Students involved in the program, which has been done in conjunction with Schoolcraft College over the last five years, are afforded options to do community service with organizations such as GOAL Line, SOAR Detroit, Neighborhood Legal Services Michigan and more.
The Teach and S.T.E.P. program, offered to students at Detroit Western International High School, has provided many high school students the unique opportunity to better understand their options after graduation.
Students involved in the program, which has been done in conjunction with Schoolcraft College over the last five years, are afforded options to do community service with organizations such as GOAL Line, SOAR Detroit, Neighborhood Legal Services Michigan and more. The program was established with the help of Ryan Masters – an instructor at Western International who also teaches at Schoolcraft – to help develop a pipeline of students into teaching programs.
But the program is beneficial to students looking to go into a wide range of career fields, not just teaching.
“These are skills that they can take anywhere. It doesn’t matter if you want to be a surgeon, if you want to be a lawyer, whatever career pathway you want to pursue, that’s fine,” he said. “At some point, you have to recognize you’re going to have to teach: you’re going to have to teach your colleagues, you’re going to have to teach your subordinates, you’re going to have to teach somebody and pass on the skillsets and knowledge and the wisdom that you have.
“And that is what this program is all about.”
The high school students recently wrapped up their academic year by coming to Schoolcraft College and presenting their capstone portfolio, highlighting all the work they have done.
These students, many of them seniors, talked about their future collegiate plans, which included attending schools such as Michigan State University, Central Michigan University, Michigan Technological University and Schoolcraft College.
Justin Sosa Rodriguez, who plans on enrolling at Schoolcraft in the fall to pursue his associate degree, said during his presentation his participation in activities such as football, track and field, and the TEACH program helped him grow his leadership skills.
“These activities made me realize the importance of being a leader and having my own voice when it comes to learning,” he said.
In addition to presenting, students took a tour of campus and learned more about the potential offerings Schoolcraft has for them.
Dr. Keambra Pierson, Chief Academic Operations Officer, told the students their participation in TEACH and S.T.E.P. gives them advantages as they prepare for higher education.
“You are taking the time to invest in your future,” she said. “This program continues to demonstrate how the power of partnership can showcase student potential.”