On Thursday Feb. 12, Milan Middle School sixth grader Nathan Bennink traded his classroom for the bowling lanes, joining classmates for a field trip to Station 300 in Saline.
“We got a strike and a spare,” Bennink said. “It was fun!”
The outing marked the first peer-to-peer field trip of the year, bringing together 34 Milan Middle School students, a similar number of Milan High School students, and three participants from the Washtenaw Intermediate School District young adult program, housed at Milan Middle School.
Nathan’s mom Andrea Bennink appreciates the opportunity for the students to connect outside of the classroom.
“[It] is a meaningful way to grow real friendships between students of varying abilities,” she said.
Milan Middle Schooler Nathan Bennink was one of more than 70 students who benefitted from Special Olympics grants Thursday that paid for a field trip to Station 300.
Letisia Walter, attended as a parent, with her son Zion. She also knows many of the students from her work as a paraprofessional at Symons Elementary.
“I wanted to watch my son and his friends be good humans,” she said. “Being a middle schooler can be hard but to see them embrace friendships with kids that might be different from them makes me hopeful.”
Zion Walter said he loved hyping up his friends.
“I love watching them have so much fun,” he said. “They had the best smiles and that made me smile.”
Big Red Buddies
Katy West, a Milan Middle School Speech Language Pathologist, started the peer-to-peer program at the middle school last year. The program brings together students of all abilities, including some with cognitive impairments and severe autism.
“I started Big Red Buddies because I want all students to feel welcome and supported at school,” West said.
At the middle school club, West said the group meets once a week during WIN (What I Need) time, a short extra period, and the students plan activities and games they’d like to do together at their next meetings. The program operates on a friendship model rather than a helping model, West said.
West said she knows how much inclusion has meant to her son who has Down Syndrome.
Grant funding
To start the program, West obtained a $1,000 Special Olympics grant last year and again this year, part of which paid for the bowling. The grant is designed to help “leaders, educators, coaches, and families to build inclusive schools and communities for all,” according to the Special Olympics of Michigan webpage.
Other district programs
The Milan High School peer-to-peer program, which is much older, is led by Teacher Consultant and head of the transitions program Melanie Wilson and Health teacher Adam Gilles. They obtained a $1,000 grant again this year. In addition, Symons Elementary, Paddock Elementary, and the Paddock Early Childhood Center each obtained grants for the first time for the 2025-26 school year, allowing them to start their own programs.
At Paddock, Behavioral Specialist Codi Benjamin and P.E. teacher Hayley Muir applied for the grants, which will allow them to purchase two tricycles with an adult handle and pedal shoe grips so children with physical delays can ride trikes with peers. The grant also inspired them to purchase a new adapted swing.
“I love the grant because it’s a relatively small amount of funding, but helps put big, permanent ideas into motion,” said Jessica Kishiyama, director of Paddock Early Childhood Center.
Big Red Buddies is a peer-to-peer program. Learn more at: https://www.gvsu.edu/autismcenter/what-is-peer-to-peer-239.htm.
Adults and students, including Letisia Walter (left), a parent and Symons paraprofessional; three Milan Middle Schoolers; and Milan Middle School paraprofessional Maura Lore (top, right) enjoyed time together during a Milan Big Red Buddies field trip.
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