The Detroit Partnership (DP), known as The Detroit Project until 2008, is a student-run organization at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

with the mission of connecting the

Ann Arbor Anne, alternatively spelled Ann, is a form of the Latin female given name Anna (name), Anna. This in turn is a representation of the Hebrew Hannah (given name), Hannah, which means 'favour' or 'grace'. Related names include Annie (given name), ...

and

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

communities through active

service-learning Service-learning is an educational approach that combines learning objectives with community service in order to provide a pragmatic, progressive learning experience while meeting societal needs. Service-learning involves students in service proje ...

. Each year, the group holds weekly programs with over 200 students volunteering as tutors and mentors in schools, churches, and non-profits in the Brightmoor, East Side, and Southwest neighborhoods of Detroit. In addition to weekly service-learning programs, the organization also holds two large events. In the fall, The Detroit Partnership partners with community members to bring a large food and clothing drive titled One-Stop Shop to the citizens of Brightmoor and surrounding areas. Also, every March or April, the group routinely brings approximately 1300 student volunteers from the University of Michigan to sites in and around the city of Detroit for a one-day service-learning event known as DP Day.

History

Founding

The Detroit Partnership, known as The Detroit Project until February 2008, began in 1999 as an annual community service event. The day of service was named Detroit Project Day and took place on April 8, 2000. Since then, the group has grown significantly and has successfully transformed from a single annual community service event into one of the largest organizations at the University of Michigan with nearly 1,500 total volunteers participating each year in various service projects with Detroit community organizations. The initial idea for The Detroit Project is credited to Katie Foley, who was at the time a junior at the University of Michigan and the President of

Circle K Circle K Stores, Inc. is a Canadian chain of convenience stores headquartered in Laval, Quebec, Canada. It is owned by the multinational company Couche-Tard. Founded in 1951 in El Paso, Texas, the company filed for bankruptcy protection in 1 ...

, an organization on campus dedicated to service, friendship and leadership. From her experiences in Circle K, Katie saw a lack of opportunity for UM students to participate in community service projects with the nearby Detroit community, and, along with fellow UM student Sara Rowe, met with numerous Detroit community organizations to develop projects and events that would be most beneficial to both the Detroit community and UM students. The organization began its work in the

Brightmoor Brightmoor is a roughly neighborhood in Detroit, Michigan, near the northwest border of the city.

Recent

The Detroit Partnership's 10th annual DP Day took place on March 28, 2009. Over 1000 volunteers from three Universities (

Michigan State University Michigan State University (Michigan State, MSU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in East Lansing, Michigan. It was founded in 1855 as the Agricultural College of the State of Michigan, the fi ...

, and

Wayne State University Wayne State University (WSU) is a public research university in Detroit, Michigan. It is Michigan's third-largest university. Founded in 1868, Wayne State consists of 13 schools and colleges offering approximately 350 programs to nearly 25,000 ...

), over 30 community organizations, and the surrounding neighborhoods joined together to participate in service-learning projects. The keynote speaker at the DP Day 2009 rally was Detroit Mayor

Kenneth Cockrel, Jr. Kenneth Vern Cockrel Jr. (born October 29, 1965) is an Americans, American journalist, nonprofit executive, businessman, and former politician who served as the List of mayors of Detroit, 73rd mayor of Detroit, Detroit, Michigan from September 20 ...

On April 3, 2010, the second-largest DP Day (per registered volunteers) to date occurred. 1248 individuals volunteered for the event, including individuals representing Wayne State University and several Ann Arbor High Schools. The keynote speaker for the DP Day 2010 rally was to be

John Conyers Jr. John James Conyers Jr. (May 16, 1929October 27, 2019) was an American politician of the Democratic Party who served as a U.S. representative from Michigan from 1965 to 2017. The districts he represented always included part of western Detroit ...

, the longtime representative of Michigan's 14th congressional district in the United States House of Representatives. Unfortunately, due to dangerous weather conditions, DP Day 2010's outdoor rally was cancelled and Congressman Conyers was not able to speak. Weekly Programs have continued in full force with roughly 150 to 200 volunteers making it to Detroit each week. A related initiative, a DP-wide Education Team, was fully functioning by 2007. This section of the organization (see others under organization), champions Education efforts on the University's campus. Activities facilitated by the Ed Team often include seminar speakers, discussion chats, and food expos to name a few. The Detroit Partnership is currently approved for government-recognized, non-profit, 501(c)3 status. DP Day 2013 took place on March 23, 2013; DP Day 2014 took place on March 29, 2014. The speakers at the latter year's rally included

Lloyd Carr Lloyd Henry Carr Jr. (born July 30, 1945) is a former American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Michigan from 1995 through the 2007 season. Under Carr, the Michigan Wolverines compiled a record ...

. In May 2013, the organization added an Eastside team to its weekly programs. Its first programs will run in the Fall 2013 term. DP Day 2015 took place on March 28.

Mission statement

On February 24, 2010, The Detroit Partnership's official mission statement was amended to include the ideals of multiculturalism and social justice. This represented an additional shift in the organization's philosophy and kept in line with The DP's recent renaissance attitude, especially with the official adoption of a social justice theme. Changes were made to the mission statement again in 2015. The current mission statement reads as follows: "We, The Detroit Partnership, seek to unite the University of Michigan and Detroit by working alongside community partners in the city. As a student-run, registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, we strive to raise awareness, challenge stereotypes, and promote social justice through our service-learning programs and educational events."

