Cranbrook Educational Community Announces $150 Million Campaign

"For more than a century Cranbrook has been an important educational and cultural resource for this region, and there has never been a greater need for our programs and outreach," said Cranbrook President Rick Nahm. "The vision and generosity of Cranbrook founders George and Ellen Booth created this institution's growth and prosperity over our first 100 years. It is now up to us to assure that future generations will benefit from Cranbrook's distinct blend of art, science and education."

The Campaign for Cranbrook was launched in 2002 after a careful analysis of needs, priorities and fundraising capacity. The comprehensive campaign, which will provide support for programs, operational initiatives, endowment and capital projects, will conclude in 2010. The $150 million goal includes support for Cranbrook Institute of Science, Cranbrook Academy of Art and Art Museum, Cranbrook Schools, Cranbrook House & Gardens as well as restoration and preservation efforts throughout the institution's 319-acre National Historic Landmark campus.

Of the $150 million goal, $85 million has been designated for Cranbrook Schools’ projects. These include capital projects to renovate the Boys Middle School, to construct a new Girls Middle School, and to improve the athletic fields. Another focus is preservation and restoration of both Cranbrook and Kingswood campuses, including major projects like restoration of the Quad and the Oval and the replacement of Kingswood’s 2.5 acre copper roof. Endowment fundraising will bolster faculty compensation and academic programs, student scholarships, technology, and the Horizons Upward Bound program. A key part of the campaign is the Schools Annual Fund, with the goal each year to help bridge the gap between the cost of education and tuition.

These projects will help the Schools maintain its level of excellence. Cranbrook Schools is one of the ten largest independent schools in the United States, and its comprehensive college preparatory program has lead to many distinctions:

• Cranbrook Kingswood Upper School was named State Recipient of the 2005-2006 Siemens Award for Advanced Placement for being a leader in AP participation and performance, one of only 50 schools in the nation to receive the recognition.
• In 2005, six Cranbrook Schools seniors were named Presidential Scholar candidates, the most nominations for any school in Michigan.
• Of Cranbrook Schools’ 184 seniors, 103 received acceptances to U.S. News and World Report’s top 50 national universities in 2006.
• Nine Cranbrook Kingswood athletic teams have received Academic All-State recognition in the past year.

To date, $58 million has been raised toward the $85 million Schools’ goal in the campaign, and overall, a total of $103 million has been committed to the Cranbrook Educational Community. "These extraordinary contributions represent the passion and generosity of the Cranbrook community," said Nahm. "We have received support from more than 10,000 individuals."

LEADERSHIP GIFTS ANNOUNCED
In announcing the campaign, Nahm revealed several of the campaign's multi-million dollar leadership gifts.

The $5 million gift received today-from a donor who wishes to remain anonymous at this time-will help fund the development of a new campus for the Cranbrook Kingswood Girls' Middle School. Another anonymous gift will provide support for expansion of Cranbrook Kingswood Boys' Middle School, which will include a new two-bay gymnasium, expanded classroom space, a revamped dining hall and programmatic improvements.

James Vlasic, vice chairman of the Cranbrook Board of Trustees, has joined with his brothers Bill, Rick, Mike and Paul to create a Director's Discretionary Fund for Cranbrook Schools to support a wide range of programs from technology initiatives to guest lectures. Vlasic is the parent of four current Cranbrook Schools students and one graduate. Brothers Mike and Paul are Cranbrook Schools graduates.

Jeffrey Harris, a Cranbrook Schools graduate and a member of the Cranbrook Board of Trustees, is establishing an endowment for an Asian Studies Curriculum Initiative in the Schools. The program will offer language classes in Mandarin Chinese and increase the diversity of offerings in Asian Studies curricula across all departments.

Wayne Lyon, a Cranbrook Schools graduate and a member of the Cranbrook Board of Trustees, is contributing funds for the planned preservation of the Cranbrook Quad, an architectural centerpiece of the Cranbrook School campus.

Fred and Barbara Erb are creating the Fred A. Erb Centennial Education Endowment, a challenge gift that will support partnerships between Cranbrook Schools and Cranbrook Institute of Science. Students will have the opportunity to interact with Institute educators, engaging in archaeological digs and hands-on experimentation, collections research and internships. Mr. Erb is a Cranbrook Schools graduate and Mrs. Erb worked as an employee of the Schools.

Virginia Fox, granddaughter of Cranbrook founders George and Ellen Booth, is providing funding for the Cranbrook Institute of Science's new West Entrance, currently under construction. Designed by Dan Hoffman of Studio Ma in Phoenix, the addition provides more than 5,000 square feet of space for school group use, public events and rentals. Fox is a member of the Cranbrook Board of Trustees.

Rose Shuey, a long-time supporter of the Cranbrook Art Museum, contributed one of the campaign's first major gifts in 2002: a collection of 46 works of art by 38 artists including Jean Arp, William de Kooning, Roy Lichtenstein, Robert Motherwell, Bridget Riley, Frank Stella and Andy Warhol.

A LEGACY OF EXCELLENCE
Over its 102-year history, Cranbrook has earned an international reputation for educational and cultural excellence. Among the community's distinctions, the Academy of Art is ranked in the top five graduate art schools in the nation by U.S. News and World Report and the Community's campus is Oakland County's only National Historic Landmark.

From its founding, Cranbrook has been devoted to community outreach. "More than 500,000 people visit our campus every year to experience our educational programs, attend events and enjoy our inspirational environment," said Nahm. "In addition, we extend our reach through such programs as Science on the Go, which takes Cranbrook Institute of Science programs to public schools throughout the region, and Horizons-Upward Bound, which provides college-preparatory educational opportunities to students from low-income, first-generation college families."

Cranbrook graduates have had a profound impact on the nation and the world. They have changed America’s landscape from Marshall Fredericks’ Spirit of Detroit to Eero Saarinen’s St. Louis Arch. Other graduates like Governor Mitt Romney, Michael Kinsley, Florence Knoll Bassett, Scott McNealy, and Bob Woodruff have made extraordinary contributions to the worlds of art, literature, medicine, architecture, business, technology, communications, politics, and education. "Above all else, Cranbrook has been and always will be about people," said Nahm. The Campaign for Cranbrook will help us continue our traditions of excellence and outreach."