By Sloane Barlow
In a hands-on experience exploring the community around them, rising eighth and ninth grade students from Detroit Public Schools Community District developed as scholars through the second annual MSU Detroit Early Honors Experience.
Led by MSU faculty, staff, students, and local experts, students spent four days (August 6-9, 2024) learning about art, technology, and science through educational activities and field visits.
The Michigan State University Honors College, the MSU Detroit Center, the Office of Gifted and Talented Education, and partners in the Detroit Public Schools Community District hosted the event.
“The partnership enables us to bring together a host of rich resources from the great city of Detroit and field experts from MSU with talented middle school students from several schools in DPSCD,” said Bess German, assistant dean of the MSU Honors College, in a previous release.
German said she was “excited to expand the program this year with new partnerships and sponsors.”
“This dynamic partnership … curated a unique experience blending cultural, literary, and artistic icons of Detroit’s historic downtown and cultural center, plant research scholarship at the Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning, and Innovation, and technology at the MSU Apple Developer Academy,” Valeria Jackson of DPSCD said. “Most importantly it brought together a unique group of the district’s most talented rising eighth and ninth grade scholars!”
A full schedule of exploration
On the first day of the program, approximately 30 students arrived at the MSU Detroit Center for DEHE orientation, before heading to the Detroit Music Hall and Detroit Opera House.
On the second day, students learned about research processes from the Detroit Partnership for Food, Learning, and Innovation and scientists from the MSU-DOE Plant Research Laboratory.
Rising eighth grade student Alejandro Rodríguez said the day was his favorite part of DEHE. He learned how to measure the pH levels of the soil to determine the differences in environments and how it affects the plants.
“I really liked the research that we were doing. It was pretty fun,” Rodríguez said.
Students spent the third day at MSU’s Apple Developer Academy, participating in a mini hackathon where they developed app ideas and gave pitch presentations.
“We really enjoy opening up the doors of this Academy to the community and having Detroiters in the space,” said Renaissance Manager/DEI Advisor Theodore Caldwell. “Eighth and ninth graders, it’s really important to engage them with these types of opportunities if we want them to be best positioned to pursue STEM majors.”
The final day of the program focused on storytelling and artistic expression. Students reflected on their goals, crafted vision boards, traveled to the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, and participated in an activity called Visual Thinking Strategies with InsideOut Literary Arts.
“I’m hoping that they will take away the ability to interpret art through their own lens, from their own perspectives,” said Kayla Hope, facilitator with InsideOut Literary Arts.
“It’s up to us to introduce the possibility of art and what that looks like on a higher level,” said co-facilitator Galaxy.
The program concluded with a student showcase for parents and families at the MSU Detroit Center, where the students could share their experience.
“One of my favorite parts was going to the Music Hall, seeing the history there – and again to go different places, to do new stuff like the Apple Academy,” said Keith Valentine, rising eighth grader at Golightly Education Center. “We made a little app that was a good new experience for me, and I would definitely try again.”
Thank you to this year’s partners, including donors Larry and Nadine Walker, for making this program possible.
