YPS Awards

Ypsilanti Public Schools and individual teachers/students have won numerous awards. Some of the more recent include:

Students

  • YHS senior receives prestigious Gates Scholarship.The prestigious Gates Millennium Scholarship has been awarded to YHS senior, Willie Washington Jr. The scholarship provides funding for all of Willie's post high school education. Willie is involved in The National Honor Society, Mock Trial, participant in the M-REACH program through the U-M Ross School of Business, Wind Symphony and Marching Bands, Student Council, Football, Lacrosse and was named a South Eastern Conference Scholar Athlete. Willie plans to attend Kettering University to study mechanical engineering. The Gates Millennium Scholars Program, funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, was established in 1999.
  • Marketing marvels. Five Ypsilanti High School students made up one of the top three marketing teams in the U.S. to finish in the 2009 High School SCION Marketing Competition. Over 200 high school marketing teams competed in the program that was sponsored by the New York marketing firm Malbon Brothers Farms. The students had to prepare a 20-30 page proposal, along with a power point presentation to pitch their plan for promoting the Toyota SCION brand. The YHS students who successfully competed were: Erika Witherspoon, Megan Fish, Andrea Savvides, Andrew Hunt and Michael Horgrow. The team will be awarded $7,000 in computer and electronic prizes. Details: Trish Thomas, (734) 714-1267.
  • YHS Senior Molly Krell was named a 2009 Academic All American by the National Interscholastic Swimming Coaches Association of America, Inc.
  • YHS senior Ryan Burdick won the Best Picture and Best Director award for his film, "I Live, You Laugh, We Love" entered in the Ypsilanti District Library's Teen Film Fest '09 competition. YHS senior Aunnica O'Brien, who was the main character in Ryan's film, won the award for Best Actress.
  • Candise Washington, an Ypsilanti High School sophomore, placed second at the Feb. 13, 2009 Midwestern Business Plan Competition at the Sesi Midwest Entrepreneurship Conference, hosted by the Eastern Michigan University College of Business.
  • Adryan Robinson, a YHS sophomore, was the only student selected from Michigan to attend the Air Force Jr. ROTC Aerospace and Technology Honors Camp (ATHC) July 25-30, 2009 at the University of Oklahoma and Tinker Air Force base.
  • YHS senior LaTisha Campbell was named the Ann Arbor News' 2008 Young Citizen of the Year
  • YHS senior Emanuel Gombos is named the state winner in the Skills USA construction competition
  • YHS Junior Corenne Harris served as a congressional page to U.S. Congressman John Dingell during the fall 2007 semester.
  • YHS senior Genevieve Jones wins first place in the district's Martin Luther King Jr. Essay Contest
  • YHS Senior Derrick Amison was named a "Young Man of Promise" by the Delta Psi Omega sorority
  • Eight grade East Middle School student Emma Swanson won first place in the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's "Fight the Fakes" poster contest.

School/Program/District Honors

  • The Perry Child Development Center's Montessori Program received the 2010 Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce's prestigious Exemplary Educational Endeavors (E3) Award. Perry Montessori teachers Jan Natelborg, Lee Ann Parks and principal Sharine Buddin attended an awards breakfast in May to accept the honor.
  • 2009-10 Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award with Merit
    The Ypsilanti High School Air Force JROTC program was one of 72 units in the nation to receive the 2009-10 Air Force Junior ROTC Distinguished Unit Award with Merit. This award recognizes Air Force JROTC programs that have exceeded standards and distinguished themselves through outstanding service to their school and community while accomplishing the mission of producing better citizens for American. There are 884 Air Force JROTC programs in the U.S. with over 110,000 cadets enrolled.
  • The district's newsletter YPS Today received a 2009 Award of Merit from the National School Public Relations Assoc.
  • The district's 2007-08 Annual Report received a 2009 Award of Merit from the National School Public Relations Assoc.
  • Ypsilanti High School was awarded a certificate from the Michigan North Central Association Commission on Accreditation during the NCA's annual conference in Lansing, Nov. 7, 2008. The award marked 100 years that YHS has been accredited.
  • Estabrook Elementary was named a Michigan Blue Ribbon School, 2007. Use this link to learn more at the State Board of Education Announces 23 Blue Ribbon Schools for 2006-2007 link. (http://www.michigan.gov/mde/0%2C1607%2C7-140-37818-162429--%2C00.html)
  • The RCTC Auto repair program received the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation certification-2007
  • YPS received the 2007 "Award of Merit" from the National School Public Relations Association for the 2005-06 annual report.
  • YHS Drama program received the 2007 Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce E3 Award
  • The YHS Creative Arts magazine Palladian won the 2007 Excellence Award
  • YPS 2005-06 annual report received an Award of Merit from the National School Public Relations Association
  • YPS received the Michigan School Public Relations Association 2007 Distinguished Award, in the communication category, for the 2005-06 District Annual Report
  • East and West Middle Schools honored as a "2008 School of Distinction in the Healthy School Environment Recognition Program."
  • YPS received the 2006 Distinguished Award from the Michigan School Public Relations Association for the district's brochure, "Strong from Start to Finish"

