Inside Detroit's High School for Future Pilots

March 19
22 mins

Episode Description

On today's Daily Detroit, we're talking about what it really looks like when a public school system bets big on kids — and on the skies. 

We're joined at the table by Principal Michelle Davis of Davis Aerospace Technical High School and Kerrie Mitchell Campbell‑Mabins, president and CEO of the DPSCD Foundation.​

Davis Aerospace is the only aviation‑themed high school on this side of the state, and their students aren't just reading about planes — they're earning FAA drone certifications, logging at least 40 flight hours, and in some cases getting a pilot's license before a driver's license.

The school owns three Cessnas, is moving back into a newly reimagined Detroit City Airport terminal, and pairs that rigor with hot chocolate bars, a "Zen den," low chronic absenteeism, and a 100% graduation rate.​

We also get into how the DPSCD Foundation is scaling support across 105 schools and 49,000 students, from transforming Cooley High into an athletic complex to a coming high school redesign that builds real career and college pathways.

If you care about Detroit's future, these are the kids — and the adults — to watch.

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