Tag Archives: Kentwood ARCH Program

Kentwood Remembers Martin Luther King Jr.

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The City of Kentwood will host “Kentwood Remembers MLK – Our Community Comes Together” to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Monday, January 18. The celebration will take place at the KDL Kentwood Branch Library at 4950 Breton Rd SE.

The first-time event, which runs from 10:00am – 11:00am, was only an idea two years ago and will kick off with a welcome from Jessica Ann Tyson, Event Visionary, and Kentwood Resident/Kentwood Business Owner.

“We wanted to focus on making the event authentic to our community, to Kentwood,” said Tyson in an interview with Wyoming/Kentwood NOW. “There are numerous other celebrations in other communities, but ours needed to be authentic. I love that our event is for everyone and not just people of color.”

Kentwood Library

The event will feature Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech as well as a number of essays and artwork from Kentwood ARCH students that highlight what MLK means to them.

Following Dr. King’s speech, Mayor Stephen Kepley will deliver a mission moment and proclamation. “It is said where there is no vision, the people perish,” explained Kepley. “Passionate and honorable visions, goals, and dreams empower people to live their lives that benefit all. The City of Kentwood is honoring one of those persons, the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who passionately declared his vision with the inner-personal courage to defend his dreams that have forever influenced our values so all may live in peace and unity.”

“Kentwood Remembers MLK” is sponsored by a number of Kentwood businesses, with all proceeds raised to benefit the ARCH after school program. The ARCH program focuses on low-income families, families of color, special education students, and English language learners.

“Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. had a dream that still lives on today. As the community of Kentwood comes together to remember his legacy, I can only pray that each citizen takes to heart what this day truly symbolizes; peace, hope, and a chance for everyone to live together in unity,” said Tyson. “It’s idealistic, but why not strive for it?”

Wyoming/Kentwood NOW and WKTV will provide coverage of the inaugural event!

Kentwoood ARCH Program Helps Students Excel

Area Education,

ARCH 1meghan_dooleyTo some students, school can be quite the challenge, but imagine a program that makes school feel a little less academic and a little more like home. The ARCH Program in Kentwood Public Schools does just that.

ARCH stands for academics, recreation, community and health. It runs in 14 different Kentwood schools and allows students to focus on excelling in the classroom and connects learning to their everyday lives.

“We’ve talked about things that kids normally don’t get to talk about [in school],” Site Coordinator Brittany Bayne said. “Like gay marriage and huge things that are out in the society.”

ARCH 2ARCH caters to the bottom 30 percent of students in the school system and Bayne says they hold an open dialogue with both students and their parents.

“[You have to get parents] to believe in the program and you gotta get the kids to believe in the program,” Bayne explains.

Kids are also served lunch, snacks, and provided free transportation home if needed.

In order for students to reap the benefits of ARCH,  Bayne said it relies upon several factors-one of which is creating a strong relationship between students and their leaders.

“You’re their teacher and they need to know that you’re there to be a support system,” Bayne said.

ARCH 3At an age where kids just want to fit in, one would think there would be little interest in hanging out at an after school program, but Bayne says otherwise, she explains that students often know they need the extra help and are willing to take it.

“Fair isn’t giving everybody the same thing,  fair is giving kids what they need,” Bayne said.

Students at Crestwood Middle School say the program is helping them grow academically, socially and helping them reach goals they didn’t think were possible. Avionna McGehee, a student at Crestwood Middle School, said in sixth grade she struggled often, but as a seventh grader she’s now on the honor roll.

ARCH 4Even Bayne said she’s noticed students stepping up their game, “I just got the summer school list of kids that are failing and are going to be invited to summer school,” Bayne said. “And we only have 6 or 7 kids from ARCH are on there.”

Between the educational learning and personal growth, there is one more important piece of advice. “[The program] is all about getting [kids] comfortable and [them] knowing that they belong,” Bayne said.