Part of helping people thrive is making sure the neighborhoods where they live are thriving too. For the past 25 years, Urban Neighborhood Initiatives has focused on serving the people and places within a 1.4-square-mile-area of the Springwells neighborhood in Southwest Detroit. 

“We appreciated U-M’s focus on equity and neighborhood development. I envision we’ll continue to work with them on a regular basis. The need is so great, the opportunity is there, and there’s alignment with our work. I can’t think of a better partner.”
~ Hector Hernandez, executive director of Southwest Economic Solutions

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

Inspired by Nuit Blanche arts fes­ti­vals from around the world, DLEC­TRIC­ITY is a spec­tac­u­lar out­door visual light and art cel­e­bra­tion that takes place in Detroit’s cul­tural cen­ter and DTE’s Bea­con Park Fri­day and Sat­ur­day from 7 p.m. to midnight. 

Importantly, the survey results demonstrate that vaccine hesitancy is surmountable. More than 1 in 3 residents (34%) who reported being unlikely to get vaccinated between January and March 2021 have since received at least one dose of the vaccine. 

Poverty Solutions at the University of Michigan is offering stipends of $7,500 to $10,000 to support projects led by Detroit organizations working to promote economic mobility. 

Construction on the Early Childhood Education Center has finished and the new facility will welcome students in fall 2021. The School of Education is involved in curriculum and professional development for the center, as well as coordinating cross-campus holistic support services for children and families.

The focus of this past year’s Student Design Competition was the Midtown Cultural Center, a district in Detroit consisting of multiple cultural institutions. Students were challenged to utilize technology to support the mission of the Midtown Cultural Center.

C3’s focus is on a few of the counties most effected by the pandemic: Wayne, Genesee, Kent, and Washtenaw. Within these communities, they’re examining communication channels among the African-American and Latino populations in addition to messaging to promote healthy choices.