The PNC Foundation announced it has made a $2.1 million grant to the Detroit Public Schools Foundation, the Music Hall Center for the Performing Arts and the Detroit Science Center. The money will be used to help create new science and art programs for preschoolers in the Detroit Public Schools.

The grants are awarded in the partial fulfillment of the foundation's Grow Up Great program. This is a 10-year, $100-million initiative to help improve early childhood education across the nation. PNC officials believe about 200 children and 24 educators will be involved in the current preschool pilot program, which will be introduced in Detroit schools this summer.

City administrators are happy to be involved in the pilot process. "A quality preschool program has a major impact on the educational success of our students," said Robert Bobb, emergency financial manager for Detroit Public Schools. "Consistent studies have shown that investments in early childhood programs produce measurable, long-term educational benefits."

Other education-based organization leaders may consider allocating some of their nonprofit fundraising toward preschool enhancement programs. Notably, the Grow Up Great project has distributed more than $15 million in grants to early childhood education since its foundation in 2003.