Cook Family Foundation

The performing arts center at Marshall High School, designed by the same team as working on the Owosso Schools project

The Cook Family Foundation is proud to announce a $1.1 million commitment to the Owosso Public Schools for the completion of an auditorium in the new Owosso High School/Middle School building. “We believe we are at our best as a community when we come together to accomplish big tasks,” said Tom Cook, the Foundation’s Executive Director.  “When I think back over the last 25 years, I can think of no greater collaboration and no more important achievement than the passage of the Owosso Public Schools bond proposal on November 7, 2017.”

That bond measure provides funding for a multi-purpose performance space.  The grant from the Cook Family Foundation will fund enhancements to create a true auditorium for theatrical performances as well as band and choral concerts.

The enhancements include theater rigging and arbor pit, theatrical drapery and orchestra shell, lighting and audio visual equipment, and an orchestra pit with cover. “We believe the arts are a central component of a quality education, and this auditorium will enable excellence in the performing arts in Owosso,” said Tom Cook.

“The arts develop well-rounded individuals who are creative thinkers, communicators, and problem solvers,” notes Andrea Tuttle, Superintendent of the Owosso Public Schools.  “With a true auditorium Owosso students will have daily accessibility to a space that will foster cross-curricular learning to develop communication, technology, and public speaking skills,” notes Tuttle.

The Cook Family Foundation has a long history with the Owosso Schools.  It’s benefactor, Donald Cook, graduated from Owosso High School in 1920, as have several other family members. Two trustees of the Foundation, Jacqueline Cook and Laurie Caszatt Cook, previously served on the Owosso School Board. Trustee Anna Owens currently serves on the Performing Arts Committee.

Previously, the Foundation has provided grants for implementation and teacher training for the International Baccalaureate Program, mini-grants for classrooms, and landscaping.  In addition, the Foundation has provided over 150 scholarships to Owosso High School graduates to attend the University of Michigan.

The $1.1 million grant is extraordinary funding above and beyond the Foundation’s usual grant-making, which last year totaled $719,000.  “We are committed to the Shiawassee County community,” said Tom Cook. “We have no plans to scale back our support for early childhood and other educational endeavors, our Nonprofit Capacity Building Program, or environmental efforts centered around the Shiawassee River and the Saginaw Bay Watershed.”

To learn more about the bond project, contact the Owosso Public Schools

Angela Miller, a member of the Owosso High School Class of 2013, recently graduated from the University of Michigan and delivered a student speech at Winter Commencement on December 17, 2017.  Angie majored in gender and health in the Women’s Studies Department at the College of Literature, Science and Arts and has plans to pursue graduate work in global health policy.

Angie was recognized as a Shiawassee Scholar in eighth grade and was supported by this program in her high school career.  She received a Cook Family Foundation scholarship in 2013 to help launch her career at the University of Michigan.  Her first year she took advantage of the Undergraduate Research Opportunity Program (UROP) and was able to learn about psychiatry first-hand by participating in a project entitled “Brain Activity During Emotional Processing and Regulation.”  This was the first of several positive research experiences at UM in psychology and public health.

Over spring break her first year she was able to travel to Peru on a medical volunteer mission trip.  She also got certifications from the US Agency for International Development. This led to further overseas work in Grenada, Nicaragua, and Tanzania.  In the US, she got clinical experience at two hospitals and worked with the Michigan Women’s Justice & Clemency Project, assisting battered women at the Women’s Huron Valley Correctional Facility.  She has also taken the time to mentor girls and young women about careers in science and healthcare.

Her achievements were not without struggles. In her commencement speech she noted that “we all have gone through difficult times at Michigan, but we all persevered and are much stronger, more confident, and resilient than when we started this journey.”  We are proud of her achievements.