Our Detroit Partnership community is growing, and we can’t wait to see it bring forth collaborative campus events, new mentorship initiatives in Southwest High Schools, and more fun excursions to the city next semester! If you would like to help build community between Ann Arbor and Detroit by organizing events on campus or facilitating programs in Detroit, apply to the planning team!
The Detroit Partnership Planning Team is divided into seven sub-teams -- Brightmoor Team, Southwest Team, School Programs Team, Education Team, External Team, Major Events Team, and Finance Team -- each led by a director. Descriptions of the positions on each specific team are included in the application. For more information about the Planning Team structure and the history of The Detroit Partnership, view our constitution.
By applying, you are committing to being a high-level leader in one of the largest and most progressive organizations on campus. The Detroit Partnership has done endless hours of important work with the Detroit community, and Planning Team members bear the brunt of these great actions.
Applications can be downloaded here, and should be submitted electronically to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than Monday, April 9th at 5:00pm.
Not a University of Michigan student? We will be volunteering at over 30 sites this Saturday, March 31. Please join us beginning at 10:30am for a day of painting, tree planting, cleanup, and demolition.
- Artists Village
17340 Lahser Rd, Detroit MI 48219 - Bennett Elementary
2111 Mullane Detroit, MI 48209 - Clark Park
1130 Clark St., Detroit, MI 48209 - Clippert Academy
1981 McKinstry Detroit, MI 48209 - Detroit Eastside Community Collaborative
Maheras Gentry Memorial Playfield (foot of Conner, south of Jefferson on the Detroit River) - Eliza Howell Park
Off of Fenkell, east of Telegraph, right next to middle school - Focus Hope
1355 Oakman Blvd - Grandmont Rosedale Community Garden
15025 Archdale, Detroit MI 48223 - Grandmont Rosedale Development Corp
19800 Grand River Detroit, MI 48223 - Grandmont Rosedale Little League
Stoepel Park #1 - Greening of Detroit
22261 Fenkell Detroit Mi 48223 - Greening of Detroit at Eliza Howell
22450 Schoolcraft Rd - Historic Fort Wayne Coalition
6325 Jefferson Ave, Detroit MI 48209 - Jumpstart (at Bennett)
2111 Mullane Detroit, MI 48209 - Leland Missionary Baptist Church
22420 Fenkell Ave Detroit, MI 48223 - Mann Elementary School
19625 Elmira St, Detroit, MI 48228 - Maybury Elementary School
4410 Porter Street, Detroit, Michigan 48209 - Motor City Blight Busters/Brightmoor Alliance
Fenkell and Burt Rd, Outer Drive and Lyndon - Michigan Technical Academy
19900 Evergreen Road - MUFI
7432 Brush St, Detroit Mi 48202 - Murphy Elementary
23901 Fenkell St - Neighbors Building Brightmoor
St Christine Soup Kitchen
22261 Fenkell Street Detroit MI 48223 - Neinas Elementary School
6021 McMillan, Detroit, MI 48209 - Northwest Detroit Neighborhood Development
15078 and 15084 Burt - Northwest Rosedale Dev. Corp. Detroit Farmers’ Market
15000 Southfield Service Drive, Detroit, MI 48223 (Grand River and Southfield Freeway) - NRPCA (North Rosedale Park Civic Association)
18445 Scarsdale St Detroit, MI 48223 - Pure Wood Missionary Baptist Church
20011 Grand River, Detroit, MI 48219 - Riverdale Park Association
16561 Beaverland, Detroit, MI - Roosevelt Park Revival
2231 Michigan Avenue, Detroit, MI 48216 - RPIA (Flintstone Park)
Rosemont Acacia Park at corner of Rosemont and Acacia Street - The Caid
5147 Rosa Parks Blvd - Urban Neighborhood Initiatives
8300 Longworth, Detroit, MI 48220 - West Outer Drive United Methodist Church
12065 W. Outer Drive, Detroit, MI 48223 - Woodbridge Youth Community Center
1200 W. Canfield St. Detroit MI 48201
Want more information about DP Day?
Q: When is DP Day?
A: Saturday, March 31st
Q: What time is DP Day?
A: 9 am to 5 pm
Q: What sort of projects occur at DP Day?
A: The types of projects available at DP Day include demolition, art projects, urban gardening, school clean-up, park clean-up, youth mentoring, non-profit work, landscaping, and renovation. You will be able to list your preferences when completing your volunteer application.
Q: When can I register?
A: Volunteer registration starts Feb. 21st
Q: What happens in case of inclement whether?
A: DP Day will be held rain or shine. Be sure to dress appropriately for outdoor work.
Q: What should I bring?
A: Bring a bottle of water and enthusiasm! Lunch and all supplies will be provided.
Q: What should I wear?
A: Wear comfortable clothes that are appropriate for manual labor and the day’s weather.
Q: Does it cost money?
A: DP Day is free for individual volunteers. There is a nominal fee, however, for student groups.
Q: When does site leader signup start?
A: Site leader sign up is Feb 1st to the 24th.
Q: Who are my volunteers?
A: The volunteers have not been finalized yet. You will hear when they finalized.
Q: Are site leaders necessary?
A: Yes, site leaders are absolutely necessary (see below).
Q: To volunteer as a group, do we need site leaders?
A: Yes, for every student group, there should be 1 site leader for every 10-15 volunteers.
Q: What responsibilities do site leaders have?
