Category Archives: Blog
Detroit’s kids deserve after-school programs
by: Kim Newberry | Nov. 23rd, 2016 This article was originally posted as an op-ed in the Detroit News. View the original post. After-school programs can help overcome the many challenges facing children in our low-income neighborhoods. My program, Developing KIDS, provides support with school work, social interaction with caring adults, a broad range of […]
Read more »Cultivating Young Community Leaders
by: David Scheie | Nov. 22nd, 2016 Detroit’s southwest neighborhood Chadsey Condon is home to a large number of Arab American families. A major concern for these families has been their children’s safety walking to and from school, particularly in crossing busy streets like Michigan Avenue. Three fathers approached the community group JIRAN (Join In […]
Read more »Opportunity Summit offers Detroit youth hope, insight, skills
by: Francis Cruz-Aldrett | Nov. 12th, 2016 On Monday November 14, My Brother’s Keeper Alliance brought together nearly 1,100 young males of color and more than 40 companies to Cobo Center Detroit for their Pathways to Success Boys and Young Men of Color Opportunity Summit, where more than 350 job offers were made. The Opportunity […]
Read more »Growing leaders through outdoor adventures
by: David Scheie | Nov. 2nd, 2016 Peter Lisiecki grew up on the east side of Detroit. As a 17 year old, he took part in a 26-day adventure program in Colorado and came back a different person. He had discovered he could handle all kinds of challenges and new situations. He saw how teamwork […]
Read more »Detroit residents leading change in neighborhoods
by: Natalie Fotias | Oct. 10th, 2016 Behind every thriving neighborhood are strong local leaders. When the Skillman Foundation set out to on its Good Neighborhoods Initiative to improve conditions for children living in six Detroit neighborhoods – Brightmoor, Chadsey Condon, Cody Rouge, North End, Osborn and Southwest Detroit – one critical step taken was […]
Read more »Reviewing Detroit’s Good Neighborhoods
by: Marie Colombo | Oct. 4th, 2016 Ten years ago Carol Goss, then president & CEO of the Skillman Foundation, made a bold $100 million, 10-year commitment to improve conditions for children in six neighborhoods in Detroit where nearly one-third of the city’s youth population lived. The Skillman Good Neighborhoods — Brightmoor, Chadsey-Condon, Cody-Rouge, Northend, Osborn, […]
Read more »Reviewing the Good Neighborhoods Initiative
by: Tonya Allen | Oct. 4th, 2016 Detroit is my hometown. It is where I have grown and matured. It is where I have learned about community and conflict, resiliency and bleakness, and grandeur and disinvestment. Detroit is a place filled with contradiction. Where some hit cement ceilings and others propel to great heights. Where […]
Read more »Six innovative ideas to support Detroit’s young men of color receive $50,000 each to launch
by: Natalie Fotias | Sep. 27th, 2016 On Tuesday, September 27, six teams were awarded $50,000 each to launch programs serving young men of color in Detroit. The teams were among 20 finalists of the My Brother’s Keeper Detroit Innovation Challenge, a $500,000 initiative organized by this Skillman Foundation and Campaign for Black Male Achievement to improve life outcomes […]
Read more »20 Ideas to Impact the Lives of Young Men of Color
by: Natalie Fotias | Sep. 22nd, 2016 This spring, the Skillman Foundation and Campaign for Black Male Achievement called upon community members to put forth their ideas to increase opportunities for black and brown boys. This call for ideas, the MBKDetroit Innovation Challenge, drew close to 500 submissions. Applications were narrowed down by nearly 50 judges, which included young men of color, […]
Read more »Detroit youth talk about what it’s like to grow up in the city
by: Siobhan O’Laoire | Sep. 12th, 2016 This summer, we talked with Detroit youth to hear about their experiences of growing up in the city, and their perspectives on the current needs and challenges facing youth today. We visited parks and community centers in five different Detroit neighborhoods, speaking with a diverse mix of youth. […]
Read more »Parents, youth and staff team up to improve after-school programs
by: Sara Plachta Elliott | Sep. 9th, 2016 When it comes to after-school program attendance, we like to say “youth vote with their feet.” Unlike school, youth usually attend after-school programs voluntarily, or their parents encourage them to go. If a program’s quality is no good, youth often walk away. Staff and volunteers are left […]
Read more »Millennials are here to stay
by: Bernita Bradley | Aug. 26th, 2016 My son is a millennial. He always keeps me wondering: Why does he like the new music versus my “old school” music? Why does he post the things he puts on Facebook, or wear the clothing he wears? NBC’s Saturday Night Live has a skit called “The Millennials.” It […]
Read more »Helping kids become their best
by: David R. McGhee | Aug. 18th, 2016 Our vision of what’s possible is often restrained by what’s familiar. And for many kids growing up in Detroit, possibilities seem slim. That’s why access to youth development programs is so important. All children deserve to have safe places where they can have fun, build relationships, explore […]
Read more »Credit Recovery: Helping students make up for lost time
by: Tammie Jones | Aug. 17th, 2016 Two years ago, while working as a program officer at the Skillman Foundation, I spoke with Osborn Neighborhood Alliance parent mentors who were volunteering at the Osborn High School Campus. They were helping to “fill in the gap” at the schools, offering additional support to students on the […]
Read more »