GRANDVILLE, Mich. (WOOD) — The One School at a Time initiative from Spartan Nash and Family Fare is helping students in Grandville learn professional skills for success.

Family Fare has awarded a $1,000 grant to Oakestown Intermediate School in Grandville for its “Amazing Shake” competition. 

We all understand the value of a good, firm handshake, but the Amazing Shake goes even further in the lessons it seeks to impart to the kids.  The students learn how to maintain confidence, perfect their speaking and listening skills, and interact with adults in all types of situations.

The Amazing Shake program has been a popular success in Grandville.  Students are always excited to participate and learn some practical, real-life skills.  The grant from Family Fare and Spartan Nash will allow the schools in Grandville to improve the program, making it bigger, better, and available to even more students.  This year the school expects more than 800 students to participate.

The program creates numerous activities and scenarios where the students are asked to respond to and participate in professional adult situations.  One event is like the TV Show “Shark Tank” where students are asked to pitch a new product.  Another event is where the students are asked to give an acceptance speech after receiving an award.  Students also get to pretend to be the White House Press Secretary and handle probing questions from the media.

All these activities are designed to make students more comfortable with the real world and more prepared to handle situations when they grow up and first encounter them.

Stacey Byl, the curriculum and engagement specialist at Oakestown Intermediate, said, “Sometimes you can do a hard thing, and when you come out of it, you’re going to feel so much better about yourself because you did it.  You did it on your own.”

The Amazing Shake is designed to teach kids that they can definitely “do it on their own.”  This popular program has earned rave reviews from both students and their parents.

Supporting the Amazing Shake and Grandville Public Schools is one way that Spartan Nash and Family Fare are Connecting with Community.