Marvin L. Winans Academy of Performing Arts

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Grammy-winning gospel singer Marvin Winans, a Detroit native and member of the famous Winans musical family, founded this public charter school in 1997 to give Detroit children a rigorous academic education alongside serious training in the performing arts. The school teaches Michigan's standard curriculum from kindergarten through eighth grade, but layers in orchestral and contemporary music, voice, dance, drama and visual art, an approach that reflects Winans's own upbringing in a Detroit family built around gospel music and performance. The academy grew to include a separate middle school campus on the city's east side alongside its original elementary campus, giving Detroit families a rare public option built specifically around the performing arts. It stands today as one of Marvin Winans's most lasting contributions to his hometown, extending his family's musical legacy into the education of a new generation of Detroit kids.

1. Founded in 1997 by gospel singer Marvin Winans
2. Public charter school serving kindergarten through eighth grade
3. Combines standard academics with music, dance, drama and art
4. Also runs a separate middle school campus on Detroit's east side