Students honored for MLK social-justice contest; STEM scholars praise Sankofa programs

Grand Rapids Public Schools recognized the winners of its 20th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Social Justice Contest during the Feb. 10 board meeting, and students from the Sankofa STEM Academy and STEM Scholars program offered public comments praising the program and its funders.

Kaleida Moore, director of the district’s Office of Equity and Inclusion, and partners at Warner Norcross and Judd (sponsor names as announced by the program) presented awards and prizes. The grand-prize winner received an Apple iPad and two tickets to Hamilton; the first runner-up received an Amazon Fire HD Plus tablet with a wireless charging dock and two Hamilton tickets; the second runner-up received a $100 gift card to the We Are Lit bookstore and two Hamilton tickets. The program recorded 185 submissions this year and 46 scholars received honorable mentions; honorable-mention recipients received $25 gift cards.

Student winners read their work at the meeting. One winner described a drawing about Trayvon Martin and said the piece was intended to show that "police brutality is not a good thing." Another student read a poem referencing Maya Angelou’s "The Mask" and said the poem was meant to encourage readers to "stand, not dismiss the truth." Moore said the Grand Rapids Public Museum will exhibit the scholars’ artwork throughout February for Black History Month.

During the public-comment period, students from Sankofa STEM Academy and the Sankofa STEM Scholars program spoke about the impact of hands-on learning, mentoring and early college exposure. Kyler Jackson, a Sankofa Scholar, told the board the program gave him "skills and confidence" and said attending sessions at Grand Rapids Community College helped him imagine future career pathways. Somaje Coleman, another student speaker, described team-building activities and mentors who helped the students develop problem-solving and communication skills. Both students thanked the Amway Foundation and the DeVos family for support mentioned during their remarks.

Why it matters: school-sponsored contests and in-district academies provide enrichment pathways and public recognition for student work; the museum exhibit extends community visibility for student art during Black History Month. Student testimony highlighted partnerships and private philanthropy that support supplementary STEM and leadership programming.

What happens next: district staff will follow up with logistic details for museum exhibit visitors and continue to highlight partner-supported student programs; no board action was required.