Grand Rapids to open an academy of tourism and hospitality management for teens
Grand Rapids wants to get more young people of color to consider working in the hospitality and tourism industry. So the city's public school system is opening an academy that focuses on this field.
The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism, which will be housed at Ottawa Hills High School in Grand Rapids, will be open to students starting next fall.
The academy will start with a class of 35 ninth graders. It will add students each year until it has ninth through 12th grades.
Students can apply for the academy online at the school district's website. Applications are open until the end of January.
Darin Jemison, the Director of Food and Beverage at the Amway Grand Plaza in Grand Rapids and an Ottawa Hills alum, says he'd like to see more students of color begin to think about management positions in the hospitality industry.
