In continuation of May’s blog, this month I will conclude by sharing what I’ve learned on the last three group challenges with Challenge Detroit.

Challenge 4: Community Innovation

During the month of March, fellows were divided into various groups, each working with a non-profit of their choice. This challenge gave me an opportunity to learn a little about each of the participating organizations and what they were doing to make a difference in Detroit. I learned how people with very different passions, from urban farming to education, recycling to community outreach and support, all the way to creating summer employment opportunities for youth, had found their niche in the city, and were using their unique skill sets to make Detroit a better place. As a member of Team 826MI, I was tasked with researching what marketing initiatives and practices had been previously used by the national tutoring program that could be implemented in the city of Detroit, and also to suggest what new ideas could prove successful in the D.

Challenge 5: Activating Public Spaces

In April, Challenge Detroit worked with the Detroit Riverfront C0nservancy (DRFC) in an effort to better promote their organization and also to come up with innovative ways to use the space on the RiverWalk and the Dequindre Cut. My work with DRFC moved me to speak to my friends and family outside of the riverfront neighborhoods to find out how much familiarity they had with the programming provided by the Conservancy, and I learned that most of them had little or no knowledge of what was going on at the riverfront outside of Riverdays. This knowledge helped me to recognize how isolated different neighborhoods can be from one another throughout the city, and led me to ponder ways to bridge those gaps.

Challenge #6: Blight & Neighborhood Quality of Life

In working with Detroit Future City to come up with innovative solutions to blight, I learned the importance of getting feedback from Detroit residents and considering cost, usefulness and feasibility of any proposed actions before preparing recommendations for community implementation.

I’m so excited to begin my July Independent Impact project! Stay tuned for details on which Detroit non-profit I’m working with and how I’ll be making a difference in the city of Detroit in July!