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Our Impact

Measuring success, one child at a time.  

  • 47 Libraries
  • 400 New musical instruments
  • 2,500 High-powered graphing calculators
  • 3,900 Students exploring the natural environment each year

Helping students reach their full potential—with the tools and experiences needed to learn. That’s the work of the Student Advancement Foundation. We harness the energy, resources and commitment of our community to remove the barriers that keep our kids from success.  

In some ways, our impact is immeasurable.  How do you quantify what Tanya has gained from having a brand new library at her school, fully stocked with engaging books?  Or what it inspired in Alejandro to have watched Charlotte’s Web come alive on the theater stage?  Can we ever really know how much Erika was encouraged to pursue a career in the sciences because she had a high-tech calculator with the right scientific applications to use during high school? For more about how we positively impact education at GRPS, find out How We Work.

Through partnerships, dollars raised, new initiatives and reaching out to our community, we help make sure the students of Grand Rapids can learn, can grow and can one day achieve their dreams. Check out our latest Annual Report to find out how the SAF has been impacting student achievement in the last year.
 

Rain on my Parade

Last month I set out to see for myself what the SAF’s funds for environmental education look like—in action!  The talented staff at Blandford Nature Center allowed me to tag along with a ninth-grade biology class from Creston as they explored the woods on a cold, wet November morning.  It softened... Read more »

Connect With Us

111 Library NE
Grand Rapids, MI 49503		 Phone: (616) 988-5430
Fax: (616) 988-5419

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Helping GRPS Students Achieve

Believing all students deserve the chance to succeed, the Student Advancement Foundation has raised almost $8 million since 1993 to provide Grand Rapids Public Schools students the educational tools and enrichment experiences they need to learn. We link community resources with the needs of our city’s students, not just by raising money, but also by identifying and strengthening partnerships and opportunities to engage the community in our efforts.