Opportunity Fund
Because of the generous support of our donors, the Midtown Foundation’s Opportunity Fund establishes a more equitable Midtown experience for students, ensures a full array of academic experiences are open to all, and enables our administrators to include deserving students without hesitation.
Each school year the Foundation underwrites an Opportunity Fund, which allows school administrators to support specific opportunities for students who would otherwise be unable to participate because of out-of-pocket costs. The goal of the Opportunity Fund is to decrease socioeconomic barriers to full participation in Midtown High School academic enrichment activities.
Since its creation in late 2025, the Opportunity Fund has helped:
- Send American Sign Language Students to an immersive language experience at Gallaudet University in Washington D.C., a highly regarded school for the deaf and hard of hearing
- Fully fund a student to attend the US Invention Convention Finals in Detroit.
- Subsidize student participation in Honduras service trip during February break.
Plans for using Opportunity Funds to expand student participation in academic experiences during the 2026-2027 school year are currently in development.
Teen Mental Health First Aid
The Midtown Foundation invested in training two Midtown staff members to become Teen Mental Health First Aid trainers. tMHFA is a research-based intervention that teaches teens 1) to recognize the signs of mental health struggles in their peers; 2) to talk to their peers about those struggles; and 3) to connect their peer with appropriate adult help. The three-day training is offered for free to tenth graders at Midtown, and in its first three years, we have trained over 250 students to be mental health “First-Aiders” in our community.
tMHFA is an evidence-based program from the National Council on Mental Wellbeing. Almost 100 peer-reviewed studies conducted in the United States have shown that trained First-Aiders:
- Show reduced stigma and increased empathy toward those with mental health challenges.
- Know the signs, symptoms and risk factors of mental health and substance use challenges.
- Show greater confidence and likelihood to help someone in distress.
- Use their skills and knowledge as First Aiders to manage their own mental wellbeing.
The benefits of tMHFA are substantial for those trained and the peers with whom they interact, creating a multiplying effect across Midtown High School.
SAT Preparation
Taking the board exams is a rite of passage for juniors heading toward college. SAT prep classes can play a crucial role in helping students become familiar with the test format, improve time management skills, and strengthen core academic areas. These structured programs often provide targeted strategies, practice exams, and personalized feedback that can significantly boost a student’s confidence and performance. However, the cost of such classes can be a barrier for some families, as can timing, location, and other logistical challenges. Since 2024, Foundation has funded free SAT prep classes open to all Midtown students, held right at school.
In 2025, participants increased their score by an average of +31.9 points, with students who did some or most of the preparation showing significant increases between baseline and final SAT scores.
Building on this demonstrated success, 2026 saw 100 students signed up for the SAT prep program. The average attendance at differentiated sessions on Wednesdays after school has hovered around 65 students.