Originally jumpstarted through a $6.3 million grant from billionaire alumnus Eli Broad, the program’s initial goal was to create a pipeline of MSU-educated teachers in and around the Detroit Public Schools system.

Students who both attended MSU as a result of the program and later returned to Detroit Public Schools to teach would receive their education free of charge, Neeley said.

Once funding for that program ran out, university officials decided to extend the summer courses.

“They saw how beneficial it had been to students,” Neeley said.
As a result of those early programs, Neeley said more minority students returned to Detroit Public Schools to teach. Now, the revamped course looks to increase teacher numbers with a specific focus on urban education.

Between attending MSU’s summer program and taking courses through the College of Education, graduates are more than ready for an urban work environment, said Marini Lee, an Eastern Michigan University professor who runs the program. Lee first started working with students through the program as an MSU graduate student.

“I do think they are prepared — you’re looking at a potential of up to eight years of urban teacher education,” Lee said.

In recent years, more males have expressed an interest in the program, and even more students have returned to MSU’s College of Education. About 94 percent of all previous program members were admitted to MSU upon applying, Neeley said.

“This is good for them because a lot of the students without this opportunity wouldn’t be able to go to a college campus,” Neeley said.

Students also have taken on additional demands outside of an urban education focus, including work related to social justice and cultural awareness.

Many of those courses have been well-received, said Laura McNeal, a visiting professor in MSU’s College of Law.

“The students have been great,” she said. “They actually have a very high level of curiosity.”