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In "Measuring the Value of a Degree and the Purpose of College," education writer Jeff Selingo brings up some of the new ways to approach post-secondary education. While there are advantages in alternative programs for many students, the Huffington Post scribe stresses the importance of college for a person’s intellectual and social maturation. He also makes clear the importance of a four-year degree in the workplace and its role in marking the possessor as an achiever who is ready to become a contributing member of society.

The Student Connection Blog is filled with news and information about learning and becoming capable learners. It also is a great place for sharing ideas, feedback and opinion. Please, tell us what you think.

Latest News

Starting a High School Kiva Club Seminar

Michigan High School Students Needed to Build a Better World through Microlending

BIRMINGHAM, Mich., Jan. 3, 2012 – When it comes to building a better planet, a little help from Michigan goes a long way. In fact, a single high school student can make all the difference in the world.

For Raj Vutukuru, a senior at Athens High School in Troy, Mich., the secret is Kiva. A not-for-profit organization, Kiva facilitates microloans by linking lenders and borrowers online, whether around the world or around the corner. Founded in 2005, the organization’s website is Kiva.org. Vutukuru founded the Troy Athens Kiva Club in 2010.

To help Michigan high school students discover how they can get involved in microlending, Vutukuru will present “Starting Your Kiva Club” on Saturday, Jan. 28, 2012, at The Student Connection in Birmingham, Mich., from 1-2 p.m. The program is free and open to interested high school students. For details and to reserve a space, please telephone The Student Connection at (248) 594-3410 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

“We want to show people what Kiva is all about and how easy it is to make a real difference in people’s lives through microloans,” Vutukuru said. “We’ll go over what students need to know to get their own club started as quickly as possible. Once started, they’ll be amazed at how quickly they will be of help.”

Whether helping a struggling farmer in South America or a budding entrepreneur in the City of Detroit, Kiva microloans as small as $25 can make an enormous difference – a “macro difference,” Vutukuru said. The people use the loans to help fund their business, then they are repaid to be reused by the organization or returned to the original donor.

“Every dollar makes a difference,” Vutukuru said. “Once their business starts up and makes a profit, the entrepreneur repays the loan to Kiva. The funds can be used again for a new loan or returned to the original lender in full.”

After graduation this June, Vutukuru plans on attending Michigan State University and later pursuing a career as a physician or researcher in a field related to human health. He also is interested in cinematic arts and science.

To date, Kiva has arranged $271 million in loans to 664,000 individuals and small businesses. Kiva microloans have helped start schools, clothing stores, transportation companies, and other enterprises that would not normally qualify for regular bank financing. Loans average $386.11. Kiva reports 98.9 percent of the loans are repaid, with interest.

Recently, a local consortium was formed to focus microloan efforts in Detroit in partnership with Kiva. Working together, the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, Michigan Corps, ACCION USA and Kiva helped provide microloans to people and organizations in Southeast Michigan. As part of the effort, the Knight Foundation provided $250,000 in matching loans made by individuals. For details on the project, please visit Kiva.org/Detroit.

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Summer Study Can Be a Most Positive Experience

By Brigid Godvin and Mary Ann Hamlin, PhD.

Summer vacation is here and classrooms across Michigan will soon empty. Unfortunately, when learning stops in the summer months, students typically forget much of what they have learned. This puts them at a disadvantage in the fall and later in life.

The research is clear: Students in summer programs retain more of what they learned in the previous year. Maintaining their academic momentum from the end of one school year to the beginning of the next, students learn their new subjects more quickly and build on what they already have studied.

Versions of this article appeared in The Birmingham Eccentric and The Oakland Press.

2011 Summer Programs

NEWS FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Melissa Bunker (313) 886-9074

SUMMER PROGRAMS AT THE STUDENT CONNECTION GIVE LEARNERS A BIG JUMP
ON ACADEMIC STUDIES AND THEIR COMPETITION FOR COLLEGE

BIRMINGHAM, Mich., May 19, 2011 – Summer school is no longer just for kids who played hooky. These days, students in summer study programs are there to get a jump on their studies in the fall, as well as a leg up on the competition in the race to college.

Education research shows that students who attend summer classes retain significantly more of what they learned, including courses they studied in the previous school year, when resuming classes in the fall^1,2. Other studies have shown that students who prepare for standardized tests, such as the ACT college entrance examination, perform better than their peers who did not prepare before taking the test – particularly when combined with competence in core academic areas^3,4.

Why The Student Connection is Different

Each member of The Student Connection team is committed to each and every student. We all share a passion to use our talents, skills and art to create capable learners and help each student reach and exceed their objectives.

Our Mission and Philosphy

We are committed to providing comprehensive, high quality, professional educational services through our diagnostic, therapeutic, and tutorial programs. Our professional staff works as a multidisciplinary team. We take great pride in our ability to combine our talents and areas of knowledge to more completely serve the people to whom we have dedicated our careers. We strive to meet our students at their level, and we connect with them by respecting their unique personalities.