What if a children’s savings account (CSA) program could also address mental health, physical wellness, financial literacy, and more—all in one day?
In early May, the Lapeer County Education Attainment Fund (LEAF) hosted a first-of-its-kind, countywide wellness fair that united 30 community partner organizations with a mission of addressing whole child and family health. By completing different activities at the LEAF 360! Wellness Fair, local families were eligible to earn up to $80 for their students’ savings accounts.
At the heart of LEAF 360!—a health-integrated CSA model co-designed with community partners—is the idea that financial, physical, and mental health are deeply interconnected. The LEAF 360! Wellness Fair was a milestone for that framework, demonstrating how tying financial incentives to holistic wellness can support families more effectively while helping them save for the postsecondary pathway of their student’s choosing. When families are worried about covering basic health needs or medical-related costs, saving for the future can feel out of reach. The event convened stakeholders from all corners of the community to support students and their families with a broader, 360-degree approach to wellness.
“It started with a crazy idea,” says Nancy Boxey, executive director of long-time CEDAM member the Lapeer County Community Foundation (LCCF). In partnership with ELGA Credit Union and the Lapeer County Intermediate School District, the team at LCCF administers the LEAF CSA program.
“Children’s savings programs are proven to foster financial capability and raise college aspirations,” said Boxey. “Our idea for a wellness fair stemmed from imagining how much further the impact of our program could go in a rural community if paired with wraparound health initiatives that address the day-to-day challenges our students face.”
A collaborative planning process
Though the event was hosted in late spring 2026, planning began well over a year in advance. LEAF first approached CEDAM with the idea in spring 2025 and ultimately pitched the concept when applying for the Innovation & Sustainability Grant. These grants are awarded to established CSA programs across Michigan to support new initiatives that strengthen their immediate and long-term sustainability, effectiveness, and community impact. With this funding, the LEAF team began establishing a coalition of roughly 30 community organizations and partners.
“One of our main goals in building this countywide collaborative was to get organizations and agencies out of their silos in order to build more efficient service delivery and address creative solutions,” said Boxey. “We specifically did not want to build something new, but to take advantage of what we have available in our county.”
Through a series of one-hour lunch meetings, LEAF and its partners held small-group discussions and brainstormed activities that would address mental, social/emotional, physical, medical, and financial health.
“Guided by the great team at LEAF, the idea of the event evolved in lockstep with willing leadership and partnership, so it never seemed like it was outsized or understaffed,” said Matt Henry, coalition member and executive director of the Child Advocacy Center of Lapeer County. “The process was well led, well communicated, and responsive to all involved.”
In addition to the Child Advocacy Center of Lapeer County, partners in this coalition included the Lapeer County Intermediate School District, ELGA Credit Union, Lapeer County MSU Extension, Imlay City Family Practice, McLaren Lapeer Region Hospital, and numerous countywide health organizations, community-based action groups, and local businesses.
“One of the most rewarding parts of the planning process was seeing so many organizations and community leaders come together around a shared goal,” said Amanda Hardy, a branch manager at ELGA Credit Union’s Lapeer location, who participated in the coalition.
When identifying a location, LEAF was approached by the admin at the Lapeer County Education and Technology Center, who offered to open their entire building to the public for the event, free of charge. With the ability to host activities indoors and outdoors, the LEAF 360! team created a map of the grounds that listed each activity and used colored footprints to help guide families between offerings spread throughout the space.
A range of activities
At the wellness fair, more than 15 activities showcased various aspects of wellness and highlighted organizations and resources across Lapeer. A few of the offerings included:
Mindfulness
- Crafts (vegetable planting, breathing sticks, “I Spy” bottle activities)—Lapeer County Community Mental Health
- Child safety sessions—Child Advocacy Center of Lapeer County
- Petting zoo
Movement
- Outdoor fitness walk with five activity stations—Lapeer Youth Advisory Committee
- Yoga session
- Strength circuit—Lapeer County Parks & Recreation
- Bounce house
Medical
- Screenings (lead, glucose, hearing, vision, blood pressure, immunization records)—Imlay City Family Practice and Lapeer County Health Department
Money
- Financial education classes—EGLA Credit Union
- Cooking demonstrations with take-home groceries and recipe tasting—Lapeer County MSU Extension
- LEAF savings account deposit activity
For each activity completed, students enrolled in LEAF were eligible to earn money to deposit into their CSA. At several stations, students earned tokens that could also be redeemed for a deposit into their CSA account or prizes from the fair’s “store.”
Navigating logistical hurdles
Coordinating the medical screenings was one of the biggest challenges in planning the Wellness Fair. Dr. Laura Zelenak from Imlay City Family Practice was instrumental in finding solutions. She worked closely with the Lapeer County Health Department to create a process that met community needs and healthcare standards. Together, they ensured that all medical information and follow-up recommendations stayed confidential. Their collaboration resulted in a screening process that was easy for families to access and protected patient privacy.
Reflecting on this challenge, Toni LaRocco, nursing director of the Lapeer County Health Department, shared, “We worked with the LEAF team to create a formal documentation system so families could keep the screening and referral results they received, while the LEAF team could track student participation for incentive purposes. Ultimately, this gave us a system for maintaining client confidentiality.”
A community-wide success
Based on the feedback from families and community partners, the LEAF 360! Wellness Fair was a hit. But perhaps most importantly, the wellness fair demonstrated the strength of the LEAF 360! Collaborative itself: a countywide network that will continue working together long after the event. LEAF plans to replicate the event in future years due to the immense success of its inaugural year!
Boxey points to the Innovation & Sustainability Grant LEAF received as foundational to the event’s success. “Without this grant, we would not have had the funds to host the event or provide incentive dollars,” Boxey said. “The grant also was a great way to show our community partners that LEAF is a trusted and valued partner, and that we are all working together toward shared goals.”
“What made the wellness fair especially meaningful is that students weren’t just learning—they were earning. They were building healthy habits while also growing their savings, reinforcing the idea that their future is something worth investing in,” she said.
LEAF is one of 18 programs currently enrolling students as part of the Michigan CSA Network, a statewide initiative led by CEDAM. The Network supports community-based CSA programs through coalition building, technical assistance, and shared resources. During the 2024-25 academic year, CEDAM and the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity awarded more than $450,000 to Michigan programs through Innovation & Sustainability Grants.
To learn more, visit the Michigan CSA Network webpage or email CEDAM’s director of economic initiatives, Madeleine March-Meenagh, at madeleine@cedamichigan.org.