Service learning ideology

As stated in the mission statement, The Detroit Partnership believes strongly in the virtues of service learning. There is no one definition to service learning, however, it is best described as service work combined with an intentional education component. The Detroit Partnership's focus entails: *Establishing and maintaining partnerships with organizations in Detroit, in order to develop structured opportunities for DP members to serve in a variety of capacities. *Reciprocal and meaningful relationships with organizations and individuals in Detroit. *An opportunity at educational and personal growth by giving DP members' proper context for their service. Our education includes various subjects including Detroit history, sociological concepts, current events, urban issues, and effective methods of change. *Providing an environment that encourages members to reflect on their service in order to further assess their experience. Reflection facilitates self-discovery, encourages thoughtful questions, and challenges patterns of thinking and stereotypes. According to The Detroit Partnership's interpretation of these ideologies, the combination of the above goals will result in effective service learning that best serves their partner organizations and university members alike. From a volunteer participant's perspective, the organization maintains that the growth and benefit of DP members should ideally be a byproduct of their service - not the motivation behind their efforts - in order to truly achieve the benefits of service learning.

Leadership

Organization

The Detroit Partnership currently comprises eight teams. Each team has a director in charge of that area's organization and duties. The DP as a whole is led by an executive director who is charged with being the face of the organization both on campus and in the community. Teams are normally composed of between 6-8 members in addition to their director. Collectively, the seven teams create the larger Planning Team of around 50 members. The Planning Team meets once-a-week and works towards the large-scale goals of the organization. All individuals that give their time in The DP programs at some point throughout the year are considered volunteers.

List of Executive Directors

*1999–2001: Katie Foley *2001–2002: Sandeep Jani *2002–2003: Catie Baetens *2003–2004: Jonathan Gleicher *2004–2005: Evan Major *2005–2006: Jignesha Patel *2006–2007: Cristina Johnson *2007–2008: Tom Szczesny *2008–2009: Ashley Fotieo *2009–2010: Neil Thanedar *2010–2011: Andrew Bahena *2011–2012: Cassie Basler *2012–2013: Kristin Beharry *2013–2014: Samantha Edwards *2014–2015: Talia Gerstle *2015–2016: Alyssa Setting *2016–2017: Jamie Bahoura *2017–2018: Amol Carvalho *2018–2019: Kevin Sweitzer *2019–2020: Lynn Chen

Community partners

Currently, the DP partners with the following schools and organizations: *The Brightmoor Alliance *West Outer Drive United Methodist Church *Cesar Chavez Middle School *Gompers Elementary School *Burt Elementary School *Webster Elementary School *Neinas Elementary School *Murphy Middle School *Vetal Elementary School *Harding Elementary School *Brightmoor Community Center *Grandmont/Rosedale Development Corporation * Greening of Detroit * Michigan Urban Farming Initiative *Motor City Blight Busters *Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Development, Inc. *Trinity Development Center *Wellspring Center *Latin American for Social and Economic Development (LA SED) *Alternatives for Girls *Shurly Family Learning Center *St. Christine Christian Services *St. Vincent Sarah Fisher Center *Village of Shiny Stars *Public Art Workz *All Saints Neighborhood Center *Woodbridge Community Center *Resource Community Development Corporation

Notable DP Day speakers

Kwame Kilpatrick Kwame Malik Kilpatrick (born June 8, 1970) is an American former politician who served as the 72nd mayor of Detroit from 2002 to 2008. A member of the Democratic Party, he previously represented the 9th district in the Michigan House of Represen ...

, then mayor of Detroit *

, former Michigan football coach *

Mark Schlissel Mark Steven Schlissel (born November 24, 1957) is an American medical scientist and academic administrator who served as the 14th president of the University of Michigan from 2014 to 2022. Schlissel's initial contract with the University of M ...

, president of the University of Michigan

Awards and honors (2000–10)

Community Service Award - Center for Campus Involvement *Awarded in 2014 Ally Award - Center for Campus Involvement" *Awarded in 2013 Ginsberg Center (at The University of Michigan) Outstanding Community Impact Award *Awarded in 2010 University of Michigan Outstanding Student Organization Award *Awarded in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2009 University of Michigan Program of the Year: Detroit Project Day *Awarded in 2001, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2011 Michigan State Legislature - Special Tribute *Awarded to the Detroit Project on April 25, 2007 by Michigan Governor

Jennifer Granholm Jennifer Mulhern Granholm (born February 5, 1959) is a Canadian-American lawyer, educator, author, political commentator, and politician serving as the 16th United States secretary of energy since 2021. A member of the Democratic Party, she pre ...

and State Representative

Gabe Leland Gabriel Leland (born September 28, 1982) is a convicted criminal and former Democratic politician from the state of Michigan. In 2004, Leland was elected to the Michigan State House of Representatives, representing the 10th District, which is ...

LeaderShape Palmer Award and Scholarship, 2000 *Awarded to Katie Foley for founding DP

Circle K International Circle K International (CKI) is an international collegiate service organization that is a service leadership program of Kiwanis International. It promotes service, leadership, and fellowship. It has over 13,000 members. Organization Circle ...

First Place Single Service Award *Awarded to Detroit Project Day

References

External links

Official websiteFacebook page''Michigan Daily'' coverage
{{DEFAULTSORT:Detroit Partnership Service organizations based in the United States University of Michigan Organizations established in 1999 Organizations based in Ann Arbor, Michigan 1999 establishments in Michigan Culture of Detroit