Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published June 15, 2007

Detroit — Catholic schools in Detroit have been awarded $210,000 through two grant programs to improve their ability to educate students.

The Detroit-based Skillman Foundation has awarded six Catholic schools – two high schools and four elementary-level schools — grants totaling $200,000. That includes a $100,000 grant awarded to University of Detroit High School. Other schools receiving the grants are Loyola High School ($30,000), Gesu ($25,000), Christ the King ($15,000), East Catholic ($15,000) and St. Bartholomew ($10,000).

Additionally, the Archdiocese of Detroit Office for Catholic Schools has been awarded $10,000 from the Knights of Columbus. That money will be put toward computer software and training that will help identify and address an individual student’s needs in math and English. It will be offered to all Detroit Catholic schools.

Sr. Mary Gehringer, OSM, superintendent for schools, said the grants give inner-city schools the ability to do more for their students.

"Any not-for-profit institution is very dependent upon the generosity of others through grant proposals, donations or other generosity through philanthropic endeavors," Sr. Gehringer said.

Since elementary-level schools typically don’t have the funds to pay a full-time grant writer, the Office for Catholic Schools helped assist most schools with their grant requests – a process that can be labor-intensive, Sr. Gehringer added.

"It’s a wonderful thing when it works well," she said, adding that well-run school committees also can be vital in helping with grant proposals and marketing efforts.

The Skillman Foundation grants are awarded to inner-city schools, private or public, based on how well the school currently serves its population.

"They really try to recognize excellent schools and help them become more excellent," said Ann Steele, director of the annual fund and grant officer for University of Detroit High School.

The $100,000 that U-D received has been earmarked to provide additional training for teachers, new equipment for the music program, and technological improvements for classrooms and science labs.

In previous years, the Skillman grants had been limited to grade schools. The foundation has different levels of grants based on how well a school improves from one year to the next. In addition to the grants, St. Cecilia this year received the status of "Continuing Aspiring School" – meaning it’s on its way to receiving future funds if current progress continues.

John Champion, principal of Gesu, said his school’s $25,000 grant will be used to upgrade the school’s computer infrastructure. But the grant, he added, helped educators learn more about their strength and needs – since the Skillman Foundation requires a thorough analysis of the school before grants are awarded.

"It was a good process all the way around," Champion said. "It helped us to focus and develop things we need to be paying attention to."

The $10,000 grant from the Knights of Columbus comes from the Fr. Michael J. McGivney Memorial Fund for New Initiatives in Catholic Education. Money from the fund is awarded to schools and school systems with a plan to improve teaching practices.

The Archdiocese of Detroit outlined a plan for its inner-city schools to assess the math and English needs of each individual student through a computer program.

"It’s really important to individualize the instruction of the kids," said Susan Leslie, associate superintendent in charge of curriculum. "This is specialized testing for the students, and the software is smart enough to know how fast or slow to move the child through (their lessons)."

The idea, she said, was to close the gap between inner-city and suburban schools when it comes to reading and math. The grant was awarded through the National Catholic Educational Association, which determines which schools receive the funds from the Knights of Columbus.