Detroit is America’s Motor City and the heart of the auto industry, known for automotive innovation and iconic vehicle manufacturers. Like its automotive counterparts, the Detroit-based partnership between Michigan State University and Apple — the Apple Developer Academy — is leading industry innovation by training the next generation of app developers.

“Our goal is to strengthen the partnership between MSU and the Apple Developer Academy by emphasizing our shared vision for innovation and education,” says Sarah Gretter, director of the Apple Developer Academy. “This collaboration supports workforce development and local economic growth in Detroit, while encouraging faculty and leadership to bring forward-thinking methods into their teaching and research.”

The Apple Developer Academy welcomed its first cohort of learners in October 2021, becoming the first academy of its kind in the U.S. Learners receive training and education that prepares them for careers in the app development economy. The academy graduates approximately 200 participants annually. Additionally, the Apple Developer Academy is a piece of Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, designed to address systemic racism and expand opportunities for communities of color.

The third cohort of learners graduated from the academy last June, with the fourth preparing to graduate in early summer. The cohorts are composed of a diverse range of learners, with many going on to full- or part-time app development careers. Some have received honors for their work, most recently including Hamza Crichlow and Tamera Middlebrooks, who were both recognized as Apple’s Swift Student Challenge Distinguished Winners and will be honored at the company’s Worldwide Developers Conference in Cupertino, California, in June.

Both were selected for their coding and app design excellence, including Crichlow’s app, Pulmoro, a clinical decision support app developed to help health care professionals manage respiratory patients by analyzing arterial blood gas results and ventilator settings to provide real-time treatment recommendations. Sway, the tentative name of Middlebrooks’ app, helps people who suffer from balance disorders by allowing users to log symptoms and energy levels, complete physical therapy exercises and track progress that can be shared with doctors.

While continuing to educate and graduate learners, Apple is expanding its footprint in Detroit. MSU is partnering with Apple to open a manufacturing academy in downtown Detroit this summer. The program will offer both in-person and virtual programming to train and support the next generation of manufacturers. Like the Apple Developer Academy, the Apple Manufacturing Academy will be the first of its kind in the U.S.

Gretter and Anny Staten, assistant director of the Apple Developer Academy, are excited to welcome MSU President Kevin M. Guskiewicz, Ph.D., and a group of faculty and administrators who are part of the Spartan Bus Tour to the academy's Detroit location in early May and hope to engage with participants and strengthen their campus connections.

“Those who join us on the Spartan Bus Tour at the Apple Developer Academy will experience the Apple ecosystem like never before — through the eyes of the next generation of innovators,” Staten said. “Get ready to dive into the world of coding, design, business and project management. As you journey through our dynamic environment, you’ll be immersed in the creative process of app development, from ideation to design. This is your chance to see firsthand how ideas come to life and get inspired by the future of tech.”

Learn more about the Apple Developer Academy.