Community Engagement

  1. Poverty Solutions collaborates on Detroit Land Contract Buyer Guide

    The city of Detroit, Enterprise Community Partners, and University of Michigan’s Poverty Solutions co-authored and published the buyer guide. The guide includes information, do-it-yourself checklists, and guidance on risks for before signing, at signing, after signing, and after paying the land contract in full. The guide and additional resources, including materials in Spanish, are available.

  2. Q&A: Damien Crutcher builds character through music for Detroit students at Crescendo Detroit

    “I did a lot of guest consulting at a lot of suburban schools. And I noticed that when I crossed Eight Mile, I didn’t see kids with instrument cases walking down the street. At that time, most of the schools in Detroit did not have music programs. So I decided to start Crescendo to make sure students had the opportunity to be in music.”

    ~ Damien Crutcher

  3. Gaston says Song Foundation plans Detroit investments

    “People talked about the Michigan Difference. Part of that is U-M’s worldwide network of alums. I didn’t understand that until after I graduated.”

    ~ Khalilah Burt Gaston

  4. Ron Eglash’s fractal patterns expertise makes an impact on Detroit students

    Today, Eglash applies his knowledge in a number of areas — including working with under-represented students in Detroit. His work has earned the Joan Durrance Community Engagement Award from U-M as well as a new research grant from the National Science Foundation. 

  5. Mike Duggan talks about why he stayed in Detroit after graduation from U-M

    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. 

  6. Engaged Detroit Workshops grant program launched for U-M faculty and staff

    Engage Detroit Workshops will award grants up to $15,000. Events should bring together faculty, students, staff, and Detroit communities in discussing a topic of common interest. Proposed activities could be a workshop, speaker series, seminar, training series, or similar event structure. Apply by March 20.

  7. Ancestor garden: Community plants butterfly garden honoring Detroiters lost to COVID-19

    “Having a loved one lost to COVID-19 pneumonia, we’re definitely happy that Douglas Jones and Mr. Whitaker are here sharing and participating and sprinkling their love and vision in the Virginia Park community.”

    ~ Venita Thompkins, active resident in Virginia Park

  8. U-M launches SEAS Sustainability Clinic in Detroit to combat effects of climate change, residential flooding

    While the clinic’s main emphasis will be on serving the community, the work also extends the mission of SEAS aimed at promoting multidisciplinary sustainability with a collaborative approach. 

  9. Sirota: designing cultural infrastructure for a broad public

    Much of Akoaki’s other current work is centered on Detroit’s historic North End, a once-thriving entertainment district that today retains few physical markers of that legacy.