Southgate Community School’s newest educational initiative, Davidson Middle Academy, will launch this fall, offering an International Baccalaureate (IB) Middle Years Program (MYP) that fosters inquiry-based learning, applied experiences and community engagement.

As an extension of the existing middle school campus and located in the former Asher building, Davidson Middle Academy will build on the success of North Pointe Elementary’s IB Primary Years Program (PYP), ensuring a seamless transition for students there into the MYP and is open to those who would like to start their journey with the program in middle school.

North Pointe Elementary has grown from 55 to over 250 students, demonstrating the increasing demand for IB education.

“We are excited to build on the foundation laid at North Pointe,” said principal Jessica Garcia. “The IB Program helps students develop critical thinking, problem solving and community connections, and by integrating it into middle school, we’re preparing students for success in high school and beyond. Davidson Middle Academy will continue to meet this demand while maintaining strong ties with athletics, family and community involvement, and activities at Davidson Middle School.”


Why IB? College and Career Preparation

Davidson Middle Academy will prepare students for the IB Diploma Program (DP) in high school, which offers significant scholarship and college credit opportunities.

IB students experience notably higher acceptance rates at U.S. universities. For instance, at the University of Michigan Ann Arbor, IB students have a 70.8 percent acceptance rate compared to the general 28.6 percent rate (The Crimson Education Report, crimsoneducation.org).

Davidson Middle Academy will offer a distinctive educational experience designed to meet IB requirements while expanding learning beyond traditional classrooms. Students will engage in Spanish immersion, STEAM design and community service, ensuring they are well-prepared for future academic and career opportunities.


Innovative Learning Experiences

At Davidson Middle Academy, core subjects – including language arts, social studies, mathematics, and science – are integrated with hands-on learning. Rather than treating applied experiences as extracurricular, they will be embedded into instruction and help students develop the IB required approaches to learning foundations of communication, collaboration, research, self-management and critical thinking. The activities students will participate in range from Science Olympiad, History Day, Math Olympiad, to Speech and Debate.


Spanish Immersion and STEAM-Focused Design

Davidson Middle Academy is committed to language acquisition, offering Spanish immersion classes to all students, regardless of prior experience, allowing them to develop fluency through real-world communication. The benefits for deep language learning help develop memory and problem-solving skills in all academic subjects.

Additionally, all students will participate in a STEAM-based design course, exploring the IB design cycle in a dedicated makerspace. These hands-on projects develop problem-solving, collaboration and innovation skills – required by the IB and critical for future careers.


Community Service as a Core Component

A key pillar of IB education is service learning, which connects academic learning with real-world challenges. Davidson Middle Academy’s students will identify community needs, develop solutions and take action alongside their families.

“The students come up with problems they want to solve and come up with a plan for us to contribute to the community with their families too,” Garcia explained.

The first initiative will launch this spring with a campus beautification project at Davidson Middle Academy, bringing together students and families.


Enrollment Information

Davidson Middle Academy is now accepting applications for sixth- and seventh-grade students residing in the Southgate Community School District and the surrounding Downriver area through the school-of-choice option.

To learn more or begin the application process for the 2025-2026 school year, please contact Davidson Middle Academy principal, Jessica Garcia, at (734) 339-6624 or garciaj@sgate.k12.mi.us.