Local Education Organizations

Compiled for November 19, 2014 AAOCC Meeting

826MICHIGAN
Frances Martin, Program Manager & Volunteer Coordinator 
115 E Liberty St
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 761-3463
826michigan is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting students aged 6 to 18 with their creative and expository writing skills, and to helping teachers inspire their students to write. We provide homework help during drop-in tutoring, writing-based field trips, creative writing workshops, in-school support for students and teachers, and publication opportunities for our students. All of our programs are offered completely free of charge.

ANN ARBOR DISTRICT LIBRARY
Ira Lax, Outreach & Neighborhood Services 
343 S. Fifth Ave.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
(734) 327-4200 
The Ann Arbor District Library supports education through its longstanding partnership with AAPS and other schools and our professional staff. Among the services we offer to families are: Summer Reading Game with preview visits to schools in spring, Jump.aadl.org, Homework Help databases and Brainfuse, no-fee K-12 tutoring at the Downtown Library, great collections, including Unusual Stuff to Borrow, public lists, AAPS Reading Levels, Lexile Reading Levels, HiLo books, and the Washtenaw Library for the Blind & Physically Disabled.

ANN ARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS
Annette Ferguson, Business Partnerships Coordinator 
2555 South State Street
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48104
(734) 994-2200
The mission of the Partners for Excellence Program is to enhance student achievement and augment
classroom learning with the assistance of community partners/supporters. The Partners for Excellence
Program works with individuals, local businesses, organizations, and academic institutions to bring the
human resources and knowledge base available in our community into the school and classroom.

ANN ARBOR PUBLIC SCHOOLS EDUCATION FOUNDATION
Linh Song, Executive Director 
2370 E. Stadium
P.O. Box 120 
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-794-3070
The Ann Arbor Public Schools Educational Foundation provides funding to the Ann Arbor Public
Schools to inspire and support the growth of students and teachers.  We accomplish this through raising
private funds from individuals and businesses in the community who have a vested interest in the success
of all schools in the district.  We are guided by the following principles in every aspect of our daily work:
Educational Excellence, Innovation, Inclusion, Trust, Integrity, and Community.

MICHIGAN PARENTS FOR SCHOOLS
Steve Norton
Michigan Parents for Schools is a non-profit public interest advocacy group that has been working for
excellent community-governed public education in Michigan since 2007.  MIPFS organizes grassroots
lobbying efforts and direct lobbying of state policymakers on education issues; it also works to help
parents form local organizations to support their schools and to change the current public discourse about
public schools through education efforts.

NEUTRAL ZONE
Mary Moffett, Community Relations Director 
310 E. Washington
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-214-9995
The Neutral Zone is a diverse, youth-driven teen center dedicated to promoting personal growth through
artistic expression, community leadership and the exchange of ideas.  We serve high school-aged youth
and offer more than twenty programs in the areas of music, visual arts, education, community leadership and
literary arts.  In addition, Neutral Zone offers after school drop-in and a free tutoring program, providing a
safe and welcoming space for teenagers to call their own during high-risk, after school hours. Concerts
and special events such as dance parties and poetry slams provide entertainment opportunities for teens on
the weekends.

PTO COUNCIL
Lauren Steele, Open PTOC Representative
P.O. Box 727
Ann Arbor, MI 48107
The PTO Council is the umbrella organization supporting PTOs throughout Ann Arbor Public Schools
and includes representatives from each PTO and PTSO in the district.  The PTOC mission is to promote
excellence in our schools through communication and advocacy by providing a forum for communication
and cooperation and by acting as an advocate for member PTOs with district administration and with the
Board of Education, and beyond.  The PTO Council facilitates parent involvement, shares ideas and
innovations, and works to advance the quality of our schools.

PTO THRIFT SHOP
Angie Smith and Julie Roth, Open PTO Thrift Shop Representatives
2280 S Industrial Hwy.
Ann Arbor, MI 48104
734-996-9155 
The PTO Thrift Shop uses the proceeds from the repair, sales or disposal of new and used articles of
personal property, materials and goods of all kinds and descriptions to support the Ann Arbor Public
Schools, Parent Teacher Organizations of the Ann Arbor Public Schools, and other 501c3 organizations
exclusively benefitting the Ann Arbor Public Schools. The more school PTOs and their communities
participate with us, the more they earn.  Fundraising proceeds based on events, sponsorships and
promotions in support of the PTO Thrift Shop are distributed to member PTOs throughout the school
year, beginning in September and continuing until June.

WASHTENAW SUCCESS BY SIX GREAT START COALITION
Cindy Lin
1819 S. Wagner Rd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48103
734-994-8100 ext 2177 
By bringing organizations, businesses, government officials and many individuals together, the Great
Start Coalition seeks to enhance the quality of life for young children in Washtenaw County.  We produce
a yearly report outlining the Status of Young Children in Washtenaw County and advocate for the needs
of young children with elected officials.