A Running Start for Kids in Battle Creek, MI

Battle Creek, Michigan is a working American city that has always invested in its children. Its public schools carry that commitment. 

Battle Creek Public Schools had real strengths, real potential, and real gaps to close. By 2017, the district was serving the city's highest-need students with fewer resources than any of the three other public school districts in the city. Dr. Kimberly Carter was still early in her tenure as superintendent, but she already knew what the district needed and saw what it could become.

She served as a teacher, then a principal, and then superintendent of Battle Creek Public Schools. In 2026, she was named Michigan Superintendent of the Year after leading the same school district for over a decade, in a field where the national average is just over three years. 

That kind of commitment to one community is rare, but in Battle Creek, it fits right in.

A Hometown Name Shows Up

In 1930, in the depths of the Great Depression, Will Keith Kellogg founded a charitable foundation in his hometown of Battle Creek because he believed in his neighbors. Nearly a century later, that same conviction drove WKKF's $51 million, five-year commitment to Battle Creek Public Schools.

WKKF provided the resources, and the district put them to work, drawing on deep community knowledge, relationships built over years, and a clear vision for what Battle Creek's schools could become.

What the Community Built

Kindergarten readiness climbed from about 15% to 50%, surpassing the national average. Teachers were paid more and given more room to grow, and retention improved.

For older students, a Career Academies program opened direct pathways to local employers, while new programs in STEM, visual and performing arts and International Baccalaureate gave every student a way to find where they belong.

As families started coming back, enrollment grew and state funding followed.

What Comes Next

WKKF's investment has expanded beyond the classroom. Today, graduating BCPS seniors have access to the Bearcat Advantage, a scholarship program that covers up to 100% of tuition at Michigan colleges and universities or eligible HBCUs. For students who grew up in Battle Creek's schools, it's a direct path from kindergarten to college-ready.

In Battle Creek, kids are growing up to know that the sky is the limit.

Generosity Builds is a storytelling initiative from the Council on Foundations highlighting the ways charitable foundations show up as a nonpartisan force for good in our communities — from scientific breakthroughs to community childcare, veterans support, and disaster relief.