By GRAND RAPIDS, MI – The Wege Foundation has awarded Grand Rapids Public Schools’ City High Middle School and the Center for Economicologya $100,000 grant to support their International Baccalaureate curriculum.
In June, the foundation awarded $100,000 to Catholic Central High School for tuition assistance this school year. The five areas of interest for the foundation are: environment, education, arts and culture, human services and health care.
Related: Tuition Assistance: Catholic Central receives $100,000 grant from The Wege Foundation
The GRPS grant covers various IB activities, including IB trainings, professional development, IB resources, annual IB fees, student camp fees and greenhouse expenses.
IB is a rigorous curriculum, focusing on critical thinking and engaged learning, that a growing number of Michigan schools have embraced to encourage both academic achievement to compete globally and personal development.
IB aims “to develop inquiring, knowledgeable, and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect,” according to IB Schools of Michigan.
Grand Rapids is among 83 schools in Michigan offering the curriculum. West Ottawa Public Schools also has a program.
City and Economicology, test-in schools, ranked in the highest percentile — the 99th percentile of schools statewide. City serves students in grades 7 to 12. The Center for Economicoloy is a sixth grade program that combines environmental education with aspects IB model to create a 21st century education focused on sustainability for 60 students.
Catholic Central High School students work on an assignment. In June, The Wege Foundation also gave a $100,000 grant to Catholic Central to assist with tuition for the 2014-15 school year.This year, the schools moved to the old campus of Creston High School, which closed in 2013.
The late philanthropist Peter Wege coined the term “economicology” to describe his premise that a healthy economy and healthy ecology are the basis for achieving sustainability. The school is named after that term.
Applications, available online, are required to attend the schools. The application deadline is Feb. 27, 2015.
Monica Scott is the Grand Rapids K-12 education writer. Email her atmscott2@mlive.com and follow her on Twitter @MScottGR or Facebook