Students are encouraged to be mindful of their identities when entering a space they’re not from, and to always lead with a respect for the work that is already being done. 

“We hope it  is an experience of wonder and joy and delight. Just being out there on the water, enjoying the bounty, the beauty of the river, can have a lastingly powerful effect in itself on people’s sense of connection with their place in the world.”

~ David Porter, U-M English professor

Jamon Jordan founded the Black Scroll Network, which gives walking history tours to people looking to learn more about the history of Detroit.

For people of color, integrating into white culture is often essential, but moving between identities is also absolutely exhausting.

Faculty awardees work includes the Doctors of Tomorrow program, diversity, equity and inclusion recruiting and teaching methods, diversifying library materials, participatory filmmaking and using mindfulness to address social injustice.

The Detroit River Story Lab and the Green Door Initiative received a grant from the Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan to help fund this summer’s river-themed educational programming.

The Community Foundation for Southeast Michigan provided support of the “place-based experiential learning program to encourage awareness of the Detroit River as an environmental and cultural resource.”

Duggan still goes back to Ann Arbor on a regular basis, often to speak to students about his insights on business or politics. Duggan said he’s pleased not only with the relationships between the Ann Arbor campus and Detroit but on how many students care about what happens in the Motor City. 

The Detroit Economic Outlook for 2021-26, released Friday, notes challenges in gathering economic data during the pandemic but says the city “has shown resilience in the face of an unprecedented downturn.”