The African American Student Initiative is a state-level district, school, and classroom-based initiative that has engaged with more than Michigan 1,500 educators over the past four years.

MDE’s African American Student Initiative (AASI) helps schools create thriving educational spaces for African American students. It is designed to take educators on a journey that focuses on personal and professional transformation by providing space to reflect and dialogue about topics that are central to our collective humanity.

Together educators engage in learning that explores facets of their cultural selves and the intersection of their multiple identities. Additionally, the initiative equips educators to examine and explore individual and collective values and beliefs to eliminate marginalization, disparities, and disproportionality within Michigan schools.

Integrating knowledge, skills, and behaviors that systemically advance diversity, justice, equity, and inclusion is the core of this initiative.

February 2022 begins the 5-session, online/virtual Phase 1 Spring cohort of the AASI journey. The registration application for Spring cohort can be found on the MDE AASI webpage. For more information about the MDE’s African American Student Initiative (AASI), please email MDE-AASI@michigan.gov or Dr. Jill Griffin.