Established in 2010 as a multi-year, multi-million-dollar education initiative, Believe 2 Become taps the wisdom of community, the power of agency, and the rigor of data to unleash the unlimited potential of students, families, school, and community in Greater Grand Rapids.
The wisdom of community: from parents, residents, educators, businesses, advocates, and youth, provides essential, ongoing direction to the initiative.
Empowering parents and students to share their voice and act on their own behalf is one of the most effective ways to help students achieve greater academic gains.
A relentless focus on meaningful data collection, aggregation, and analysis has yielded important insights about the value of Believe 2 Become investments.
2007-08Institute for Learning begins working with GRPS educators to influence classroom teaching and learning with research-based practices
Youth Violence Prevention initiative launches to support neighborhood families
Athletic academic expansion launches to bring learning-centered strategies to the field
2009Rigorous analysis reveals Hope Zone neighborhood opportunities for academic success strategies
A network of individuals and organizations joins forces to help more children achieve their potential
The “I Believe I Become” rallying cry is born, along with the Believe 2 Become identity
2010B2B launches Summer Learning Academy Community engagement begins with public gatherings in the Central Hope Zone
2011B2B Baby Scholars recruits its first cohort of families
Cambridge Education begins working with GRPS on the Teacher Effectiveness project
Tripod Survey of students and teachers is introduced to provide helpful feedback to GRPS teachers and principals on instructional practices
2012Community engagement deepens the strategy to include school-based parent meetings in the Hope Zones B2B premieres documentary film Helping Children Succeed featuring community leaders
GRPS publishes its first parent manual with Believe 2 Become messaging
Partners in School Innovation begins working with GRPS on a middle school turnaround project
2013With B2B support, GRPS launches its first attendance challenge
B2B and GRPS team up to launch the first Parent University in Michigan
Summer Learning Academy and Baby Scholars celebrate student and family achievements at Successfest, a collaboration of Believe 2 Become and GRPS Basis Policy Research begins working with GRPS to develop the Opportunity Index
2014The Project LIFT pilot shares student success data with select GRPS parents via text messages
ELO Network launches Imagine U to help students improve social-emotional learning and develop future orientation
Parent University launches online learning and credentialing opportunities for parents
GRPS increases efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism with Challenge 5, a districtwide attendance challenge
2015Project LIFT teams with Summer Learning Academy to share student success data with GRPS parents
Parent University adds an online course, “Helping Students Imagine Their Future,” with Dr. Ronald F. Ferguson of Harvard University
GRPS reports measurable improvements in attendance and reductions in chronic absenteeism
2016Imagine U emerges as a strong community-wide professional learning community committed to helping youth develop the mindsets, skills, future orientation, knowledge, and agency they will need for successful futures in the 21st century
2017The Imagine More campaign launches with its eye focused on the successful futures of young people and their families in West Michigan
Workforce Opportunity Report is published and distributed at public forums where leaders in education, workforce development, and captains of industry gathered to discuss solutions to bridge the school to career opportunity gap faced by so many high school graduates
Believe 2 Become supports successful futures by empowering more young people to achieve their unlimited potential, fulfill high expectations, and seize real opportunities.
