DPSCD opens family hubs with free services, educational resources

The Detroit Public School Community District is announced two Family Hubs full of free services in an effort to rebuild. 

"We've been thinking over and over again of how do we go out to the community rather than waiting for the community to come to us," said Superintendent Dr. Nikolai Vitti.

Two Family Hubs will open in January and provide a multitude of free services, including homework assistance and GED workshops to students and parents who may have found it difficult in the past to navigate their way to these resources.

"We fill that gap in the parent's life, or in the family, and that means that parent can reduce one more thing on their list that ends up being an obstacle to playing a greater role in their child's education," Vitti said.

DPSCD says it understands that making families successful means providing more than educational resources, so the Family Hubs work with agencies like Forgotten Harvest to make sure families have the food they need to be healthy and Detroit Land Bank to help families locate and afford stable housing.

"Housing stability is really key for children's learning and we have a great opportunity at the Detroit Land Bank to spread that housing stability throughout City of Detroit," said Alyssa Strickland with the Detroit Land Bank.

The Hubs will be opened Monday through Friday and are located inside two of the district's Adult Education Centers, one on Asbury Park and the other on Lappin Street. This parent says she will use the services to help her son.

"Help me build with him to learn how to read cause he's five," Iesha Spencer said.

School officials say the great thing about the hubs is that they are open to the community. That means you don't have to be a DPSCD student or parent to use the hubs.

"Certainly our doors are open and we want to serve all families throughout the City of Detroit," said Sharlonda Buckman with DPSCD.