The Michigan Department of Education has developed a series of videos for anyone interested in learning about bringing fresh local foods to schools and early childcare centers. The video series is available free of charge on YouTube and covers a wide range of topics including local sourcing, school gardens, food safety and more.

For more information about the Michigan Farm to School program, or to view the videos please click here.

The Michigan Department of Education has announced three upcoming statewide job fairs. Each job fair is free of charge for traditional local school districts, intermediate school districts, public school academies, educator staffing agencies, as well as all job-seeking candidates.

The fairs will take place on:

For more information or to register, please visit the MDE Education Workforce Job Fairs website.

Each year, more than 5,000 volunteers join forces with DNR employees to protect and restore Michigan’s natural resources. Every spring, the DNR hosts events at state parks and recreation areas to clean up these areas after the long, harsh winter. Events continue each month with year-round opportunities to visit these sites and help conserve and protect Michigan’s natural and cultural resources.

For more information, to register or to see a full calendar of events, visit the DNR’s Get Involved page.

The Michigan Senate approved legislation to receive and distribute Michigan’s share of a nationwide opioid settlement for the next 18 years.

Michigan is set to receive nearly $800 million in opioid settlement payments from three major pharmaceutical distributors, Cardinal, McKesson, and AmerisourceBergen, along with opioid manufacturer Johnson & Johnson.

The national agreement is the result of years of negotiations to resolve more than 4,000 claims of alleged misuse and abuse of opioid products and is the second largest multistate agreement in U.S. history, second only to the Tobacco Master Settlement Agreement.

Senate Bill 993, would create the Michigan Opioid Healing and Recovery Fund to receive dollars from the national opioid settlement or any future opioid case. It would fund abatement practices and support for opioid use disorder and substance use disorder or mental health treatment and related efforts as required by the settlement.

SB 994 would create the Opioid Advisory Commission within the Legislative Council to annually review local, state, and federal initiatives and activities related to education, prevention, treatment, and services for people and families affected by substance use disorders and make funding and legislative recommendations to the Legislature.

SB 995 would create the Opioid Liability Litigation Act to fulfill the terms of the settlement agreement.

The bills now move to the Michigan House for consideration.

April is National Autism Awareness Month.

It is estimated that autism affects 1 in 44 children in the United States today. Autism, or autism spectrum disorder, includes a broad range of developmental disorders that can include challenges with social skills, repetitive behaviors, speech, and nonverbal communication.

Every person with autism can be affected in a different way and have a unique set of strengths and challenges. National Autism Awareness Month is an opportunity to foster understanding and acceptance by sharing the diverse stories of people with autism and to help create a world where everyone can reach their full potential.