Crain’s Detroit Business
Amelia Benavides-Colón
July 12, 2022
The DTE Energy Foundation is awarding $1.25 million to four Michigan organizations to support their efforts to diversify workforces and boost employment programs.
The grants will fund women and minority leadership activities, college advancement programs, STEM education events, and climate change curriculum, according to a news release.
“Education and workforce development programs are the building blocks for any economy, and it is vital that we support and diversify our state’s employee pipeline in a way that benefits women, minorities and all residents,” DTE Foundation President Lynette Dowler said in the release. “These four organizations conduct programs that deliver meaningful results for K-12 and college age students, strengthening Michigan’s economy, diversifying our workforce and reducing the legacy of poverty in some of our communities.”
The grants go to:
$500,000, Michigan Hispanic Collaborative: The Detroit-based nonprofit provides resources and support to college-bound students aged 16-26 through its La Próxima Generación program. It intends to use the grant to help combat the high poverty rate of Hispanics living in Detroit by improving economic mobility for teens and young adults, the release stated.
$450,000, Cranbrook Institute of Science: The natural history and science museum in Bloomfield Hills will use its grant to develop a climate change education curriculum for 200 public elementary and middle schools in Detroit, Ecorse, Hamtramck, Romulus, and Trenton, as well as the César Chávez Academy in Detroit, according to the release. It will also cover funding for a fellowship program and sponsor the Women Rock Science event.
$200,000, FIRST in Michigan: The West Bloomfield-based nonprofit dedicated to forming robotics competition teams at every high school in the state will use its funds to support its annual FIRST Robotics Competition and FIRST Tech Challenge. The grant will cover registration fees for legacy and at-risk school teams, according to the release.
$100,000, Inforum inSTEM: The Detroit-based organization focused on accelerated careers for women received funding for its inSTEM initiative, which deploys female role models to create a network of women in the STEM fields. The grant will support career exploration, introduction of opportunities for apprenticeships and trade programs, exposure to companies with workforce opportunities targeted to mentoring, and hiring women, according to the release. It will also fund the research and development of an app-based mentorship program for high school and college students and young professionals.
The DTE Energy Foundation is the philanthropic arm of electric and gas company DTE Energy Co., providing more than $18.9 million in grant support to businesses with a focus on jobs, equity and the environment.