Why the Detroit district is turning its adult ed centers into places where families can find helpful services

The Detroit school district is turning its two adult education centers into sites that will give parents access to a number of academic and community resources in one spot.

It’s a crucial part of Superintendent Nikolai Vitti’s rebuilding effort, because it goes beyond trying to fix curriculum and system failures, and instead works to connect with parents.

“It’s about breaking down walls and barriers and saying, ‘We don’t have all the answers, but we have access to resources that we want to give to you.’ You come in, you start to trust us, gain those resources and fill gaps in your own lives … So we can all do right by children.”

The family hubs, which will open in January, will be located at the district’s Adult Education Center East at 13840 Lappin and at the Adult Education Center West at 16164 Asbury Park. Both centers already offer a range of programming to help older students and adults earn high school diplomas or GEDs, while providing services such as tutoring and career exploration.

Now, those two sites will offer much more, including courses offered through the district’s Parent Academy that help parents learn how to help their children. And, thanks to partnerships with a number of community organizations, parents can also take advantage of other services, such as job training, home ownership classes, and mental health services. There will also be food and clothing donations.

Detroit Superintendent Nikolai Vitti announces the creation of family hubs to connect parents with resources. (Lori Higgins / Chalkbeat)

“By concentrating in one location, we eliminate that red tape and that bureaucracy,” Vitti said at an event announcing the family hubs this week.

“You come here thinking, ‘I’m just going to learn about literacy,’ and then you find out there’s an opportunity to pay a light bill or there’s an opportunity to get job development.”

Iesha Spencer was among the parents the district sought feedback from as the hubs were being developed. She’s a student at the Adult Education Center West.

The hubs, Spencer said, “will be a great opportunity for families to all come together and learn and grow.”

A representative of a community organization talks to those attending an event to announce the creation of family hubs in the Detroit school district. (Lori Higgins)

Among the partners who are part of the hubs is the Detroit Training Center, which provides job training in a number of areas, including construction trades, building maintenance, and blight removal. The company will provide some of that training at the hubs.

“If you’re looking for a job, come on down,” Patrick Beal, CEO of the Detroit Training Center, said at the event.

There also will be other activities, such as family dinner clubs, crochet clubs and book clubs, said Sharlonda Buckman, an assistant superintendent in the district.

“We also want to socialize and have fun together. This is about building a social network,” Buckman said.

These are the partners working with the district in the hubs:

 

  • Accounting Aids Society
  • Black Mothers Breast Feeding
  • Detroit Health Department
  • Detroit Land Bank
  • Detroit Parent Network
  • Detroit Training Center
  • Doors of Success
  • Dress for Success
  • Focus Hope
  • Forgotten Harvest
  • Western Michigan University

Want to take advantage of the hubs? You can visit the district’s web site here.