Student Advocacy Center Of Michigan Inc

Check & connect is an intensive, structured, long-term, and evidence-based mentoring program for students who are disconnected from school and learning. The program, started in the 1990s from the university of minnesota, has been proven to increase school completion. Sac first piloted check & connect in 2012 in ypsilanti and now provides the program in ypsilanti, ann arbor, and detroit. We work with low- and no-income students impacted by trauma, mental illness, racism, and barriers such as harsh school discipline, truancy, and school failure. Mentors and mentees work together for a minimum of two years. Continued in schedule o

Youth organizing/community organizing/policy: the vision of sac from the start was to both provide meaningful "social service" type support and individual case advocacy - but also to build power of students and familiies and together take collective action to win concrete changes to policies and practices that improve the lives of many more students. Sac is focused on concrete wins that increase student voice, choice, support and care and decrease harsh discipline and carceral systems. As part of this work, sac engages in youth organizing in a program called youth action michigan (yam) in detroit and ypsilanti. Yam is an education justice youth organizing program that works to build youth leadership, power and better schools. We combat school push-out and work towards healthy and healing schools. Sac also engages caregivers and community members in organizing locally and in statewide work.

Client support services