Music programming for parents and caregivers 
with children under age six.

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Max M. and Marjorie S. 
Fisher Foundation 
supports early childhood 
development program

The Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher 
Foundation has combined two of its 
primary philanthropic interests in its 
support for the MSU Community Music 
School-Detroit: arts and culture, and 
early childhood. 

The Key of D Kids program, made 
possible thanks to the Fisher 
Foundation, provides developmentally 
appropriate music programming for 
parents and caregivers with children 
from birth to six years old. These free 
classes, taught by instructors who 
specialize in early childhood music 
education, are offered at locations 
throughout the Detroit area to best 
serve an at-risk early childhood 
demographic.

The goal of Key of D Kids is to use music 
as a vehicle to develop children’s 
communication, self-expression, social 
skills, movement and physical 
coordination, which will set them up 
not only for academic success when 
they reach school age, but also for a 
lifetime of musical experience, 
enjoyment and engagement.

In 2020, Key of D Kids had a cumulative 
attendance of 2,555 children, who 
attended 382 sessions. Using the Zoom 
video conferencing system, classes 
were able to continue, providing 
valuable enrichment for children 
throughout the pandemic.

LEARN MORE about Music Empowers, 
Key of D Kids, and all of the 
programming offered at the 
Community Music School-Detroit at 
cms.msu.edu/detroit

Music programming for parents and caregivers 
with children under age six.

composite sampling and analysis. It is a 
wastewater-based epidemiology method 
directly applicable to urban metropolitan 
areas with centralized wastewater 
collection.

“Our approach has the potential to provide 
warnings earlier than traditional systems 
focused on clinical diagnostics—rapid or 
not—which are inherently limited to an 
after analysis of an outbreak,” says 
Xagoraraki. 

Taylor Spurgeon-Hess (’21, Eli Broad College of 
Business): “MSU doesn’t just have a Jewish community; it 
has a Jewish community with character. MSU as a whole has 
been a place that accepted all parts of me from day one. 
‘Spartans Will’ is not just a slogan…it is a mindset shared by 
the students and staff. The sense of togetherness and 
camaraderie embodied by MSU’s community gave me room 
to share who I was without fear of judgment. This fall, I felt 
lost. My sense of community had been weakened when 
classes went online. MSU Hillel took me in and gave me a 
home away from home. The staff members and other 
students brightened my day and proved that even a 
pandemic can’t break the spirit of MSU.”

Sloane Krugel (’23, Lyman Briggs College): “There are 
many Jewish students who attend Michigan State, so you 
never feel alone. MSU Hillel has played a huge role in my 
student experience—as soon as I arrived, they delivered a 
welcome bag to my dorm room, and provided events for 
Jewish students to meet each other and get to know the 
Hillel staff. They host shabbat dinners every Friday so 
students can have a “home-cooked meal,” and on top of all 
of this, their building is open most days of the week so 
students can have a quiet space to study. Especially now, 
during COVID-19, Hillel has provided me and other students 
with shabbat-to-go meals, Sunday brunches and many 
other resources to help us succeed.”

Jordan Robinson (’22, College of Social Science): “MSU 
allows students to be Jewish in a multitude of different 
capacities, and the university’s administration and 
undergraduate student government continuously work with 
the Jewish Student Union to ensure that Jewish students 
feel safe, welcome and included on campus. MSU Hillel, 
specifically, goes out of their way to get to know you on an 
individual level, support you on campus and help you get 
what you want out of your MSU experience. Hillel allowed 
me to get real world experience in my desired career 
path—Jewish nonprofit work—and exposed me to people 
and organizations that will strengthen me as both a person 
and a Jew.”

LEARN MORE about MSU Hillel at msuhillel.org

Student perspectives on Jewish life at MSU - continued from page 1

MARK YOUR CALENDAR 

MARCH 16, 2021 – 
GIVE GREEN DAY: 

Join Spartans from around 
the world in showing support 
for students at MSU on 
Give Green Day! For more 
information, watch our 
social channels or visit
givingday.msu.edu 

Catch up on the latest from MSU
msutoday.msu.edu

Explore giving opportunities
givingto.msu.edu

More about alumni participation 
alumni.msu.edu

