Excellence in Education

In the spring of 1986, representatives from several area public and nonpublic schools gathered at the invitation of the Kalamazoo Community Foundation to develop a program that would honor and recognize both students and educators who demonstrate excellence.

Using a model developed in Battle Creek, Michigan, under the leadership of the W. K. Kellogg Foundation, the Kalamazoo County Excellence in Education program has become one of the most noteworthy, exciting and far-reaching recognition programs ever implemented in the Kalamazoo area.

The program has generated cooperative relationships, interest and enthusiasm among public and non-public educational institutions in Kalamazoo County. It has also focused community attention on the academic and professional excellence of graduating high school seniors and educators within the Kalamazoo County school system.

The Monroe-Brown Foundation, in the spring of 1992, issued a $300,000 challenge grant to the community to seed a permanent fund that would enable this outstanding program to continue in the future. Within months, five area foundations matched the challenge grant, and they were soon joined by individuals, businesses and organizations offering their support.

Each May, the Excellence in Education program holds a reception to reward students for their academic achievements and provide them the opportunity to honor those educators who have contributed to their success. Each November, a breakfast event celebrates the accomplishments of the educators who were awarded Educator Incentive Grants and completed projects that enhance teaching and learning in our schools.

Click on the links to the left for details about the Excellence in Education program.

Last Modified on October 20, 2011