Two local school districts were recognized Tuesday evening during Lake Michigan College’s Most Valuable Partner event at the Mendel Center in Benton Township.

Brandywine Community Schools was named the Career Technical Education Partner of the Year. Niles Community Schools received the K-12 Innovation Award.

Brandywine received its award for collaborating to house the manufacturing classes and equipment, formerly located at the LMC’s Bertrand Crossing campus, at Brandywine High School. Brandywine also shares equipment for high school and college level courses, while creating a seamless pathway to LMC for high school students who want to pursue a degree in manufacturing.

“It is nice when all of sudden people recognize the hard work that people put into making that (machine tool program) happen and recognize it is a top-quality program,” said Brandywine Supt. John Jarpe. “It is a good feeling and good to be rewarded that way.”

Niles Community Schools was recognized for pushing the boundaries of how education is delivered by adopting innovative methods, such as a cybercafe, participating in the LMC Early College Academy, New Tech, youth and high school robotics and the Professional Health Care Career Academy.

“We are very excited that we can work with Lake Michigan College to come up with ways of benefitting all of our kids,” said NCS Supt. Richard Weigel. “We are excited that what we are bringing to our community is building new opportunities for our students that wouldn’t be there without the partnership and the innovations.”

LMC also recognized D.C. Cook Nuclear Plant as the Corporate Partner of the Year, United Way of Southwest Michigan as the Community Partner of the Year, Berrien Springs Public Schools as Early College School of Excellence and Rebecca Chambers as Advisory Committee Member of the Year.