The Michigan Career and Technical Institute (MCTI) was founded in 1944 by the W. K. Kellogg Foundation which leased the facilities to the State of Michigan to help rehabilitate returning World War II veterans and other Michigan citizens.
The main campus property and facilities were deeded to the State of Michigan in 1947, and the institution was formally named the Michigan Veteran's Vocational School by the Michigan Board of Education in 1952. The name changed to Michigan Rehabilitation Institute in 1959, and a 350-bed dormitory was constructed in 1964.
The name was changed again in 1968 to State Technical Institute and Rehabilitation Center (STIRC) and, in 1971, the first female student was enrolled.
A health and recreation complex was added in 1974 — this featured a library, gymnasium, Olympic-sized indoor swimming pool, weight room, archery range, and even a bowling alley.
In 1995, the school was renamed Michigan Career and Technical Institute, as it is known today. The Pine Lake Family Center was built in 1999 providing housing and daycare for those with families attending MCTI.
Today, MCTI is the second largest comprehensive rehabilitation training center in the United States, offering a unique blend of caring human support services and state-of-the-art training for Michiganders with disabilities. The school is administered by Michigan Rehabilitation Services within the Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity’s Office of Employment and Training.
