2007 Red Wagon Awards

2007 Red Wagon Award Winners

2007 Red Wagon Awards Michigan's Promise, launched in 1997, works to ensure that all of Michigan's youth will have a caring adult, safe place, healthy start, marketable skills and an opportunity to give back to their community, the state of Michigan and overall society. The Red Wagon Awards are designed to recognize and thank special local programs for their tremendous contributions toward making Michigan communities the best places to raise children. Eight Red Wagon Awards are given to programs that exemplify one of the five promises. Winning programs receive state and national recognition and a $500 grant award. The 2007 Red Wagon Award winners were honored during a lunch ceremony May 15, at the 2007 Michigan Nonprofit SuperConference in Lansing, Michigan.

Category: Caring Adult
Carson City Crystal School Mentoring Program
Nominator: Denise Hubbard, United Way of Montcalm County
In its tenth year of operation, the Carson City Crystal School Mentoring Program pairs caring adults with local youth. This school based program has nearly 50 youth matched with community members. Mentors and their students meet weekly to discuss social, developmental and educational issues. In addition, juniors and seniors in the Carson City high school serve as mentors for younger grades within the district. By engaging these two groups, 200 students have positive older role models to assist in their developmental growth.

Category: Safe Place
Orleans Community Library
Nominator: Maureen Meade, Ionia County Community of Promise
The Orleans Community Library is a safe place for children, a center which they can count on to be open regular hours and offer a variety of activities and benefits for youth of all ages. Based on concern for community youth, the library was developed in a local area, to which students can walk. Here, books are plentiful, talents are shared and fun activities are enjoyed together, all on a shoestring budget. The Orleans Community Library gives children opportunities beyond school that support lifelong learning skills in a nurturing environment that is physically, emotionally and psychologically safe and stimulating. Through a unified community effort, this rural area library has circulated more than 6,200 books to date, and continually offers new programs and activities for the youth in and around Orleans.

Leaps and Bounds Youth Mentoring Program
Nominator: Kathleen Bruton, Macomb County Community of Promise
Leaps and Bounds Family Services provides a year-round mentoring program and safe place that offers structured activities during out of school time for children from pre-school through high school. The program serves community children on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, during special events and seminars, and through summer day camps and youth leadership development activities. Through successfully engaging high school teens as mentors, the program provides a safe place, both physically and emotionally, with structured learning activities targeting the community’s youngest children.

Category: Healthy Start
Alger Parks and Recreation DayKamp Program
Nominator: Paula Ackerman, Marquette Alger Community of Promise
Since its inception in 1994, the Alger Parks and Recreation Department’s DayKamp has been providing the youth of Alger County with a healthy start. Last year, more than 125 families were served by the camp at some level. Their “Kids R Cooks” program, which teaches youth basics on food and healthy eating, is one of many ways nutrition is incorporated into the camp. Program participants have even developed a community garden and harvested fresh, healthy produce. A variety of physical activity and regular visits to the local nursing home is helping develop caring and compassionate youth in Alger County.

Girls on the Run of Macomb/Oakland County
Nominator: Michelle Harris, Macomb Family YMCA
Girls on the Run Program of Macomb and Oakland Counties partners the Macomb Family YMCA with two elementary schools and a local parks and recreation department. Through the program, nearly 100 girls between the ages of 8 and 10 years old met twice weekly for 10 weeks to learn about healthy living, exercise and self esteem. The program concluded with girls from all of the sites coming together to run their first 5k. The 5k run is not timed, but all the girls successfully attained the goal that they have been working toward. Girls on the Run provides program participants with a healthier outlook on life, and is seeing an increase in the self esteem in the girls of Macomb and Oakland Counties.

