GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—He’s in fourth grade and he’s already got $5,000 tucked away for college.

On Friday, May 10, Navid Hasan found out he won the Ford Freedom Award essay contest.  The Knapp Charter Academy student was the only finalist from West Michigan, beating out 2,000 other students in grades four through eight for  the top prize—a $5,000 college scholarship. Hasan also received a certificate and medal.

Students vying for the Ford Freedom Award  were asked to write an essay about an African American they considered a “quiet hero.” Hasan chose to write about Detroit native Ruby Dunson, who took in neglected or unwanted children and raised them as her own.

“A quiet hero does something selflessly, out of the kindness of their hearts without being recognized,” Hasan said. “I chose Ruby Dunson because she did a righteous thing and was not really recognized for it.”

A team of students from Grand Rapids City High-Middle School, Forest Hills Northern, and Coopersville High School are celebrating victory in the National Academic Games Tournament in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Five teenagers-- Dan Scherphorn (City High), Jack Culp (City High), Ian Wesolowski (City High), Jacob BronkemBekker (Coopersville), and Trey Moore (Forest Hills Northern) won second place in Linguishtik and third place in both Equations and Onsets. Dan Scherphorn and Jack Culp each had perfect scores in Linguishtik. Jack Culp and Jacob  BronemBekker each had perfect scores in Equations.
 

Academic Games Leagues of America is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing “thinking kids” of character, excellence, and integrity.  The organization’s tournaments challenge students to use higher order thinking skills when it comes to language arts, English, history, and mathematics.

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich.—Youth volunteers and their families will be on the hunt for invasive species at the Blandford Nature Center Sunday, April 28.

The team of volunteers is getting a $500 mini-grant to help remove invasive species and debris from the center, to improve  native habitats.

The mini-grant is one of 28 awarded by The Michigan Community Service Commission, Michigan Nonprofit Association, Volunteer Centers of Michigan, The League Michigan, and Michigan Campus Compact, with support from Youth Service America and the Corporation for National and Community Service.  More than $10,000 will be awarded to statewide projects for 2013 Global Youth Service Day.