Staff/Board Members

  • YPS Maintenance employee, Larry Hankins, has received the Michigan Education Association's Leon Brunner Award. This award, established in 1988, is the highest MEAaward given to a member of the Educational Support Personnel. The Leon Brunner Award is annually awarded to a member of the ESP who exhibits a high degree of commitment and promotion of ESP issues. Larry will receive the award March 19 at an MEA/ESP conference dinner in Troy.
  • YPS Educator, Cory McElmeel is the 2010 recipient of the EMU Scholar of Excellence Award. Cory was selected by the Leadership & Counseling faculty as one of its Scholars of Excellence. Each program area in the College of Education nominated an outstanding student treceive this award. The award will be presented to Cory during the 2010 Celebration of Excellence Convocation, 4 p.m. March 25 at the EMU Student Center. Cory is currently interim Dean of Ypsilanti New Tech@Ardis.
  • Hans Sowder, YHS Educator, named 2010 Michigan High School Science Teacher of the Year
  • Superintendent Martin recognized Board President David Bates and V-P Linda Horne who were honored by the Michigan Association of Schools Boards for achieving the designation of Award of Distinction
  • Congratulations to Nurse Carolyn Falsetta who was notified this week that the YPS Clothes Closet (a program that she coordinates) received the Michigan Association of School Boards' Michigan Education Excellence Award. The program was nominated under the Community Relations category. C.J. will be recognized at a May 12th luncheon in Lansing. Great job C.J.!
  • West Middle School health educator, Amelia Skwiers-Brady, has been named a "Rising Star" by the Michigan Department of Education's Team Nutrition Program. She was recognized for modeling healthy eating and physical activity habits along with enthusiastically encouraging others to do the same. The MDE's Team Nutrition is a United States Department of Agriculture initiative that teaches students and families to make food and physical activity choices for a quality lifestyle. Currently over 800 schools in Michigan are enrolled in the program.
  • Nina Davis, chair of the English Department at Ypsilanti High School, has received the Yale University "2008 Yale Teaching Award." This award, sponsored by the Yale Office of Undergraduate Admissions, recognizes teachers from around the world who have inspired and supported their students to achieve at high levels. Ms. Davis was nominated by 2008 YHS graduate, LaTisha Campbell who is now a freshman at Yale.
  • Erickson Elementary music teacher Crystal Harding received a 2008 Education Excellence Award from the Michigan Association of School Boards
  • First grade Erickson Elementary teacher Gwen Guthrie is a 2008 recipient of the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce's E3 Award
  • Mike Mitchell, teacher of the Regional Career Technical Center's Computer Systems Technology is a 2008 recipient of the Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce's E3 Award
  • First grade Estabrook Elementary teacher Deborah Wilbanks is named a 2008 "Teacher of the Year" by the American Legion of Michigan
  • Asst. Superintendent for Quality Education Richard Weigel received the 2008 "Michigan Association of School Administrators" "Winners' Circle Award" for implementing the Critical Friends Groups program at YPS
  • Superintendent Dr. James Hawkins received the 2007 Excellence in Educational Leadership Award from the University of Michigan College of Education
  • Dr. Hawkins receives the 2007 Golden Apple Award from Western Michigan University for his outstanding work in the field of education
  • YHS Business Education Teacher Trish Thomas received the Huron Valley Girl Scouts "2006 Women of Distinction" Award.
  • Erickson Elementary music teacher Crystal Davis-Harding received the 2006 Ypsilanti Area Chamber of Commerce E3 award
  • YHS Drama teacher Michelle Peet named 2006 Teacher of the Year by the Ann Arbor University Musical Society
  • 2008 Washtenaw County Certified Board Member Awards: David Bates, Certified Board Member Award and Award of Merit; Andrew Fanta, Master Diamond Award; Linda Snedacar-Horne, Certified Board Member Award and Award of Merit.