Students in the two-week program will get instruction and also wrap-around services, such as college application workshops, and writing workshops, mentored by U-M students, professional engineers, and U-M alumni.
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June 25, 2020
optiMize-Detroit: One year out, First8 talks about impact of grant
Now as a mentor in the optiMize program himself, Shafiul Alam appreciates the effort and personal investment mentors had with students during his fellowship.
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June 24, 2020
optiMize Detroit: Girls Giving Back Detroit focuses on community service
Going forward, the leadership team hopes to introduce an online summer program. They plan to debut their program July 6. Their goal will be to help students retain and strengthen math and reading skills to foster a strong start to the upcoming school year.
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June 23, 2020
optiMize-Detroit: Securing a vote for everyone with My Voice, My Vote, My Future
Keirra Scott believes that becoming politically involved leads to the policy changes that build pathways to dismantle cycles of poverty and promote generational wealth within the city. “That’s what I’m fighting for.”
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June 22, 2020
optiMize-Detroit: Entrepreneur Jonae Maxey wants to make social impact through real estate
Jonae Maxey is working to change the “narrative of what Detroiters see when it comes to a landlord and real estate in general.” She also wants to set an example for other young Detroiters to stand up for the community and bring everyone together.
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June 19, 2020
optiMize-Detroit: U-M students take Neighborhood United to the next step
U-M students have been working on Neighborhood United’s social media presence. The team also has taken the past few months to formalize Neighborhood United’s organization, designing a membership handbook, approaching donors, and collecting feedback to return successfully in the fall.
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June 18, 2020
optiMize-Detroit: Bloom Bodies strengthens the community from within
Going forward, optiMize has encouraged Bloom Bodies to use its $9,000 fellowship funds to act on community needs. The two focuses this summer are the pandemic and hurt within the community over racial injustice.
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June 17, 2020
U-M students tackle social impact projects virtually
Jeni Olney, mentor and associate director for Social Innovation at optiMize, said: “For our Detroit-Track teams, there is a deep-rooted and often relentless commitment they have to themselves and their communities to share knowledge and resources and create impact together.”
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June 2, 2020
Distinctly Detroit podcast: Riana Anderson talks about helping families cope with the stress of racism and her life in Detroit
“We have all these strategies that black families are already engaging in. And then we also know from a clinical psychology perspective all of these tips and tricks and ways to discuss things better. So why not meld the two?”
~ Riana Anderson