For young children, writing sparks creativity, fuels their imagination, and offers a unique way to express themselves.
The DTE Energy Foundation partner, 826 Michigan, is a nonprofit that supports Southeast Michigan school-aged students, helping them to write confidently and skillfully with the assistance of adult volunteers in their communities.
The programs focuses quality writing education and enhancement, giving students the tools they need to understand themselves authentically and connect with one another.
“The DTE Foundation understands how important it is to empower young voices and ensure every child has the opportunity to discover the power of their own words,” said Rodney Cole, president, DTE Foundation. “By supporting organizations like 826 Michigan, we’re helping to build a future where all students can thrive through creativity, confidence and connection.”
The Foundation’s support will allow nearly 1,700 students to participate in free writing classes in Ypsilanti this summer and fall. Through the program, students at every grade level will write, revise and publish original work while receiving support from local volunteers.
We are so grateful to the DTE Foundation for supporting our brilliant Ypsilanti student writers. The joy of seeing students see themselves as published authors for the first time can only be described as literal magic. And partners like DTE not only enable us to keep our work happening, but they ask us what our magic needs to be sustained, and then help us make even more magic. – Megan Shuchman, Executive Director, 826michigan
These stories, whether poems, essays, or short fiction, are more than just words on a page. They are reflections of young minds learning to believe in themselves. With every sentence written and every idea shared, students are not only building literacy skills—they’re discovering their voice, their power and their place in the world.