Focus on early learning and higher education will bolster the Michigan Senate’s ongoing efforts to support all students throughout Michigan
LANSING, Mich. (July 14, 2023) — Today, Sen. Erika Geiss (D-Taylor) issued the following statement after Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order establishing the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, or MiLEAP.
“As the Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Education, I am thrilled with the establishment of the Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential in Michigan. It is important that students across Michigan have equal access to education at the earliest age possible. Children should not be limited to education based on their age or ZIP code,” said Sen. Geiss. “MiLEAP is going to support Michigan students at every step in their education. By connecting parents with the resources they need for their young children to access quality, affordable education, to supporting current students by offering community support, career exploration, and pathways for college students, this department will give all Michigan students to the tools for success in their educational pursuits and in their careers and overall lives.”
“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 three offices:
- Office of Early Childhood Education
- Office of Higher Education
- 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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