GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Grand Rapids Public Schools (GRPS) hosted a grand reopening ceremony Tuesday night for the Ottawa Hills Academy of Hospitality and Tourism.
“It's beyond the hotels and the restaurants, which are still important jobs. But this, you can be in HR; you can be in IT; you can be in marketing; you can be in sales; you can be in services,” says Jordoun Eatman with the Board of Trustees. “This all intersects into the world of hospitality and tourism."
GRPS and Experience Grand Rapids say the tourism industry is booming amid plans to add more restaurants, hotels, an amphitheater and a soccer stadium.
We’re told it’s crucial for local talent to play a role in facilitating tourism’s growth in the city. That’s where the Academy of Hospitality and Tourism comes in.
"It's a mix of actual classroom application, but also real-world, hands-on experience,” Eatman adds. “So we're intentional about having partners and industry experts join arm in arm and walk alongside our scholars and our students to inform them about the world and the possibilities that exist in this industry."
The Academy of Hospitality and Tourism was first established in 2019 but was stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The grand reopening highlighted the program’s reinvention, which includes plans to expand the program to four more high schools in 2025.
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