What is the Greater Detroit Education Venture Fund?
The Greater Detroit Education Venture Fund was created by United Way to support efforts to turn around local high schools that have graduation rates of 40 percent or less.

The Venture Fund will provide financial support for eligible schools to work with a proven educational intermediary, union leadership, district officials, and the community to create small, personalized learning environments utilizing three components:

• Changing Conditions – Conditions in the lowest-performing schools must be changed so that school leaders have the authority to make decisions in the best interests of the students. Changing conditions also means being accountable for increased achievement rates.

• Increasing Capacity – Increasing capacity means that one lead external partner (or intermediary) works with the school district and school staff to implement proven school turnaround and student engagement strategies.

• Creating Clusters – To be effective, school turnaround cannot occur in small, isolated pockets. School leaders and teachers involved in turnaround need both collaboration and competition.
  

In doing so, we believe we will be able to turn around the low graduation rates currently facing many schools in our region.

Why it’s important
High school dropouts are eight times more likely than high school graduates to end up in jail, and 75 percent of all inmates are high school dropouts.

By increasing graduation rates in our region, we are equipping our youth with the educational tools they need to be successful members of society. An educated workforce is key to the future growth of our region, and a high school diploma is a critical step toward that end.

Results
Fall 2009 - Venture Fund launches first investments: Hundreds of high school freshmen in Detoit and Warren are entering a more supportive learning environment this academic year with the help of United Way. These environments include nine "small schools" and three learning communities, launched as part of the first round of investments made by The Greater Detroit Education Venture Fund. [Click here to read more.]

Funders

• AT&T Foundation
• Ford Motor Company Fund
• Skillman Foundation
• United Way for Southeastern Michigan