Yvette Rock’s empathetic approach has had that effect on scores of people in the community through her many initiatives connected to art. “I started thinking about what it would mean for Yvette Rock to be a ‘live coal,'” she said. “What would it mean for me to be someone in the city of Detroit who helps set these things in motion, this artistic venture in motion, you know, like being a spark in the city, causing others to be excited about art?”

Brilliant Detroit runs a host of programs out of houses-turned-community hubs in 14 neighborhoods across the city. On a mission to create “kid success” neighborhoods, the nonprofit offers tutoring, GED preparation and testing, health and fitness classes, nutrition information, reading activities, and social-emotional and mental health services for children and their families. It was co-founded by two U-M alums in 2016 and has partnered with the university from the beginning.

An interdisciplinary team of 20 master’s students from SEAS, as well as the Ross School of Business, Taubman College of Architecture and Urban Planning and the School of Social Work, worked throughout the semester alongside Paige and others at Bailey Park to advance sustainability knowledge through various community engaged projects.

Dana Thompson, clinical professor of law and director of the Community Enterprise Clinic, said the food security network’s values, importance to Detroit, and wide range of legal needs has resulted in a long and mutually beneficial relationship.

Malika Pryor grew up taking part in Detroit-based arts advocacy programs led by women family members and Black community leaders. She’s highlighting these women in a new exhibition, which runs through December at the Charles H. Wright Museum in Detroit.

Students are encouraged to think about problems in a culturally responsive manner while working on gaining a stronger understanding of personal biases, power and privilege. 

Cadillac Urban Gardens doesn’t just grow produce. It grow leaders and environmental stewards, says U-M alumna Sarah Clark, who founded the garden. Clark started working with Dolores Perales in 2013 when she was a sophomore at Detroit Cristo Rey High School. Perales went on to earn dual master’s degrees from U-M.

“The pandemic shined a light on the fact that digital access is both a real requirement for modern living, and a cause of inequity for those who don’t have it. With so many aspects of our lives taking place remotely, that digital divide seemed to get bigger.”

~ DeAndré Calvert

“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