Category Archives: Blog
What does an “equitable education system” even mean?
by: Angelique Power | May. 16th, 2023 What does an “equitable education system” even mean? At The Skillman Foundation, we deeply believe that the field of EDUCATION is in a moment of incredible possibility. Yes, we have been, and continue to be, in immensely challenging times—times that will have consequential effects on students and educators […]
Read more »Community Conversations on Ground Building
Community members discuss what it means to be a Detroiter, what they want for their schools, and where they see power being held.
Read more »Detroit youth are a slam dunk
by: Lindsay Keener | Apr. 12th, 2023 The most notable names in social responsibility know the importance of engaging kids and teens. The Detroit Pistons, a franchise within the National Basketball Association, is no different. With 60-plus years of dedication to Detroit, the Detroit Pistons are known for using basketball as a way to inspire […]
Read more »How Skillman Reenvisioned its Grantmaking by Centering Trust and Accountability
by: PEAK Grantmaking | Apr. 10th, 2023 This article was originally published by PEAK Grantmaking. View the original article here. Examining how values are reflected in grantmaking practices to advance the funder’s mission is the heart of PEAK’s Tie Practices to Values Principle. It’s also about intentionally linking what your organization says with what it […]
Read more »Racial equity is an internal engine
by: Philanthropy News Digest | Apr. 7th, 2023 This article was originally published in Philanthropy News Digest. View the original article here. Angelique Power was appointed president and CEO of The Skillman Foundation in 2021, the third Black woman to lead the Detroit-based foundation. A Chicago native, Power previously served as president of the Field Foundation of Illinois, as […]
Read more »Ground Building: A first layer
by: Natalie Fotias | Apr. 4th, 2023 Imagine a young girl, her hands full with soil, a bright green plant sprouting out, extending toward a bright sky. As she gently lowers the sprout into a cradle of earth, a pair of hands surrounds hers. These hands are larger than the girls, but they are the […]
Read more »Gen Z’s advice to make tech more inclusive
by: Lindsay Keener | Mar. 30th, 2023 In a technology-forward world, it only makes sense that Detroit youth would have equitable access to computer science resources. This is the goal of the Kapor Center, a national nonprofit organization dedicated to creating more opportunities for historically marginalized communities in the tech ecosystem. Kalisha Davis, project director […]
Read more »The missing piece (spoiler alert: it’s youth)
by: Lindsay Keener | Mar. 30th, 2023 More often than not, getting a fresh take on something means going to a trusted source. For Life Remodeled, that trusted source is Detroit youth. With a dedicated focus on the intentional and equitable revitalization of Detroit neighborhoods, Life Remodeled is working to provide Detroiters with innovative spaces […]
Read more »How storytelling can get to the heart of systems change
by: Natalie Fotias | Mar. 7th, 2023 Systems—like the education, health care, legal/justice, and political systems—have significant impact on our lives. They produce opportunities and barriers, helps and hinders, justice and injustice. Their impacts are not uniform. Most of us are often failed by the systems we live within. As a result, people are clamoring […]
Read more »Third grade reading rule is not working
by: Angelique Power | Mar. 6th, 2023 Opinion piece originally published in The Detroit News. March 2, 2023. A rule that keeps third graders from advancing to the next grade if they don’t pass a standardized reading test is hopefully on its way to being revoked in the Legislature. If children are struggling to read — […]
Read more »The Skillman Foundation announces inaugural Vice President of Learning & Impact and Vice President of Communications
by: The Skillman Foundation | Mar. 1st, 2023 The Skillman Foundation has elevated the roles of learning and communications, acknowledging the importance and impact of these functions in advancing systems and social change strategies. To fill these roles, one new staff member was hired and one internal promotion was made. Laila Bell joined The Skillman […]
Read more »20 Black Detroiters Making History 2023
by: The Skillman Foundation | Feb. 28th, 2023 Design by Alexis Bagley Rich in history and culture, Black Detroiters are known for setting a standard of excellence. The creativity, innovation, and brilliance of Black youth in Detroit sets the tone for our annual 20 Black Detroiters Making History campaign. To celebrate Black History Month, we […]
Read more »Meet our 2023-2025 President’s Youth Council
by: The Skillman Foundation | Feb. 16th, 2023 Photos by Preston Welborne (@pfp_studios) We are youth driven, listening while young people are leading. They’re shaping our priorities, our strategies, and our grantmaking. Young people have a special position. They aren’t rutted into the groves of the status quo. They see and feel what’s not working. […]
Read more »Once again, the unimaginable
by: Angelique Power | Feb. 14th, 2023 Once again, the unimaginable. Phones lit up last night as news reports and social media channels began reporting shots fired at Michigan State University. Homes across Michigan and beyond fell silent – only the sound of prayers and the constant refreshing of our feeds as we waited breathlessly […]
Read more »From the Midwest to the Wild West
by: Alexa Borromeo | Feb. 10th, 2023 Travel is one of the best educations you can get. Last summer our President’s Youth Council travelled across the country to Cody, WY in “The Wild West” in search of new experiences, new friendships, and lessons they can bring back to their own work in Detroit. The PYC […]
Read more »Tyre is the latest victim not of bad apples, but rotten trees
by: Angelique Power | Jan. 30th, 2023 Many of us made choices this weekend about how to handle the news, video, and heartbreak around the death of Tyre Nichols, 29, the latest brutal murder of a Black man at the hands of police. There is no right way to process this. There is no right way to make […]
Read more »What is youth organizing?
by: Lindsey Barrett | Jan. 27th, 2023 Photos from Detroit Area Youth Uniting Michigan (@D.A.Y.U.M_) at Lobby for our Lives in collaboration with March for Our Lives Michigan, February 2022. In the summer of 2020, young people—and particularly Black and Brown youth—were the organizers behind the protests that filled our streets, screens, social feeds, and public consciousness after […]
Read more »The youth are an asset: speak to them as such.
by: Lindsay Keener | Jan. 24th, 2023 Detroit Horse Power, a youth-enrichment program that uses horses as a vehicle for character development, saddled up next to metro-Detroit youth leaders with one question in mind: how could program messaging better describe young leaders? Nicole Byrd, managing director of Detroit Horse Power, was looking for authenticity and […]
Read more »Who are you?: A reflection from conversation with American Indian Health and Family Services youth
by: Nechelle Laferriere | Jan. 18th, 2023 When someone asks you who you are, you tell them. But what if you don’t know? According to the Merriam Dictionary, identity is defined as the fact of being who or what, a person or thing. But knowing one’s own identity isn’t as straightforward as many would like […]
Read more »Call for Nominations: Young Black Detroiters Making History 2023
by: The Skillman Foundation | Jan. 12th, 2023 Graphic design by featured artist, and 2022 honoree, Alexis Bagley To celebrate Black History Month, The Skillman Foundation is looking for nominations of youth for our annual 20 Black Detroiters Making History campaign. The campaign celebrates Black Detroit youth making a difference in their communities. Detroit’s Black History is astounding. Black […]
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