history

Confronted with a rapidly rising caseload, in 1971, Judge Francis L. O’Brien, Chief Probate Judge of Washtenaw County, spearheaded citizen support in a project to remodel the county’s former juvenile detention home into a residential facility for “high risk” delinquent females.

The citizens responded and raised over $40,000 in donations which served as a match for a federal grant. originally known as the Vocational Residential Center, the C.O.P.E. - O’Brien Center evolved into a comprehensive program for youth with two major divisions.

Remedial education, skill training, and school drop-out programs were developed and operated through the non-profit corporation, Center for Occupational and Personalized Education (C.O.P.E.). It’s companion was the Francis L. O’Brien Center for Youth Development, which provided intensive day treatment, supervision and counseling for at-risk youth.

Evolving community needs have resulted in changes over the years. As the Ann Arbor C.O.P.E. program continued to provide partial day academic classes for young people, C.O.P.E. developed a second site in Ypsilanti to provide vocational training to older youth.

Over the years the Ypsilanti/Willow Run C.O.P.E. Program changed to meet the needs of the community, eventually becoming a full day alternative education program for youth age 13 to 17.

In 1996, at the request of the Superintendents of Washtenaw County school districts, C.O.P.E. initiated a full day, self-contained classroom for 10 to 13 year old students expelled from public schools under the “weapons in school” legislation passed by the State of Michigan.

1998 and 1999 saw tremendous changes in the administrative structure of C.O.P.E.. In an effort to enhance the services offered by the O’Brien Day Treatment Program, a decision was made by County Administration to formally separate the administration of the O’Brien Center (a county department) and C.O.P.E. (a non-profit agency). With the retirement of Evy Mavrellis, C.O.P.E. - O’Brien’s Executive Director for 20 years, at the end of 1999, C.O.P.E. became fully independent of the County.

Over the years, the percentage of Special Education certified students COPE serves had increased. In 2005, with strong support from the WISD, COPE was able to expand our Special Education resources by hiring an experienced Special Education endorsed teacher, and having another staff member return to school to become endorsed.

Also in 2005, COPE partnered with the Ypsilanti Public Schools to find space in the Fletcher School building. The move allowed COPE to save on costs and utilize shared space for the programs, such as a gym and outdoor space for all of its programs.

Today C.O.P.E. serves 120 youth per year in three distinct programs, C.O.P.E., C.O.P.E. Intensive, and the Middle School Alternative Program. Accepting students referred by all 10 local school districts as well as the juvenile court, C.O.P.E. continues the services originally initiated by Judge O’Brien and remains an important part of the continuum of educational services to the young people in Washtenaw County.


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	Confronted with a rapidly rising caseload, in 1971, Judge Francis L. O’Brien, Chief Probate Judge of Washtenaw County, spearheaded citizen support in a project to remodel the county’s former juvenile detention home into a residential facility for “high risk” delinquent females. The citizens responded and raised over $40,000 in donations which served as a match for a federal grant. originally known as the Vocational Residential Center, the C.O.P.E. - O’Brien Center evolved into a comprehensive program for youth with two major divisions. Remedial education, skill training, and school drop-out programs were developed and operated through the non-profit corporation, Center for Occupational and Personalized Education (C.O.P.E.). It’s companion was the Francis L. O’Brien Center for Youth Development, which provided intensive day treatment, supervision and counseling for at-risk youth. Evolving community needs have resulted in changes over the years. As the Ann Arbor C.O.P.E. program continued to provide partial day academic classes for young people, C.O.P.E. developed a second site in Ypsilanti to provide vocational training to older youth. Over the years the Ypsilanti/Willow Run C.O.P.E. Program changed to meet the needs of the community, eventually becoming a full day alternative education program for youth age 13 to 17. In 1996, at the request of the Superintendents of Washtenaw County school districts, C.O.P.E. initiated a full day, self-contained classroom for 10 to 13 year old students expelled from public schools under the “weapons in school” legislation passed by the State of Michigan. 1998 and 1999 saw tremendous changes in the administrative structure of C.O.P.E.. In an effort to enhance the services offered by the O’Brien Day Treatment Program, a decision was made by County Administration to formally separate the administration of the O’Brien Center (a county department) and C.O.P.E. (a non-profit agency). With the retirement of Evy Mavrellis, C.O.P.E. - O’Brien’s Executive Director for 20 years, at the end of 1999, C.O.P.E. became fully independent of the County. Over the years, the percentage of Special Education certified students COPE serves had increased. In 2005, with strong support from the WISD, COPE was able to expand our Special Education resources by hiring an experienced Special Education endorsed teacher, and having another staff member return to school to become endorsed. Also in 2005, COPE partnered with the Ypsilanti Public Schools to find space in the Fletcher School building. The move allowed COPE to save on costs and utilize shared space for the programs, such as a gym and outdoor space for all of its programs. Today C.O.P.E. serves 120 youth per year in three distinct programs, C.O.P.E., C.O.P.E. Intensive, and the Middle School Alternative Program. Accepting students referred by all 10 local school districts as well as the juvenile court, C.O.P.E. continues the services originally initiated by Judge O’Brien and remains an important part of the continuum of educational services to the young people in Washtenaw County.
			Judge Francis L. O'Brien