DETROIT – April 14, 2022 – Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) announced today the successful launch of its Student Hub, a new portal that serves as a school community resource available to all enrolled students. The launch of the Student Hub is the culmination of more than two years of work. It was sparked by a generous grant of nearly $6 million to create state of the art technology infrastructure designed to provide access, problem solving and transparency for DPSCD students and families while ensuring the most efficient use of District resources. 

“This is not only a tremendous step for our school district in empowering our students to take greater ownership of their learning but it moves us in an innovate space where our students have stronger technology resources than those in other school districts,” said Dr. Nikolai Vitti, Superintendent, Detroit Public Schools Community District. “This student portal provides immediate and real-time access to learning apps, assignments, the academic calendar, school directory, latest district news and updates, mental health and homework support. This type of access can overcome a lot of the bureaucracy our students can experience.”

Complete with the capacity for language translations, accessibility tools and technology support, the new student portal provides users with an immediate and singular view, and access to instructional materials and data online. This is the first iteration of the Student Hub and the District has ambitious plans for its evolution in the coming years. The Student Hub will offer even more robust, real-time access to student data, giving schools, central office departments and even vetted external partners the opportunity to make their interactions with students and families more convenient and dynamic, with dashboards, form automation, and proactive recommendations for resources based on each students’ unique needs. This work builds on the District’s commitment to increase student achievement and well-being, empowering internal and external partners to assist students and families with the resources they need.

In late 2019, DPSCD received the $5.9 million grant from the Ballmer Group, which was co-founded by the former CEO of Microsoft Steve Ballmer, who was born in Detroit, and is the Chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Association and his wife Connie Ballmer, a philanthropist and civic activist. Ballmer Group focuses on inspiring economic mobility through several key levers including community-led initiatives and using data to track progress.

“Investing in data and technology is critical for nonprofits and government services working to improve the lives of children and families,” said Kylee Mitchell Wells, Ballmer Group’s Executive Director of Southeast Michigan at the time of the grant in 2019. “We are proud to support the efforts of innovative public sector leaders like Dr. Vitti and to help build this critical foundation for kids in Detroit Public Schools Community District.”

In addition to the Student Hub, a Family Hub portal will be launched later this spring. It will provide resources to parents designed to specifically help their students, conveniently consolidated into one location so parents can provide support. 

About Detroit Public Schools Community District       

Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD) is Michigan’s largest public education system. It is governed by a locally elected, seven-member board with Dr. Nikolai Vitti serving as superintendent. The District’s mission is to provide every student with a beneficial and rightful educational experience, preparing students to be career and college ready, and qualified to compete in the global market. The District has more than 100 schools and educates 49,000 children. For more information, visit detroitk12.org and follow @detroitk12 on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.   

About Ballmer Group
Ballmer Group works to improve economic mobility for children and families in the United States who are disproportionately likely to remain in poverty. We believe that building pathways to opportunity requires broad, systemic change. We invest in many stages of a child’s life by supporting strong community partnerships among public, private, and nonprofit organizations that use data to more effectively serve families. Ballmer Group was co-founded by philanthropist and civic activist Connie Ballmer and her husband Steve Ballmer, former CEO of Microsoft, founder of USAFacts, and chairman of the Los Angeles Clippers. Learn more at www.ballmergroup.org and on Twitter @BallmerGroup.