The Challenge Detroit fellows kicked off the the New Year with the programs’ Blitz Challenge, where we work with 6 different organizations during one 5-week challenge. Our theme for Challenge #3 is education, a topic close to the hearts of many fellows, myself included. Our partners include The Detroit Achievement Academy, Junior Achievement of Southeastern Michigan, The Detroit Food Academy, The Detroit Youth Energy Squad, The Wayne County Community College District , and, my team’s partner, The Future Project.

Because of limitations in time and space, I will only talk specifically about the work my team is doing with The Future Project. I encourage you to check out the other amazing organizations listed above or come out to our final presentation on Friday, February 13th at WCCCD to hear about the amazing work of my colleagues and friends. More details to come via Facebook and the Challenge Detroit page if you are interested.

So here’s the lowdown on The Future Project: they are a nonprofit national movement that places ‘Dream Directors‘ in high schools across the country. These Dream Directors are innovative young entrepreneurs who are embedded full time in schools for the purpose of supporting students’ passions and providing the direction and resources to help students turn their dreams into reality.

Once in the school, Dream Directors build ‘Dream Teams‘ of students, teachers, coaches, etc. Students on the Dream Team are then encouraged to create ‘Future Projects’, which can be clubs, campaigns, or initiatives aligned with the passions of the student. During the empathy stage of my team’s design process, we learned firsthand about a suicide awareness and prevention initiative, a communication series to help students learn public speaking skills, and a young women’s empowerment initiative. Each of these projects, amongst others, is being spearheaded by a DPS student this spring.

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Just one of the amazing Dream Teams!

I cannot even begin to explain how impressed I was, listening to students share these ideas and how they planned to execute their goals in the coming months. I couldn’t help but reflect: where did I focus my energy when I was a in high school? Without detailing all of my 15-year old obsessions (punk bands, excessive eye liner, crimping irons, etc.), I can assure you that my thoughts rarely expanded beyond my own little world. In contrast, these students are nothing short of remarkable.

Currently, my CD team and I are working closely with Da’Jon, a 17 year old senior at a local DPS school. Da’Jon already knows that he is going to Michigan State and wants to pursue a career in Public Relations.

Even though Da’Jon already knows what he wants to do, he recognizes that many of his peers have not thought that far ahead (to be honest, I haven’t really thought that far ahead either). He wants to provide his peers with the opportunity to experience the job they think they want, so they can gain a greater understanding of the day-to-day tasks, as well as the required prerequisite education. Da’Jon’s Future Project is to create meaningful job shadowing opportunities for his fellow high school students. Our job is to leverage our connections and do whatever research we can to build a solid foundation for his vision.

Here, Da'Jon is telling the fellows why he is so passionate about building a shadowing program between Detroit professionals and his fellow DPS high school students.

Da’Jon telling the fellows why he is so passionate about building a shadowing program between Detroit professionals and his fellow DPS  students.

Personally, I find this partnership incredibly rewarding and I plan to stay connected with The Future Project beyond these quick 5 weeks. If you live in the Detroit area and are interested in job shadowing or speaking with students in The Future Project, please fill out the survey below and we will contact you shortly.

https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/99YRFNM​

And now for the appropriate sign off,  1-2-3 Dream Team!!!