The Apple Foundation Program at CCS will welcome its first cohort in October 2025, offering a free introductory app development course with access to laptops and additional devices.

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is excited to launch the Apple Foundation Program, a free app development program coming to the College’s A. Alfred Taubman Center for Design Education in collaboration with Apple. This technology lab and educational program will be available in October 2025 at no cost to students and community members. Additional details are available here.

This cutting-edge program offers a series of one-month courses, with daytime and evening classes to accommodate diverse schedules. Participants will be introduced to the fundamentals of Swift, Apple’s programming language, and the principles of app design and development, helping them to expand their technology skills and foster creativity. Apple devices will be provided to participants for the duration of the program, at no additional cost.

Registration is first-come, first-served. The first cohort will welcome 15-30 participants with a minimum of eight sessions over the year. Participants must be 18 years or older, and registration is open to metro Detroit residents, no prior coding or technology experience is required to participate.

“At CCS, we’re excited to welcome the Apple Foundation Program to our campus and provide cutting-edge learning opportunities for our students and for metro-Detroiters looking to continue their education,” said Don Tuski, President of CCS. “We are always looking for new ways to activate our local community and provide them with valuable resources. Detroit is the perfect place to pilot this excellent program.”

ABOUT THE COLLEGE FOR CREATIVE STUDIES The College for Creative Studies (CCS) is a nonprofit, private college accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and authorized by the Michigan Education Department to grant Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees. CCS, located in midtown Detroit, strives to provide students with the tools needed for successful careers in the dynamic and growing creative industries. CCS fosters students’ resolve to pursue excellence, act ethically, engage their responsibilities as citizens, and learn throughout their lives. With world-class faculty and unsurpassed facilities, students learn to be visual communicators who actively use art and design toward the betterment of society. The College is a major supplier of talent to numerous industries, such as transportation, film and animation, advertising and communications, consumer electronics, athletic apparel, and many more. Its graduates are exhibiting artists and teachers, design problem solvers and innovators, as well as creative leaders in business.

From home videos to backstage at HBO, Disney, Netflix and more, CCS Alumnus Evan Butka has used his love of being behind a camera to build a successful career.

“Whatever I’m filming, I always want it to be the best thing possible.”

We caught up with Evan on the set of SLAY, a film directed by Kyra Gardner and written by Jimmi Simpson, where he worked his magic as Director of Photography.

Evan got his start at CCS, studying film and photography, and later sharpened his craft in London, Edinburgh, and Prague. Now based in Los Angeles, he’s worked on major productions like Euphoria—bringing emotion and atmosphere to life, one frame at a time.

What does it look like to work over 100 hours to handcraft a single pair of eyeglasses and only use local materials? First and second-year Graduate Color & Materials Design (CMD) students at CCS got to experience this firsthand this past semester when they worked collaboratively with GODNII, a sustainable Detroit-based eyewear brand.

GODNII asked CMD students to work in small groups to explore hyperlocal sustainable alternatives in color and material design, texture, and branding for an upcoming eyewear collection. In their research, students were asked not only to delve deep into the resources and materials available locally but also to consider the waste streams and innovative ways to improve material choices without compromising design quality.

“This project was pure inspiration,” said Ali Evans, Founder and Creative Director of GODNII. “Collaborating with CCS has been a longtime hope of ours, and it lived up to everything we imagined. The students brought forward deep research, bold ideas, and a clear vision for the future of sustainable fashion. Their work affirmed what we already believed—creativity with purpose can shift the industry. At GODNII, we’re excited to carry these insights forward as we continue designing not just for style, but for impact.”

This project was brought to life through CCS’s new Practicing Design Center (PDC), an initiative that pairs small businesses and nonprofit organizations with CCS students and faculty to address real-world challenges through art and design.

Shannon McPartlon, Executive Director of the Office of Partnerships explains, “The CCS Practicing Design Center is not just an extension of the classroom; it’s a bridge connecting student creativity with real-world needs, fostering a generation of career-ready designers while simultaneously infusing fresh, creative solutions and economic vitality into local non-profits, small businesses and the broader Detroit economy.”

You can learn more about the College’s Practicing Design Center here: https://hire.ccsdetroit.edu/practicing-design-center/

You can learn more about GODNII here: https://godnii.com/

The College for Creative Studies (CCS) has been named to the Phi Theta Kappa Honors Society (PTK) transfer honor roll for the sixth consecutive year. PTK has named 251 colleges and universities to its 2025 Transfer Honor Roll in recognition of the dynamic pathways they have created to support transfer students.

The Transfer Honor Roll is determined by 40 key metrics related to the support and success of transfer students, including college cost and financial aid, campus life for transfer, admission practices, and bachelor’s degree completion. The Transfer Honor Roll was based on analysis from the National Student Clearinghouse, and on data submitted through the four-year institution’s profile on PTK Connect, Phi Theta Kappa’s online tool designed to help students find their best-fit colleges and career pathways.

Colleges completing the PTK Connect profile are given a Transfer Friendliness Rating. The Honor Roll is chosen from among the top 25 percent highest-rated colleges.

The Transfer Honor Roll recognizes the importance of creating strong transfer pathways that lead to excellence and success among community college transfer students, and this year’s winners had exceptional outcomes, and several of these included:

  • Average percent of transfer in undergraduate population – 56%
  • Average bachelor’s degree completion rate among transfers – 75%
  • Average credit transferred toward a degree major and/or plan – 81%
  • Average percent of transfer students receiving merit-based financial aid – 74%

“I’m proud of the transfer outcomes we’re seeing at these Honor Roll colleges,” said Dr. Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO of Phi Theta Kappa. “These colleges are doing more than just opening doors—they’re walking students through them. Their commitment to creating clear, supportive pathways demonstrates what’s possible when student success is truly the priority.”

Learn more about the Transfer Honor Roll