Safe Routes to School - Fitness Council of Jackson
Nominator: Monica Salgat, Jackson County Community of Promise
The Fitness Council of Jackson’s Safe Routes to School program is giving the children of Jackson a chance to get daily physical activity and improve their health by walking and biking to school. This program gives the children of Jackson a healthy start to their day, and helps them understand the importance of life long physical activity and health. Through their Walk to School Day and Walking School Bus initiatives, Safe Routes to School has seen a nearly 400% increase in participation since the program began three years ago. Overall the program affects more than 1,000 students who live within walking distance of the schools.

Category: Marketable Skills
The Popcorn Stand Project/Three Rivers Area Mentoring
Nominator: Charlene Zavala, St. Joseph County Community of Promise
In 1997, the city of Three Rivers offered the Three Rivers Area Mentoring Program (TRAM) an opportunity to refurbish an old popcorn stand. It was assumed that this would be a method of generating much-needed funds to assist with TRAM, but has since developed into a much more powerful tool. The popcorn stand now provides TRAM mentees between the ages of 12 and 16 with summer employment, where they learn valuable, real life job skills. Mentees interested in a summer position are asked to complete an application and go through an interview process. Responsibilities of the position teach time management, customer service, inventory and finance management, and processing cash sales. This project teaches lifelong skills that provide program mentees with the knowledge they need to obtain and retain employment once they enter the work force.

Category: Opportunity to Give Back
Communities In Schools of Lenawee - Youth Summit
Nominator: Christine MacNaughton
Communities In Schools of Lenawee’s Youth Summit was a day long event that has grown into an ongoing initiative that offers students and community members the opportunity to change their community. At the Summit, students heard from speakers on empowerment, teambuilding and overcoming adversity. Since their participation in the Summit, youth have worked with community leaders and school staff on issues that they identified and prioritized at the Summit to make their community a better place. Emergency numbers have been made available to students, hallway cameras have been purchased and a countywide anti-bullying task force was formed, all by students and community leaders working together. The community of Lenawee has empowered their students to be the change, and have been blown away with what they are able to accomplish.



