Imlay City Schools secures $383K grant to expand arts program

IMLAY CITY — Imlay City Community Schools has been awarded a $383,172 grant from the Michigan Department of Education to expand middle school Career and Technical Education programs in the performing arts.

The Section 61v CTE Expansion Grant delivers the full amount requested by the district to launch an Arts, Entertainment & Design CTE program for students in grades 6 through 8. Over three years, the funding will build a direct pipeline from early career exploration into the high school’s state-approved Visual & Performing Arts CTE program.

“This is about helping students understand that the arts are not simply an extracurricular activity — they are an industry,” said Rebekah Brewer, Imlay City Schools performing arts coordinator and CTE instructor. “There are careers onstage, backstage, in studios, offices, shops, and production companies.”

Building a grades 6-12 career pathway

The new middle school curriculum will introduce students to key sectors within creative industries, including:

• Stage and performance: Theatre, dance, and musical theatre
• Production and design: Technical theatre, lighting, sound, audio/video production, scenic design, and costume design
• Business and management: Marketing, production management, and media leadership

The program requires no prior performing experience or private training, focusing instead on skill development, accessibility, and exploration. Students will gain practical experience using district facilities, including the Imlay City Performing Arts Center, dance studios, and technical theatre systems.

Graduates of the high school CTE program also benefit from an established articulation agreement with Northern Michigan University’s School of Theatre and Dance, allowing qualifying students to earn postsecondary credit recognition for their high school coursework.

Investing in resources, accessibility

Grant funds will support district staffing, instructional technology, lighting and sound gear, production software, and adaptive equipment designed to expand access for all students.

“The ability to participate should not depend on what opportunities a child has been able to access outside of school,” Brewer said. “A student may walk into our program having never been onstage or touched a lighting console and discover an area in which they have tremendous ability.”

The grant implementation begins immediately as the district builds out course offerings and upgrades technical systems over the next three school years.