Eighth graders at a Detroit public charter school are leaving more than memories behind. At Detroit Achievement Academy, their legacy project — a student-designed public park — is now becoming a community landmark.
We spent time with Brigette Wright, Director of Development at Detroit Achievement Academy and sister school Detroit Prep, to learn the origin story of the Outdoor Learning & Exploration Park, how it reflects the district’s values, and why it matters that students helped shape it from the ground up.
Named a Yass Prize finalist for its innovative approach to education, Detroit Achievement Academy continues to push boundaries, not just in the classroom, but in the community.
The vision started with land — and listening
From its founding in 2013, stakeholders at the school pictured a space that extended learning beyond the classroom.
“We knew that we always wanted to have green space. We knew that we wanted to grow food on campus and feed our students delicious, healthy food,” says Wright. But turning that vision into reality took time. And it took land.
Over several years, the school acquired neighboring lots, including a deeply meaningful donation: the home and property of a neighborhood resident who had championed the school before she died.
“Her family approached us and said that she left her house and her land to us,” says Wright. That gift became part of the future park’s footprint.
Initial design concepts were drafted by the school’s founder and executive director, Kyle Smitley, in partnership with Jeff Klein, Detroit’s Deputy Chief of Landscape Architecture.
But something was missing.
“It didn’t feel right,” Wright says. “We decided to not move forward because we wanted to really listen to the voices of our community.”
With support from a KIP:D+ grant and the city’s Neighborhood Beautification program, the school hosted barbecues and went door to door to invite neighbors to share feedback.
Then came the students.
As part of a long-standing tradition, DAA’s eighth graders were tasked with leaving behind a legacy project. This year, that project was the park. Working with Klein, students met weekly for two months, learning how to walk the land, sketch, iterate and present their concepts. They interviewed peers, teachers and families and their ideas were folded into the final design.
Working with the students also left a lasting impression on Klein, who guided the class through the process of translating ideas into a buildable plan.
“Articulate, thoughtful, creative, compassionate and collaborative, the eighth grade class made as strong of an impression on me as I hope to have made on them,” he says, adding that he sees these students as future leaders — and hopes their exposure to landscape architecture might even inspire some to pursue it as a profession.
What the park will include
The Outdoor Learning & Exploration Park will span roughly an acre and feature a blend of spaces for learning, play, rest and gathering. Its design reflects both student imagination and community priorities, offering something for every age group and purpose.
Highlights include:
- Farm Zone: Raised beds, fruit trees, and a farm shed—part of a five-year plan to grow, prepare, and eventually serve food on-site.
- Outdoor classroom and kitchen: Spaces for cooking lessons, group meals, and open-air learning.
- Nature exploration areas: Quiet nooks, walking paths, art and poetry corners, and a fire circle for reflection and events.
- “Riverwalk” path: A blue-paved trail inspired by the Detroit Riverwalk, with boulders and naturalized plantings.
- Active play zones: Half basketball court, permanent hopscotch, sand area, challenge course, and a group swing.
- Treehouse forest: A playful, wooded area with forest towers and birdhouses.
- Eighth grade dedication tree: A legacy marker with seating and flowering trees.
- Accessibility: Wheelchair-friendly pathways and inclusive features throughout.
“It’ll be 100% accessible to our neighbors and to the community,” says Wright. “We don’t love fencing, so we don’t anticipate that we’ll be doing anything like that.”
Why this project matters
In Detroit, public space is powerful. For Detroit Achievement Academy, creating a space that serves both students and neighbors is an extension of the school’s mission and a reflection of what charter schools can make possible.
“One thing that I think we see a small gap in is that oftentimes, young people aren’t part of the planning process,” Wright says. “We love that our students had the opportunity to share their voice and be leaders in this way — and for others to see what it looks like to truly trust student opinion.”
That emphasis on student agency is part of a larger model. As a nonprofit charter public school authorized by Grand Valley State University, Detroit Achievement Academy has the agency to pursue projects like this.
“We have more flexibility to think outside the box and reimagine the wheel a bit,” says Wright.
More than a park, the space will function as a living classroom, gathering place and neighborhood asset, co-created by the people who will use it.
“We’re excited that this project could become a model for other cities,” says Wright, “of what it looks like to truly listen to students, trust community voices and co-create something meaningful together.”
Learn about Detroit Achievement Academy at detroitachievement.org.
This content is sponsored by Grand Valley State University Charter Schools Office. Learn more at gvsu.edu/cso.
Discover more stories at Metro Parent’s Guide to Michigan Charter Schools.
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