It’s hard to believe that we are almost done with Challenge #4. Okay, sometimes it’s easy to believe that we’re in our 7th month of the program, but the fact that we (the fellows) have already done 4 major projects, served hundreds of volunteer hours around Detroit, and attended numerous events around the city is pretty amazing.

Each challenge has an overall structure, which you can read about in my former blog post that explains what happens each week and why we do these challenges. But each challenge is also incredibly different – from the content developed to the roles played by each individual on a team and I’d like to explain these different roles.

Team member:
Each team is made up of 4 to 6 people, often with different strengths and preferences. Before starting a challenge, each fellow designates which teams they would like to be on, and more often than not are placed in one of their top choices. The team members work together extensively throughout the five weeks, all day on Fridays, but also nights and weekends to develop their content for the nonprofit. Some team members are an expert in the content area; say video making or long term planning while others may be new to the area but eager to learn.

Sustainability Team for the Downtown Boxing Gym Challenge

Team lead:
The team lead guides the team, plans the weekly schedule, and frequently is responsible for coordinating interviews on Fridays and throughout the week. The team lead often takes the lead on making sure the deliverables are done and ready for the nonprofit when the challenge ends. I was the team leader for the Forgotten Harvest challenge and enjoyed the opportunity to support my team.

Presenter:
On the last Friday of a challenge, these individuals deliver the presentation to the fellows, project partners, and guests. I was a presenter for the MACC Development and Forgotten Harvest challenges and really got to practice my public speaking skills!

with Dr. Sherry Zylka and Dr. Gunder Myran of WCCCD

Project coordination lead:
There are four PCLs per project, and they take on a role similar to a project manager. They communicate with the teams to make sure everything is going well, help answer or direct questions, lead design thinking sessions, and design the presentation. I am currently a co-PCL on the Belle Isle Conservancy Project and have loved the creative behind-the-scenes role.

Each role within Challenge Detroit has unique challenges (it wouldn’t be Challenge Detroit without them!) and offers fellows an opportunity to use their skills, and develop new ones!