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Detroit Enterprise Principal Honored with Spirit of Detroit Award

Chanavia Patterson, principal of Detroit Enterprise Academy, was honored with the Spirit of Detroit Award during the formal session of the city council meeting July 18 at the Coleman A. Young Municipal Center in Detroit.

Councilman Andre L. Spivey of District 4 selected Patterson to receive the award for her outstanding contribution to the City of Detroit.

During the ceremony, Patterson and her deans were recognized for their hard work. Patterson thanked her deans and shared about DEA’s growth in recent years.

In May, Patterson was selected as the top administrator in the state by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies (MAPSA). Councilman Spivey visited the school in May to congratulate Patterson on her accomplishment and to see the school for himself.

Four years ago, Patterson took over Detroit Enterprise Academy, a school located in a challenging area of Detroit and then ranked as one of the worst schools in the city. Under her leadership, DEA is now one of the best schools in Michigan.

“Chanavia Patterson is working miracles at Detroit Enterprise Academy,” said MAPSA President Dan Quisenberry, who handed her the MAPSA award in May. “In just four years, she has turned Detroit Enterprise Academy into not just one of the best schools in Detroit, but one of the best schools in all of Michigan. She embodies the charter ideal - that when educators are empowered to be creative and innovative, there’s no limit to what they can achieve. Chanavia has shown the world that it’s possible to have great schools in Detroit.”

About Detroit Enterprise Academy
Detroit Enterprise Academy is a tuition-free, public charter school in Byron Center, Michigan, serving students in Young 5s through eighth grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.

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