About Michigan's Promise Michigan’s Sites and Communities of Promise 100 Best Communities for Young People Public Policy Red Wagon Awards Resources Promise of Michigan’s Children Contact Us	2007 Red Wagon Award Winners Michigan's Promise, launched in 1997, works to ensure that all of Michigan's youth will have a caring adult, safe place, healthy start, marketable skills and an opportunity to give back to their community, the state of Michigan and overall society. The Red Wagon Awards are designed to recognize and thank special local programs for their tremendous contributions toward making Michigan communities the best places to raise children. Eight Red Wagon Awards are given to programs that exemplify one of the five promises. Winning programs receive state and national recognition and a $500 grant award. The 2007 Red Wagon Award winners were honored during a lunch ceremony May 15, at the 2007 Michigan Nonprofit SuperConference in Lansing, Michigan. *Category: Caring Adult* Carson City Crystal School Mentoring Program Nominator: Denise Hubbard, United Way of Montcalm County In its tenth year of operation, the Carson City Crystal School Mentoring Program pairs caring adults with local youth. This school based program has nearly 50 youth matched with community members. Mentors and their students meet weekly to discuss social, developmental and educational issues. In addition, juniors and seniors in the Carson City high school serve as mentors for younger grades within the district. By engaging these two groups, 200 students have positive older role models to assist in their developmental growth. *Category: Safe Place* Orleans Community Library Nominator: Maureen Meade, Ionia County Community of Promise The Orleans Community Library is a safe place for children, a center which they can count on to be open regular hours and offer a variety of activities and benefits for youth of all ages. Based on concern for community youth, the library was developed in a local area, to which students can walk. Here, books are plentiful, talents are shared and fun activities are enjoyed together, all on a shoestring budget. The Orleans Community Library gives children opportunities beyond school that support lifelong learning skills in a nurturing environment that is physically, emotionally and psychologically safe and stimulating. Through a unified community effort, this rural area library has circulated more than 6,200 books to date, and continually offers new programs and activities for the youth in and around Orleans. Leaps and Bounds Youth Mentoring Program Nominator: Kathleen Bruton, Macomb County Community of Promise Leaps and Bounds Family Services provides a year-round mentoring program and safe place that offers structured activities during out of school time for children from pre-school through high school. The program serves community children on Tuesday and Friday afternoons, during special events and seminars, and through summer day camps and youth leadership development activities. Through successfully engaging high school teens as mentors, the program provides a safe place, both physically and emotionally, with structured learning activities targeting the community’s youngest children. *Category: Healthy Start* Alger Parks and Recreation DayKamp Program Nominator: Paula Ackerman, Marquette Alger Community of Promise Since its inception in 1994, the Alger Parks and Recreation Department’s DayKamp has been providing the youth of Alger County with a healthy start. Last year, more than 125 families were served by the camp at some level. Their “Kids R Cooks” program, which teaches youth basics on food and healthy eating, is one of many ways nutrition is incorporated into the camp. Program participants have even developed a community garden and harvested fresh, healthy produce. A variety of physical activity and regular visits to the local nursing home is helping develop caring and compassionate youth in Alger County. Girls on the Run of Macomb/Oakland County Nominator: Michelle Harris, Macomb Family YMCA Girls on the Run Program of Macomb and Oakland Counties partners the Macomb Family YMCA with two elementary schools and a local parks and recreation department. Through the program, nearly 100 girls between the ages of 8 and 10 years old met twice weekly for 10 weeks to learn about healthy living, exercise and self esteem. The program concluded with girls from all of the sites coming together to run their first 5k. The 5k run is not timed, but all the girls successfully attained the goal that they have been working toward. Girls on the Run provides program participants with a healthier outlook on life, and is seeing an increase in the self esteem in the girls of Macomb and Oakland Counties. Safe Routes to School - Fitness Council of Jackson Nominator: Monica Salgat, Jackson County Community of Promise The Fitness Council of Jackson’s Safe Routes to School program is giving the children of Jackson a chance to get daily physical activity and improve their health by walking and biking to school. This program gives the children of Jackson a healthy start to their day, and helps them understand the importance of life long physical activity and health. Through their Walk to School Day and Walking School Bus initiatives, Safe Routes to School has seen a nearly 400% increase in participation since the program began three years ago. Overall the program affects more than 1,000 students who live within walking distance of the schools. *Category: Marketable Skills* The Popcorn Stand Project/Three Rivers Area Mentoring Nominator: Charlene Zavala, St. Joseph County Community of Promise In 1997, the city of Three Rivers offered the Three Rivers Area Mentoring Program (TRAM) an opportunity to refurbish an old popcorn stand. It was assumed that this would be a method of generating much-needed funds to assist with TRAM, but has since developed into a much more powerful tool. The popcorn stand now provides TRAM mentees between the ages of 12 and 16 with summer employment, where they learn valuable, real life job skills. Mentees interested in a summer position are asked to complete an application and go through an interview process. Responsibilities of the position teach time management, customer service, inventory and finance management, and processing cash sales. This project teaches lifelong skills that provide program mentees with the knowledge they need to obtain and retain employment once they enter the work force. *Category: Opportunity to Give Back* Communities In Schools of Lenawee - Youth Summit Nominator: Christine MacNaughton Communities In Schools of Lenawee’s Youth Summit was a day long event that has grown into an ongoing initiative that offers students and community members the opportunity to change their community. At the Summit, students heard from speakers on empowerment, teambuilding and overcoming adversity. Since their participation in the Summit, youth have worked with community leaders and school staff on issues that they identified and prioritized at the Summit to make their community a better place. Emergency numbers have been made available to students, hallway cameras have been purchased and a countywide anti-bullying task force was formed, all by students and community leaders working together. The community of Lenawee has empowered their students to be the change, and have been blown away with what they are able to accomplish.
Copyright 2007 by Michigan’s Promise. Address: 1048 Pierpont Suite 3, Lansing MI 48854 Phone: 517-492-2440