A: Site leaders have responsibilities including:
- Recruit Volunteers from Student Organization and/or Friends
- Disseminate Information to Volunteers
- Lead Discussion and Reflection during DP Day
- Lead and Supervise Volunteers during DP Day
- Keep Attendance in Detroit
- Ensure that Volunteers Represent the University Well
- Report Problems or Injuries to the DP
- Educate Volunteers about Site
Q: Does DP Day cost money for student groups?
A: Yes, $35 for student groups
Q: Do I have to attend an orientation?
A: Yes. You have to attend one of the two orientations. The times are listed in the application.
Calling All Wolverines: Learn More About the DP at Our Winter 2012 Mass Meetings
It’s that time again! With the new year and new semester, we all have a chance to learn more about ourselves and the world we live in. For the Detroit Partnership, this new semester means a fresh start to serve the Detroit community through our expanding number of weekly volunteer programs, Detroit-based tutoring programs, and annual DP Day event where over 1000 U-M students will travel to Detroit and participate in community service activities later this spring. We have a lot of goals to reach this semester, and we need your help!
If you’re a student at U-M interested in learning more about the Detroit Partnership and how you can participate in service-learning opportunities in Detroit, come out to one of our mass meetings this month:
First DP Mass Meeting
Wednesday, January 11th; 7 pm
Michigan Union, Pond Room
Second DP Mass Meeting
Tuesday, January 17th; 6:30pm
Michigan Union, Kuenzel Room
Click on the links above to sign up on our Facebook Event pages. Can’t wait to see you there!
Riet Schumack will speak about volunteerism and organizing as a means of uplifting neighborhoods in Detroit next Tuesday, December 6 from 5-7pm, in Room 1134 of the Ford School of Public Policy. Schumack is a prominent organizer in the Brightmoor community.
Schumack founded and currently works with two organizations - Neighbors Building Brightmoor (NBB) and Brightmoor Youth Gardens (BYG) - both of which aim to empower community members to lead healthy and sustainable lives through community asset building. Specifically members of NBB and BYG invest their energies in planting gardens, growing food and beautifying public spaces.
For more information visit Brightmoor Youth Garden and Neighbors Building Brightmoor on Facebook.
Our Detroit Partnership community is growing, and we can’t wait to see it bring fourth collaborative campus events, new mentorship initiatives in Southwest High Schools, and more fun excursions to the city next semester! If you would like to help build community between Ann Arbor and Detroit by organizing events on campus or facilitating programs in Detroit, apply to the planning team!
Applications can be downloaded here, and should be submitted to This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it no later than Sunday, December 4th at 5:00pm.
The Detroit Partnership and West Outer Drive United Methodist Church are preparing for the 9th annual One Stop Shop.
One Stop Shop is preceded by a food and clothing drive that runs for several weeks across Southeast Michigan. Church members and University of Michigan students partner with leaders from other partners in Detroit, Ann Arbor, and beyond to collect nonperishable food and gently-used clothing items.
This year, these efforts will culminate with One Stop Shop on December 3, 2011. Personal shoppers help each client navigate the towers of clothing. Each client picks out clothing by the bag-full, and is given a bag of food to take home for their family. During the 2010 event, an estimated $50,000 worth of food and clothing were donated to community members.
Look for collection boxes in apartments and academic buildings around campus this November. We ask that you donate new or gently-used clothing items and non-perishable food items. Without the support of the University of Michigan community, this event could not be a success. We look forward to making One Stop Shop 2011 even more successful than the event in 2010.
Dear friends of The DP,
I'm Cassie Basler, the Executive Director of the Detroit Partnership. Though I would love to detail all the exciting initiatives The DP has in the works this year, you can read plenty about them in our newsletter! So, I’ll take some time to sum up what The Detroit Partnership is, and is not.
The Detroit Partnership is a service-learning organization at the University of Michigan, led by a team of 56 students from areas as far as Singapore and Boston, and as near as Detroit's East Side and Ann Arbor. Though our team members come from a variety of backgrounds, we come together to share:
- The desire to learn from members of the Detroit community through collaboration and reflection, build long-term relationships between Detroit and Ann Arbor and eventually create one large community of caring individuals, called "DP.love."
- Passions for social justice and multiculturalism, which inspire us to enrich the volunteer experience with informational events on current social issues, fun cultural happenings and even interactive social excursions to the city!
- Interest in the challenges and triumphs of the city, which amplifies our enthusiasm for Detroit’s grassroots revitalization movements.
This semester, DP members pass their enthusiasm on to 100+ volunteers, who commit weekly to one of over 20 different Detroit community organizations running various youth programs. Through tutoring, fun, games and conversations with youth and community leaders, DP volunteers gain a multifaceted view of Detroit as a community, a home and a close neighbor.
The Detroit Partnership is not:
- A group dedicated to just one day of service and collaboration in Detroit, because we work throughout the year in Detroit collaborating with our partners to host weekly tutoring and mentoring programs.
- A team of super-volunteers who swoop in to the city to "save" Detroit, because our partner organizations already do great work in their communities and are gracious to welcome us, teach us, inspire us, and work with us.
- An organized crime-family from the prohibition era (contrary to what one Wikipedia article might say!).
So, please enjoy learning about our partner programs and upcoming educational fieldtrips in this October's edition of the monthly newsletter, Detroit in your Inbox. Thanks for reading--now aren't you excited to get involved? (I obviously am!)
DP.Love,
Executive Director, 2011-2012
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