Sen. Bayer Applauds New Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential  

Jul 12, 2023 | Press Release

LANSING, Mich. (July 12, 2023) — Today, Sen. Rosemary Bayer (D-West Bloomfield) issued the following statement after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order establishing the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, or MiLEAP.   

 

“Since I first came to Lansing, I have been dedicated to investing and improving education in Michigan beyond K-12,” said Sen. Bayer. “As Chair of the Senate Subcommittee on Appropriations for the Michigan Department of Education, I have had the opportunity to work further in this field this year. During that time, I have seen the need to expand our view of education beyond something that starts with kindergarten and ends with high school. I look forward to working with Gov. Whitmer and MiLEAP to better expand education access in Michigan.”  

  

“Every Michigander deserves a path to ‘make it in Michigan’ with strong, lifelong learning support,” said Gov. Whitmer. “For too long, we have thought of education as K-12, but we know that’s not good enough. I’m establishing MiLEAP today because we need to get every kid started early, in pre-K, so they succeed in kindergarten, have paths after graduation to get higher education tuition-free, and forge strong partnerships with our employers so they can get a good-paying, high-skill, and in-demand job. MiLEAP will help our learning ecosystem take the jump to the next level as we grow our economy and build a brighter future for Michigan.”  

  

MiLEAP

MiLEAP will align all available resources, data, and funds around a single vision — building an education system from early learning through postsecondary to help anyone ‘make it’ in Michigan.   

  

MiLEAP has three broad goals:  

  • Add capacity in early learning.   

  • Accelerate progress towards the state’s Sixty by 30 higher education goal.   

  • Prioritize community, regional, and state partnerships.    

These goals will be pursued by MiLEAP’s 3 offices: 

  1. Office of Early Childhood Education  
  2. Office of Higher Education   
  3. Office of Education Partnerships  

MiLEAP will partner with the Michigan Department of Education and State Board of Education, complementing their long-term planning efforts and with the new Growing Michigan Together Council as they look at ways to grow the state’s economy and population.    

  

To learn more about MiLEAP, read the governor’s press release here.  

  

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