Summer Times!

August 10, 2021

Saluting our scholars!

The DPS Foundation awarded scholarships to 52 hardworking, deserving DPSCD graduates. A special thanks to our donors for their attendance and unwavering support, making possible awards from $1,000 – $2,500. The ceremony was hosted at Martin Luther King, Jr. senior high school. Family and supporters attended in-person and virtually. Ms. India Flournoy, a 2019 Detroit College Promise recipient currently at Oakland University, brought words of encouragement. Students are attending Michigan colleges, universities, and local community colleges, as well as Historically Black Colleges and Universities. We are extremely proud of these young people who persevered during a year of uncertainty and disruption.

We thank Dr. Nat Pernick, founder of the Detroit College Promise, for his passion and recognizing the enormous need for scholarships. The DPS Foundation now manages the Detroit College Promise Scholarship and eight ( 8 ) Special Scholarships that recognize and honor families with ties to Detroit Public Schools. To support our 2022 graduates, please donate http://ow.ly/fqA750FPGzA

Congratulations to our scholars as they embark on a new chapter full of endless possibilities! Click here for the Scholarship Awards Program and Pledge.


8th Annual Champions of Education presented by 

Ford Motor Company Fund

Honoring our partners at DTE and DTE Foundation

Sponsorships Available 

October 6th at the beautiful Detroit Yacht Club on Belle Isle

(virtual and in-person event)

 Become a sponsor!


Be the first, but never the last

Be the first, but never the last’, says Roy Roberts who knows the importance of education. His widowed father stressed it to his 10 children. Born in Arkansas, Roy also knows about segregation, prejudice, diversity, inclusion, blazing trails, and climbing corporate ladders. He was one of 6 Blacks in a school of 500 Whites. By the time he reached college, he was married with children. That didn’t stop him; it probably motivated him even more. His buddies (some pretty famous Detroiters that will go unnamed) were also at Western Michigan University enjoying the spoils of college life, but not Roy. He studied, worked full-time as an assembly worker at Lear Siegler, commuted from Grand Rapids, and kept his eyes on the prize. Roy said at a young age he wanted nice things and knew stealing wasn’t an option (he’s very funny).

After graduating, he worked for Lear Siegler as the Director of Marketing. When General Motors (GM) heard about this young kid named Roy Roberts, they came calling. The rest is history. At GM, he would retire in 2000 as Group Vice-President, North American Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing after 30+ years, overseeing 2 million employees globally. “Discrimination rolled off my back like a duck,” he said. In his early years at GM, he was elevated quickly, starting in Employment and Training, heading up Personnel and supervising all the plants. Eventually, he moved to Rochester, New York to run the Products Division. When he quit GM to go to Navistar, GM wooed him back to Detroit where he would finish out his stellar 30-year journey.

He’s had some heartache along the way: losing his mother at age 2, his father, his siblings, and his firstborn son, but he’s always counting his blessings and leaving open doors for those behind him. His loving wife Maureen is a retired nurse, as well as a health care professional and educator. She is a huge champion of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation and the children we represent. The Roberts are loyal supporters with a scholarship in their names. In 2011, Roy was appointed by Governor Rick Snyder to serve as Emergency Financial Manager over Detroit Public Schools. He says it was the toughest job he’s ever had, but the most gratifying.

His motto is: ‘To win, you have to be yourself. Be honest and stay true to yourself. (Cow manure) will kill you. If you don’t do the right thing, then don’t do it’.

Roy is retired these days, enjoying his lovely wife, playing with grandchildren, traveling, seeing friends, and still counting his many blessings. On Detroit’s evolution and gentrification, Roy says that “Detroit is very unique and not in a bad way.”

We must care about the children of Detroit. All of us.” He says his social circle and the friends he’s made in Detroit have made the difference. Roy and Maureen Roberts love Detroit and we love them!

Please help leverage their wonderful support by donating today to the Detroit College Promise Scholarship Fund by clicking here.


Summer school

From the District’s youngest learners, who were gearing up for kindergarten, to high school students taking dual-enrollment courses for college credit, over 10,000 DPSCD students across all grade levels took part this summer in academic enrichment and recreational activities. Programming was held at 44 schools as well as online.

Programs Included:

– Camp Dinner Table. Students in grades K-8 enjoyed cooking lessons while learning the basics of meal prep and healthy eating strategies — all while practicing math and literacy skills.

-Drone Technology Training. Ninth- through 11th-graders learned about drones and other technologies through hands-on, project-based learning that exposed them to in-demand career opportunities.

-Living Arts. First through sixth grade students gained STEAM and literacy learning opportunities through artistic disciplines such as animation, dance, photography and songwriting.

Our students deserve to relax and enjoy the last days of summer and we look forward to them returning to in-person learning on September 7th.


 

Thank you ‘fore’ supporting our golfers!

Our students got to attend the John Shippen Invitational during the PGA’s Rocket Mortgage Classic and were excited to meet some of the world’s greatest golfers.  Students also attended our 2nd Annual outing at TPC Michigan.

Special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Emily and Henry Ford III and donors AAA, Ally Financial, Ascension Michigan, Krystal Banks, Bill Brown Ford, Carl’s Golfland, Gina Coleman, Comerica, Cork and Gabel Asian Restaurant, Dakkota Integrated Systems, Detroit Children’s Fund, Detroit Historical Society, Detroit Manufacturing Systems, Detroit Zoological Society, Dicks Sporting Goods, Eastern Market Brewing Co., Frita Batidos, Game Day Detroit, Global Project Oversight LLC, Laura Grannemann of Rocket Mortgage, Stacey Gray, Greektown Casino-Hotel, Gregory Terrell & Co., Sean Goodlesky, Health Alliance Plan, Human-I-T, Hutchinson Funeral Home, IBEW Local 58, Ima Noodles, James Oliver Coffee, Kenwal Steel Corp., Lutz Roofing Company Inc., Marsh & McLennan Agency, Marsh USA, MassMutual Great Lakes, Means Group, Meijer, MGM Grand Detroit, Michigan Opera Theatre, Michigan Science Center, Motor City Casino-Hotel, Dr. Kiel & Erica Opperman, Process Controls & Instrumentation LLC, Renaissance, Kevin Robinson and William Cooper, Douglas Shiffman, Snethkamp Automotive Group, Stantec Architecture, the Fischer Family, T.I. Fluid Systems, TPC Michigan, Truth and Wellness Spa, WAGC Team USA, Wayne County Sheriff’s Office and Wayne State University.


Partner Spotlight: MassMutual Great Lakes

Manual (Mannie) Amezcua’s support of the Detroit Public Schools Foundation’s second annual golf outing not only helped to raise money for the foundation — but it also captured the interest of several celebrities.  Amezcua, firm president and CEO of MassMutual Great Lakes, was a sponsor and thanks to him and other donors, we raised more than $80,000. 

Celebrities including Herman Moore and Braylon Edward attended the outing. And thanks to the leadership of Gina Coleman, a foundation Board member and Chief Sales Officer for MassMutual Great Lakes, the DPS Foundation not only received the sponsorship donation and attendance from celebrities, but all attendees also received golf towels and MassMutual swag.  Visit our link to see more golf outing pictures.

 


Mini-grants

Your dollars help fund programs for inside and outside classroom activities.  Grants are made directly to classrooms, departments, programs, schools, and nonprofit organizations that provide programs for students.

BE THE FIRST, BUT NEVER THE LASTNow Hiring! Director of Programs (Full-Time) Position Open