CEW+ launched the Student Parent Initiative in 2020 with that same goal, as conversations in the center revealed additional needs from student parents. As CEW+ director Tiffany Marra emphasizes, “If we develop programs and supports for the minority, it will serve all.” Over the past 18 months, CEW_ has launched an Academic Coaching Pilot, which might be described as a current version of the 1960s “Resources for Single Parents” group, a Student Parent Advisory Board to identify issues and provide education, and the Student Parent Excellence committee and Faculty and Staff Allies Group to bring stakeholders from across campus together tot better support student parents. Throughout this newsletter, you will find more information about each and how the Student Parent Initiative is continuing a 50+ year legacy of support women and student parents through the same avenues of offering individual support, fostering community, and driving campus-wide education and advocacy.

This year 1,000 University of Michigan (U-M) students have asked themselves, "Why not me?"

That question is the motto of optiMize, a student-led organization that supports students in creating self-directed projects that promote a more just and sustainable world.

The University of Michigan has a “Leaders and Best” mantra, but that mantra’s perceptions and expectations present challenges for overlooked student populations. Student parents are not typically recognized as a population on Ann Arbor’s campus, especially at the undergraduate level.