Detroit Program To Begin College Prep at Middle-School Level

Lawrence Technological University (LTU) in suburban Detroit has pledged $3.5 million in scholarship funding and long-term academic support in an effort to improve the science, technology, engineering, art and math (STEAM) skills of students at Detroit Public Schools' Sampson-Webber Leadership Academy.

Fifty middle school students at Sampson-Webber, a K-8 school with about 400 students, will become Blue Devil Scholars this fall. Another 50 will join the program each year until it reaches a critical mass of about 300 and eventually will include students as young as kindergarten age.

The program will start immediately with a professional development component for Sampson-Webber teachers as they become proficient in project-based learning and active-collaborative learning. Modules with STEAM content will be included in their middle-school courses and LTU students will act as tutors.

Once the students complete their middle-school work at Sampson-Webber, they will continue in the program at Detroit Collegiate Preparatory at Northwestern High School, where they will choose one of five STEAM tracks — art, design, math and science, technology and management, or engineering — that will be created for them by LTU faculty and students in conjunction with high school teachers. Dual-enrollment classes the students take during their high school years will allow them to earn certificates for 12 to 15 college credits that can be used when they move on to be college students at LTU.

"We are confident that students who successfully complete the blue devil scholars program will be well-prepared to do well soon they arrive on campus as freshmen," said LTU President Virinder Moudgil.

About the Author

Michael Hart is a Los Angeles-based freelance writer and the former executive editor of THE Journal.

Featured

  • DreamBox Math

    Discovery Education Announces Updates to Experience, DreamBox Math

    K-12 learning solution provider Discovery Education has announced enhancements to its Discovery Education Experience and DreamBox Math products, designed to create a more personalized, engaging learning experience for students.

  • abstract pattern of cybersecurity, ai and cloud imagery

    Report Identifies Malicious Use of AI in Cloud-Based Cyber Threats

    A recent report from OpenAI identifies the misuse of artificial intelligence in cybercrime, social engineering, and influence operations, particularly those targeting or operating through cloud infrastructure. In "Disrupting Malicious Uses of AI: June 2025," the company outlines how threat actors are weaponizing large language models for malicious ends — and how OpenAI is pushing back.

  • digital dashboard featuring a shield icon, graphs, a world map, and network nodes

    IBM Launches Agentic AI Governance and Security Platform

    IBM has introduced a new software stack for enterprise IT teams tasked with managing the complex governance and security challenges posed by autonomous AI systems.

  • laptop and fish hook

    Security Researchers Identify Generative AI 'Vishing' Attack

    A new report from researchers at Ontinue's Cyber Defense Center has identified a complex, multi-stage cyber attack that leveraged social engineering, remote access tools, and signed binaries to infiltrate and persist within a target network.