The Kalamazoo Promise as a Tool for Economic Revitalization

Abstract

The Kalamazoo Promise has been one of the most exciting economic programs to take place in any U.S. city in recent years. Generous gifts from anonymous donors have provided a scholarship fund that creates the opportunity for every child attending Kalamazoo Public Schools (K.PS) to earn a college degree by having all tuition costs paid for. This endowment has not only changed the lives of the students attending these schools, but has also set into motion societal and economic changes within and around the community of Kalamazoo. An analysis of the perceptions of the citizens of the Kalamazoo area as well as an investigation into how businesses and organizations are reacting to the Kalamazoo Promise was undertaken to ascertain the broader impact of this new scholarship. Particular attention was given towards the use of the scholarship as a tool for the economic revitalization of a city victimized by sprawl.