A week following Election Day 2024, a group of 27 students from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. for the inaugural National Civics Bee Championship on Tuesday, Nov. 12. The competition featured students in the sixth, seventh, and eight grades, testing their U.S. civics knowledge in a contest of peers. And while Alaska’s Emily Brubaker would ultimately take home the top prize, which included a $100,000 scholarship, the competition is only set to get stronger in 2025.
That’s because the Michigan Chamber Foundation, an organizing partner with The Civic Trust of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, has announced a sizable expansion of the state’s pool of potential contestants – namely, all of them. Public, private, charter, and home schooled students across the state are invited to compete in 2025, inviting students in grades 6-8 to submit a 750-word essay detailing how a specific challenge to their community can be addressed by way of U.S. Founding Principles or Civic Virtues.
“Informed, active citizens are the heart of thriving communities and economies,” said MI Chamber president and CEO Jim Holcomb. “This initiative is one essential way to spark civic interest and knowledge and help combat the political division or apathy that’s too prevalent these days.”
The Michigan Chamber Foundation has enlisted the help of 10 chambers of commerce throughout the state to help with the expanded field of entries. Students have from now until Feb. 4, 2025, to submit their essays to whichever chamber is closest to them.
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For Sterling Heights students, that would be the Chaldean American Chamber of Commerce, which has partnered with the Chaldean Community Foundation to host the local competitions. The news comes as community leaders continue to find innovative ways to respond to the needs of Sterling Heights and its students.
Visit the Chaldean Community Foundation online to learn more about the Michigan Civics Bee and requirements for application.
Robots and STEM
This past October, a group of Macomb County business, education, and economic development leaders gathered at the Advanced Manufacturing Commercialization Center (AMCC) in Sterling Heights to celebrate the grand opening of the new home for the Macomb Automation and Robotics Zone (MARZ). Founded in 2019, the nonprofit organization MARZ gives students hands-on learning opportunities in robotics and automation. With opportunities for students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade and beyond, the programs at MARZ not only provide valuable lessons in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), but also access to Sterling Heights’ vast network of industry experts.
They won’t have to go far to find those experts, either. The AMCC is operated by SAE Government Technologies and focuses on advanced manufacturing processes and workforce training opportunities in the defense and commercial sectors.
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Scenes from the MARZ grand opening in Sterling Heights. (Macomb County Planning & Economic Development)
“SAE is excited about the impact this space will have on participating students,” said Mark Pickett, Technology Transfer Program Manager at SAE GT. “For more than 30 years, SAE’s A World In Motion (AWIM) STEM programs have been providing hands-on STEM experiences in classrooms around the globe. Combined with the mission of MARZ to enhance career exploration in STEM for students across Macomb County, we believe our efforts effectively fuel development of our talent pipeline.”
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MARZ left their former home at Velocity for the new space at AMCC, which comes with a regulation-sized field for robotics contests. That should give local FIRST Robotics Teams a mechanical leg up on their competition. The new facility also provides MARZ students with access to a CNC machine, 3D printer, and more room to grow, both in the amount of students served as well as the opportunities presented them.
“Since 2022 alone, MARZ has hosted more than 50 outreach workshops for over 300 students, and we’ve provided assistance to 24 teams to help them be more competitive with resources and support for team members,” said Vicky Rowinski, Director of Macomb County Planning and Economic Development. “We are actively seeking grants and donations to help us reach even more and acquire additionally needed resources.”
Visit MARZ online to learn more about STEM and robotics opportunities for students.
Opening doors
The Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation Department welcomed their inaugural cohort of adaptive interns at the beginning of the school year, a group of six students with disabilities who are getting hands-on experience as they work alongside the Parks and Rec team at the Community and Senior centers, and city parks. The program has been touted as a first-of-its-kind partnership, uniting Sterling Heights Parks and Rec with Utica Community Schools as part of the Project SEARCH initiative.
The program from Project SEARCH offers students with disabilities a path toward their post-secondary education lives. Those students enrolled in the 10-week program will learn the skills and confidence necessary for the working world, empowering them with a sense of independence and a brighter future.
“Project SEARCH is a great example of how community partnerships are opening doors for our graduates,” Utica Community Schools Superintendent Robert Monroe said when the initiative was first announced this past spring. “This first-of-its-kind collaboration will give our students with disabilities essential job skills that will empower them to realize their future goals and dreams.”
Six adaptive interns will be enrolled per each of the three, 10-week internships over the course of the program, which runs from August 2024 through May 2025. To learn more about the application process, contact Sterling Heights Parks and Recreation at (586) 446-2700 or visit myshpr.net.
Pilot programs
Getting students to class safely has proven to be another focus this school year, with the city of Sterling Heights and Utica Community Schools partnering on a traffic calming and roadway safety pilot program outside of Stevenson High School. A new crosswalk was featured at a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Stevenson this October, which includes highly visible roadway artwork and flashing beacons to better alert drivers of students and other pedestrians.
"This partnership on the Stevenson High School crosswalks demonstrates how we continue working together to ensure the safety of our students,” said Superintendent Monroe. “These improvements have been a priority for our entire community, and we are pleased that these measures are the first of their kind in the city and will significantly improve the safety of our students walking to and from Stevenson High School."
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Cutting the ribbon on a new crosswalk at Stevenson High School. (City of Sterling Heights)
The crosswalk is one of many pedestrian safety improvements planned throughout the city over the next six months, with city officials using the pilot program to gauge the effectiveness of various traffic calming and pedestrian safety measures. Targeted neighborhoods and roadways will receive various upgrades, including speed cushions along Brougham Drive; traffic circles along Amsterdam Drive; a median on Pond View Drive; curb extensions at the new Stevenson crosswalk; and flashing pedestrian beacons on Utica and Dodge Park roads.
“We heard our residents’ concerns about traffic safety, and we responded. I’m proud to highlight the safety features at this newly designed crosswalk – the first of many traffic calming measures we are testing throughout the city,” said Sterling Heights Mayor Michael Taylor. “With these new beacons and other traffic calming pilot projects, we’re making sure that in Sterling Heights, everyone can drive, walk and bike with confidence in their safety.”
City officials encourage residents to share their feedback on the pilot program by emailing cityhall@sterlingheights.gov or calling City Engineering at (586) 446-2720.