GVSU Division of K-12 Education Innovation and Scholar Success

Who better to guide you through Detroit than the kids who live there?

Fifth graders at University Preparatory Academy Elementary created the Detroit Navigator, their own guide to the city's best food, entertainment, and places to visit.

Detroit students create guide to the city, through the eyes of kids

See link below ⬇️

📸 Robin Buckson, The Detroit News

Shoutout to our incredible colleagues Barry “Dr. B” Hall and Jayme Lesperance for being GVSU AP Award finalists. While they didn’t take home the awards, we are still winners for having them on our team 💙

Student-Centered Innovations 🤝Authorizer Support

We had an incredible week celebrating our Impact 30 grant winners! In total, 24 projects in GV charter schools will receive support to explore new possibilities for teaching and learning. Schools will work over the next 6-18 months to launch their ideas. We can't wait to see what comes next!

Byron Center Charter School, MMSA Lorraine Cornerstone Schools - Detroit The Greenspire School Covenant High School - Grand Rapids Black River Public School Gerald Dawkins Academy Detroit Premier Academy

Grateful for the leaders and scholars from Detroit Achievement Academy, Westfield Preparatory High School, and Canton Preparatory High School who led the the "Hear Their Voices" session at the Michigan Charter School Symposium!

The group's session focused on systemic barriers faced by Black male students and highlighted solutions for creating better opportunities.

Thirty years ago, Excel Charter Academy was boldly blazing a new path toward academic excellence, one that they continue today. Their impact on public education is immeasurable, and we're proud to be their partners in innovation.

GVSU, Excel Charter Academy mark 30 years of innovation in education For 30 years, Grand Valley has advanced cutting-edge solutions for K-12 students, teachers and administrators as one of Michigan’s first public charter school authorizers.

Our division leader, Leah Breen, recently joined GVSU President Philomena Mantella's podcast! Leah talked about GVSU's 30 years of being a charter public school authorizer and our Impact 30 grant initiative celebrating the milestone.

Watch on YouTube (linked below) or listen to it on Spotify or Apple Music 👂🎙

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P7UWoIcvy0I

For 5 years, Fostering Leadership Academy has done what few schools had done before -- focused on mental health support as a way to help children achieve academic success.

Another GVSU charter public school making a difference 💪👏

Fostering Leadership Academy Marks 5 Years of Healing and Hope for Students A school focused on helping kids heal from trauma is celebrating its 5-year anniversary and is welcoming new students for the upcoming school year. Fostering Leadership Academy, which is part of MCHS Family of Services, is doing what few schools have done before -- focusing on mental health support....

HUGE round of applause to Grove Montessori and its incredible team for celebrating their very first day of school ever!! Families can't stop talking about the big things that are ahead for this micro Montessori school. 👏👏👏👏

New school year, (slightly) new us 🥳

As we kick off the 2025-26 year, we are excited to celebrate the CSO now being part of the newly-created Division of K-12 Education Innovation and Scholar Success! We join the GV NextEd Co-Lab and the team supporting the Robert and Ellen Thompson Scholarship recipients at GVSU.

Together, we aim to strategically connect learners, education practitioners, and community members with GVSU to create equitable educational pathways, strengthen educational outcomes, inspire innovation, and foster lifelong achievement.

A huge congratulations to National Heritage Academies (NHA) Founder and Chairman J.C. Huizenga for being inducted recently into the Charter Schools Hall of Fame! 👏👏

Established in 2007 by the National Alliance for Public Charter Schools, the Charter Schools Hall of Fame honors individuals and organizations whose vision, leadership, and service have made a lasting impact on the charter school movement nationwide.

30 years ago, J.C. and the NHA team were working tirelessly as the organization prepared to open Excel Charter Academy, its first partner-school (and a still a GVSU-authorized charter school today!).

From serving 174 students in that first year, to now serving more than 65,000 students in 100-plus partner-schools in 9 states, J.C. and NHA continue to have one of the largest lasting impacts on public education.

📰

National Heritage Academies founder J.C. Huizenga inducted into Charter Schools Hall of Fame J.C. Huizenga, founder of National Heritage Academies, inducted into the Charter Schools Hall of Fame—recognizing 30 years of visionary leadership and impact on public education across Michigan.