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Life-Changing Education

Education has the power to transform everything it touches. It builds understanding across differences. It opens doors of opportunity. It equips individuals with the knowledge and skills they can use to reach their full potential.

Education is also a tremendous catalyst for positive social change, leading to better awareness and discernment and, ultimately, a more equitable and just world.

U-M aspires to make these experiences available to everyone, confronting the barriers to access and creating a future where all learners will thrive.

Two students sitting at a desk working with electrical equipment that helps to determine the authenticity of audio.

U-M continues to test new models to engage students of all ages in research-based, collaborative, experiential learning methods that can push the boundaries of using artificial intelligence. We also prepare educators at all levels to teach both with and without AI tools, and to question the limits of AI while also embracing the transformative potentials.

Electrical and Computer Engineering students at UM-Dearborn are working with Professor Hafiz Malik to develop an online tool to help users determine whether or not a voice recording is authentic. Malik is an expert in audio deepfakes, which can be generated by artificial intelligence and used to spread disinformation.

Education is also a tremendous catalyst for positive social change. Quality learning experiences—at all stages of a person’s life—inform and enlighten in palpable ways that can lead to better awareness and discernment and, ultimately, a more equitable and just world.

U-M aspires to make these experiences available to everyone, confronting the barriers to access and creating a future where all learners will thrive. We can elevate the educational landscape for all by driving innovative advancements in pedagogy, delivering interdisciplinary and experiential learning in novel and creative ways, supporting a broad population of teachers throughout their careers and in school districts everywhere, and building robust partnerships with schools and communities. 

Never has the need for equal access to the benefits of quality education been more acute. Critical-thinking skills developed through high-caliber education are imperative to evaluate and question today’s information-overloaded environment. Serious shortages of well-prepared educators and broad disparities in resources, among other challenges, are plaguing our school districts.

Together We Can

  • Continue to address the issue of affordability and build robust programs to support student success, ensuring that every aspiring, qualified student has an equal opportunity to access and fully immerse in the transformative U-M experience, regardless of their background.
     
  • Support the numerous academic pathways for U-M students who want to make a difference in education as K-12 and postsecondary teachers, scholars, policymakers, executives, and thought leaders, preparing them to teach and inspire students, create learning opportunities, conduct research, and lead education reform.
     
  • Leverage our robust expertise across education, academic innovation, research, technology, athletics, and the arts to reshape the educational experience and invest in innovative, evidence-based teaching methods, and in experiential and place-based learning opportunities that meet the needs of today’s learners.
     
  • Build support of U-M’s innovative Arts Initiative to expand the integration of arts within the curriculum to enhance learning and instruction, and to continue to bring world-renowned artists to campus to inspire and interact with students.
An adult and child observing a large fossil exhibit at the Museum of Natural History.

Education at U-M doesn’t merely happen inside of a classroom, lecture hall, or lab. The extra- and co-curricular offerings—including access to the arts, clinics, studios, libraries, athletics, recreational sports, clubs, and civic organizations—are an essential part of university life. We offer rich experiences for students—and the entire community— through investment in public art, inclusive exhibits, and cultural institutions like the university’s renowned museums and libraries.

The Museum of Natural History is dedicated to sharing the wonders of science and the natural world with all visitors through interactive exhibits, accessible attractions, and a live view into working labs, where cutting-edge research happens daily.

A diverse group of people in medical scrubs and hair nets pose for a photo in an operating room.

Our comprehensive approach will redefine all levels of education, including medical residency programs, as a complex continuum of growth, education, and vocational, professional, and lifelong learning opportunities aimed at enabling every individual to lead a fulfilling and productive life.

Michelle Caird, MD (BSEMS ’93, MD ’98), chair of the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, is a passionate advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion. Determined to create opportunities for anyone interested in the field, which will greatly benefit patients, her team’s bold commitment to creating an equitable and diverse pipeline of physicians and scientists has cultivated a program with unparalleled representation.

The Marsal Family School of Education's partnerships with local public schools in Detroit (the Marygrove Learning Community) and Ann Arbor (Mitchell-Scarlett-Huron) transform learning opportunities for children, youth, and child-serving professionals.

We believe that every student deserves the opportunity to pursue a wide range of professional and academic pathways. Programs like Wolverine Pathways break down the barriers that limit the college and career aspirations of students from under-resourced communities. 

A teacher helping a student learn to read in their elementary school classroom.
Two women standing and smiling on a dirt path in Uganda with fields and mountains in the background.

Each year, nearly 5,000 students gain invaluable insights through U-M study abroad programs in more than 100 countries. These international experiences increase intercultural understanding, broaden worldviews, help students become better contributors to diverse teams, and strengthen qualifications for future employment.

Moreover, our global partnerships yield significant benefits for all involved. The Center for Global Health Equity works alongside changemakers to improve health outcomes in low- and middle-income countries, as exemplified by HaEun Lee (PhD ’21), School of Nursing assistant professor, and Dr. Priscilla Busingye, an obstetrician and gynecologist committed to developing an OB/GYN health center of excellence in Rwibaale, Uganda.

Support Life-Changing Education

Graduating University of Michigan Students.

Look to Michigan Life‑Changing Education Impact Fund

Education has the power to transform everything it touches. Gifts to this fund help U-M make life-changing education available to everyone, confronting the barriers to access and creating a future where all learners will thrive.
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