Detroit Lions Academy: over-age middle schoolers, back on track for high school
DETROIT. The Detroit Lions Academy has taken over-age middle school students since 2001 and put them back on track for high school. A 2023 merger with Westside School of Technology and Legacy Academy added a credit recovery program so high schoolers can graduate on time. More than 400 students attend, in small classes.
The Detroit Lions Foundation pays for career field trips, a year-round food and clothing pantry and a new on-site fitness center. Players, their wives and team staff come by weekly to mentor and to teach practical things, like writing a resume and sitting for an interview.
Graduation rates rose 30.4 percent in 2025 to 2026. The graduates walk across the stage at Ford Field.
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