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Dear Friend,
Every Michigander deserves a path to ‘Make it in Michigan’!
On Tuesday, I signed an executive order establishing the Michigan Department of Lifelong Education, Advancement, and Potential, or MiLEAP, to help expand Michiganders’ paths to success by offering strong, lifelong learning support.
We often think of education as just K-12. But we know we must start earlier, before kindergarten, and continue learning after high school.
I’m establishing MiLEAP to work towards our goals of getting every kid started early with Pre-K, expanding opportunities for them to obtain affordable higher education, and creating strong partnerships with our employers so they can get a good-paying, high-skill, and in-demand job.
MiLEAP will help create lifelong opportunity for every Michigander, from preschool to postsecondary, and help our learning ecosystem take the jump to the next level as we grow our economy and build a brighter future for Michigan.
Sincerely,
 Gretchen Whitmer
Governor
What does MiLEAP mean for my kid?
MiLEAP will help families with young children get access to quality, affordable child care by coordinating resources for Michigan’s youngest learners. Then, it works to create free pre-K, thanks to investments in the recent, bipartisan budget, so that 2-year-olds can start learning early. This will help ensure parents are confident their child will show up at kindergarten ready to thrive.
MiLEAP will ensure public school students in Michigan have the community support they need to reach their full potential. For example, MiLEAP will allow 12-year-olds to have access to before- and after-school programming that is affordable and connected to their interests. Instead of leaving students with questions about the education they will need after high school, MiLEAP will help them learn about future career paths during their after-school program.
MiLEAP will create low- or no-cost paths for students to earn an affordable education in an in-demand field. The department will help them get the support they need on campus to graduate on-time and pursue a fulfilling career right here in Michigan.
Why Create MiLEAP now?
For far too many Michiganders, opportunity is still connected to who you know, how much money is in your pocket, or where you live. This must change. MiLEAP will ensure all available resources, data, and funds are aligned around a single vision—building an education system that can support the economy of the future and help anyone make it in Michigan.
I am using every tool available to deliver for the 675,000 children under five, 1.4 million K-12 students, and nearly 500,000 college students in Michigan.
MiLEAP will help Michigan work toward three targeted goals:
1. Add capacity in our early learning team, so every child is ready for kindergarten.
2. Accelerate progress toward our Sixty by 30 goal, so everyone can earn a skill certificate or degree after high school, tuition-free.
3. Prioritize community, regional, and state partnerships that help our students succeed.
How will MiLEAP do its job?
MiLEAP will consist of three offices to focus on the three targeted goals we have for expanding lifelong learning in Michigan:
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The Office of Early Childhood Education focused on helping all kids meet their milestones and enter kindergarten ready to thrive.
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The Office of Higher Education focused on achieving sixty by 30 – and helping every Michigander get the education they need to Make it in Michigan.
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The Office of Education Partnerships focused on strengthening partnerships with communities to help kids succeed.
MiLEAP will get this done by establishing clear metrics for lifelong learning, collaborating with cross-sector leaders at the local, regional, and state level, and developing a shared action plan for everyone to work towards.
As a department, MiLEAP will partner with the Michigan Department of Education and State Board of Education, as well as universities and community colleges, complementing their long-term planning efforts. The new department will also work with the new Growing Michigan Together Council as they look at ways to strengthen preschool to postsecondary learning while growing the state’s economy and population.
With bold goals, a united vision, shared action plan, capacity to deliver, and clear metrics—MiLEAP will build a brighter future for Michigan.
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