organization Growing Hope. And, as they still have a ticket or two available for the big fundraiser this weekend at their new Michigan Avenue facility, I thought that now might be a good time to check in [...]
Posted in Agriculture, entrepreneurism, Environment, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged Bona Sera, Brandon Johns, canning, Chefs in the Garden, Cleveland, co-ops, Enterprising Health, farmers market, food justice, food preservation, food security, food stamps, Garden Leadership Training, Grange, Growing Gardens, Growing Hope, healthy food access, hoophouse, International Public Markets Conference, Michigan Avenue, place making, Project for Public Spaces, snap, social entrepreneurship, solar, urban food system, urban gardening, winter farmers' market, Wolverine Diner | A few days ago, I posted something here about the proposed merger of the Ypsilanti and Willow Run school districts. Well, what I’d written was apparently brought to the attention of Scott Menzel, the superintendent of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District. Scott asked for an opportunity to clarify a few things concerning the proposed merger, [...]
Posted in Education, Michigan, Sustainability | Also tagged Ann Arbor Area Community Foundation, budget cuts, Chapelle, charter schools, civic involvement of students, community gardens, consolidation, curriculum, discipline, dismantling of public education, EAA, Early College Alliance, Eastern Leaders Group, Eastern Michigan University, education reform, Educational Achievement Authority, Emergency Financial Manager Act, Emergency Financial Manger, Emergency Manager, Great Start Readiness Program, Head Start, Houghton Mifflin, Lead and Learn, Maria Cotera, mentorship, Muskegon Heights, New Tech HIgh School, persistently low achieving, PLA, privatization, public education, School Aid Act, school budget, school calendar, school vouchers, Scott Menzel, social justice, STEMTech, student court, United Way of Washtenaw County, Washtenaw Intermediate School District, Willow Run Community Schools, WIllow Run high school, WISD, Ypsilanti Area Community Fund, Ypsilanti Public School Alliance, Ypsilanti Public Schools | If you’re a regular reader of this site, you know that my friend Maria Cotera has, over the past few years, been sharing reports with us on the status of Ypsilanti’s public schools. From the closing of Chapelle elementary to the the adoption of the recent deficit elimination plan, she’s established herself, at least in [...]
Posted in Education, Sustainability, Uncategorized, Ypsilanti | Also tagged ballot initiatives, class size, community gardens, consolidation, curriculum, Deficit Elimination Plan, dismantling of public education, Emergency Financial Manager, Emergency Financial Manager’s Act, food justice, Houghton Mifflin, Lead and Learn, Maria Cotera, public school challenges, social justice, student court, Washtenaw IntermediateSchool District, Willow Run, Willow Run Community Schools, WISD, Ypsi Public School District, Ypsilanti Public School Alliance, Ypsilanti Public Schools | By Mark | October 17, 2011 I’m not suggesting that anyone run out and invest their hard-earned money in this, but our friend Amanda Edmonds, the executive director of the Ypsi-based not-for-profit Growing Hope has what I think is an intriguing idea. She wants to buy up cheap Ypsi land that’s being sold at auction, and repurpose it for urban agriculture. [...]
