With this history and point of departure, and with these targets and goals, we have committed ourselves to helping every student that we can reach. We are deliberately limited in scope so that we can make sure that each student with whom we engage, knows that they matter. We are committed to responding to whatever challenge, complication, or barrier that they may have in their way to achieving their goals as a student and young adult.
Initially, we were working to leverage student interests in football. Examples of complications we had to address included:
1. A football field playing surface that was so unsafe that no one else in the area would use it for any of the other regional activities. It is a natural surface field, but with holes and ruts, no watering system except for the outdated and dangerous sprinkler heads. Where there might have been grass many years ago, there were only weeds and patches. The goal posts were off-centered, and an old hand-me-down scoreboard was all that was left from what was a storied facility. The whole complex paled in comparison to facilities in our region that have multiple artificial turf fields with video boards and sound systems. To be sure, the poor condition of the football field was what is experienced in so many other of the outdated facilities at Ypsilanti Schools.
2. There were insufficient helmets and other critical pieces of equipment, so that student athletes had to share equipment, including the helmets.
3. No blocking sleds
4. No cold weather and inclement weather gear
5. No student academic support structure
6. Students without shoes
7. Students without transportation for the after school practices and workouts
8. No strength coach
9. No nutritional support
And these are just the shortcomings in the football program, all of which were unheard of with any of our regional competitors.
In the first year, we addressed all of these disparities with major contributions from the Bill and Sally Martin Family Foundation, the Buhr Family Foundation, Tim Wadhams, Sean Duval and Golden Limousine, Washtenaw County Parks and Recreation, and so many others (many continue to be with us on a monthly and annual basis yet today – see our list of contributors and supporters on the Partners page).
During these earlier years, we also began our efforts to address the racial disparities and socio-economic inequalities in a macro sense as well. With the help of graduate students at Eastern Michigan University under the leadership of the Community Engagement Office and its Director, Becky Alexander, we were able to quantify these disparities. Their work enabled us to present these challenges confronting Ypsilanti Schools and their students to a broad range of Public Commissions and Boards, including the Michigan Department of Civil Rights and the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners, both of which are using our data and materials as they work to address these challenges in our region and state. Our work in this macro sense is undertaken with regular advice and counsel from Ypsilanti area clergy, our elected leaders, and philanthropic partners.