Back in the Fall of 2008 the Association partnered with the Grand Rapids Board of Education to start the Grand Rapids University Preparatory Academy which is a unique public/private partnership. Over the 19 years of operation, we have far exceeded our goals of 90% retention and 90% graduation. The association and the district has been very diligent about working together which has led to our unprecedented success. More importantly, our faculty and staff has embraced the need to bring our students and families together to focus on social, emotional and academic achievements. We are excited to be part of this amazing journey.

Over the years, change has been a constant part of our experience. 

Our students have responded to the care and treatment of our team by demonstrating their academic success and building of life skills along the way. Students have participated in sports, school and community activities along with achieving rigorous academic standards. Many students participate in college courses and advance placement before graduation. Students also often have multiple college acceptances in senior year. Colleges such as Michigan, Michigan State, GVSU, Ferris, and GRCC along with some Historical Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU) are frequently chosen. And our students are graduating from those colleges too. The past two years with Covid have been extremely challenging for our school but we are very proud of the resilience everyone has shown.

The Association board has been very stable over the years. Several of us have been on the journey since the beginning while we continue to attract new members with diverse backgrounds and skills 

UPrep has built a tradition of academic excellence and we are looking to another year of exciting learning and success!