DETROIT – A special groundbreaking ceremony was held Friday to celebrate the future of education in the city of Detroit.
Local 4′s Evrod Cassimy was at the scene as construction began on a new educational center aimed at taking children all the way from the cradle to a career.
Work on the $15 million Starfish Family Services early childhood center on Marygrove’s campus comes just over a year after it was initially announced.
“Even though the price tag is high, there is no price tag that is too high to invest in the kids of Detroit,” said Rip Rapson, of the Kresge Foundation. “I think it sends a powerful signal that we’re serious about kids and that we’ll do anything to make them successful.”
The Kresge Foundation invested in the early childhood center and the overall Marygrove P-20 campus. A rendering of what the finished early childhood building will look like was unveiled at Friday’s groundbreaking. It’s a welcomed addition to the campus and will provide high-quality education to the youngest Detroiters, officials said.
“We’re serving the neighborhood and we’re serving children,” said Jane Herb, of the Marygrove Conservancy. “Education is at the core of what you need to do for a successful future, and starting with the infant program here -- it’s going to lay the groundwork for successful students, giving them the best opportunities.”
Some potential future students were on hand to help with the groundbreaking. Once completed, the early childhood education center will serve 150 children from birth to 5 years old.
“We also hope that this will become a neighborhood center, serving medical needs as well as other needs benefiting the community,” Herb said.
Enrollment will begin next spring, with school started in January 2021. At full capacity, the school will serve about 1,000 Detroit children, officials said.