Milan Cares: Nonprofit making a difference for students

(MILAN, Ind.) – A Milan nonprofit that is making a difference in the lives of students recognized their community partners during a celebration on Thursday night.   

Milan Cares is a free program for at-risk elementary through high school students and it provides before-and-after school tutoring as well as a summer camp. 

It was created by Milan School Corporation faculty members and now serves as an independent nonprofit organization.

The program is impacting students of all ages including Lane Engel. 

Lane is a Milan first grader who began attending Milan Cares earlier this year and has already experienced a change in self-confidence. 

“When I first started, I struggled with reading and didn’t feel like I could read as well as my friends. But now, I feel much more confident with my reading,” Engel told the crowd. 

Engel also said that he had fun while attending summer programs that Milan Cares hosted, which were in partnership with Kids Discovery Factory as well as Genesis: Pathways to Success. 

“One of my favorite things is when special guests come to talk to us. One time, a lady from the Discovery Factory came and taught us about light refraction,” Lane mentioned. 

The impact of Milan Cares is also being felt by Milan teachers and administrators. 

Brandy Hicks teaches math to fifth graders and has seen how new-found confidence in the classroom has resulted in new-found confidence in life. 

“Some students are quiet. Some struggle silently, and others just need someone to see their potential. Milan Cares is doing that. Some of those kids who were previously struggling are now begging their parents to bring them early for tutoring before school,” Hicks said. 

Milan Elementary Principal Travis Rohrig spoke about the impact the nonprofit has had both on students as well as his colleagues. 

He says Milan Cares members Sarah Hill and Becky Schmidt, who both work at the elementary school, have changed because of the program. They have gone from being quiet employees to becoming leaders within the school.

“We all know as parents, that we can tell our kids to do something and they won’t listen. But when someone else can say the exact same thing, the child will listen, and that has been proven with Sarah and Becky,” Rohrig told the crowd. 

The other members of Milan Cares include Hannah Rogers, Tina Mutz, Brenda Schwering and Jeff Poole. 

They are hoping to find more volunteers who would like to get involved with tutoring and other services.

During the celebration last night, community partners were recognized individually and we have a photo of of them below.

Milan Cares has also recently secured property with the goal of constructing a building that would include classrooms, gymnasium, and an activity room. They plan to announce the multi-phase fundraising project soon.

One goal for the nonprofit is that they will not only benefit young people, as they also hope to create programs for senior citizens as well.

You can follow Milan Cares by clicking here.