JULY 8 • 2021 | 19

R

abbi Yisrael Pinson, 
who runs the Chabad 
House in Detroit’s 
Midtown, is adding to his 
resume: opening the Orchard 
Academy, a tuition-free, non-
religious, public charter school, 
this fall for Detroit children in 
grades K-2.
Taking a look at the educa-
tion landscape in Detroit a few 
years ago, Pinson felt there was 
a need for something new. 
“I thought this city has so 
much power in terms of higher 
education, healthcare, enter-
tainment and sports, but how 
can it move forward if there 
aren’t good options for children 
to get a good education?”
Looking to help the city find 
the solution to this problem 
long-term, Pinson wanted 
to open a public school that 
served the widest range of chil-
dren possible, one that would 
offer something personal and 
unique to help children achieve 
greatness, not just basic literacy.
After about four years of 
planning and preparation, the 
ribbon cutting ceremony for 
the facility took place June 16, 
with the school currently open 
for enrollment and the build-
ing set up for classes in the fall. 
The school is on Woodward 
Avenue and Calvert, in the 
city’s North End neighbor-
hood.
Orchard Academy seeks to 
provide a model of education 
that does not focus on academ-
ics alone, but also focuses on 
instilling in children a sense 
of mission and purpose in 
life, welcoming children of all 

abilities with an approach to 
education that offers a reward-
ing academic experience for 
all students regardless of skill 
level. 
The curriculum will rep-
licate the Stockwell Model 
of education, modeled after 
the high-performing Charyl 
Stockwell Academy in Hartland.

‘WHOLE CHILD’ FOCUS
Through a unique blend of 
Continuous Progress Mastery 
Learning, a developmen-
tal approach to education 
and a focus on educating 
the “whole child,” Orchard 
Academy utilizes mixed-age 
classrooms and relies on daily 
evaluations by teachers to 
meet students where they are 
in terms of ability and edu-
cation — offering every child 
an opportunity to learn at 
their own pace.
As students’ skills and 
abilities continue to advance, 
they are offered the opportu-
nity to move ahead into more 
advanced coursework and 
areas of study.

The school will have the 
capacity to enroll 60 students 
for the first year, with a plan 
to add about 20-25 more kids 
each year. The first year will see 
two mixed-age classrooms.
“When they’ve fully mas-
tered a unit, they move to the 
next unit. And when they’re 
ready both academically and 
socially-emotionally, they will 
move to the next classroom,
” 
said Pinson.
Along with the academ-
ic side of the model, the 
social-emotional side of things 
will be just as important.
“In the model, the 
social-emotional well-being of 
a child is not just an additional 
item that is cared for, but a 
primary item cared for to make 
sure the child feels safe and 
that their needs are addressed,
” 
Pinson said. 
Pinson hopes Orchard 
Academy can display a success-
ful model that others would 
want to replicate in Detroit.
To enroll your child or to 
learn more about the school, 
visit orcharddetroit.org. 

Rabbi Yisrael Pinson opens innovative charter school 
so the city’s youth can “achieve greatness.”

Helping Hand for Detroit Kids

DANNY SCHWARTZ STAFF WRITER

Rabbi Yisrael Pinson (center) and guests at the ribbon-cutting for the 
Orchard Academy.

Hillel of 
Metro Detroit
Receives 
Simon Grant

Hillel of Metro Detroit 
(HMD) received a grant of 
$50,000 from the Donald 
R. and Esther Simon 
Foundation to provide sup-
port for its dedicated staff 
rabbi/educator position and 
Jewish educational program-
ming.
The presence of Hillel of 
Metro Detroit’s staff rabbi, 
Michele Faudem, significant-
ly influences the students’ 
experiences by providing 
ready access to Jewish 
learning, thought-provok-
ing programming, personal 
counseling/guidance and the 
opportunity for students to 
develop a meaningful rela-
tionship with a rabbi. 
“Having an involved and 
dynamic rabbi on Hillel of 
Metro Detroit’s staff to work 
with students at such a piv-
otal moment in their lives 
is critically important,” said 
Miriam Starkman, HMD 
executive director. 
“In this extraordinary 
time of COVID and rising 
antisemitism on campus, we 
want to do what we can to 
keep our students connected 
to each other and to Jewish 
life. We are very grateful to 
the Simon Foundation for 
their generosity.” 

Rabbi Michele Faudem

