Category Archives: News
News from the Skillman Foundation on education, economy and equity for all Detroit Youth.
Gen Z Changes the Game at 2023 Mackinac Policy Conference
by: The Skillman Foundation | May. 31st, 2023 On Wednesday, May 31, our President & CEO Angelique Power moderated a conversation at the 2023 Mackinac Policy Conference with three panelists: Evamelo Oleita, youth organizer, co-founder of Black Lives Matter In All Capacities and Skillman Foundation President’s Youth Council Member; Imani Harris, youth education activist and communications lead of 482Forward; and Speaker […]
Read more »Kendra Howard to lead education policy grantmaking
by: The Skillman Foundation | May. 30th, 2023 With an increased focus on education policy and systems, The Skillman Foundation has hired Kendra Howard for a new role of director of policy & systems. The search began in late 2022 when the Foundation launched a new organizational framework to guide our grantmaking and changemaking […]
Read more »What’s pressing in education policy
by: Punita Dani Thurman | May. 26th, 2023 There’s a lot of attention on education policy in Michigan, with broad recognition of the need to redesign, expand, and resource learning opportunities. We are paying attention to the priorities set by youth, educators, and residents as well as what’s gaining traction in education policy circles. Here […]
Read more »Policy & Systems: A balcony view
by: Punita Dani Thurman | May. 25th, 2023 Last month, we introduced the first of two pillars in our new strategic framework, Ground Building, which supports Detroit youth, educators, and residents to build individual and collective power toward a strong education organizing ecosystem. Our Policy & Systems pillar works in tandem, cultivating listeners among policy […]
Read more »How Gen Z is Changing the Game From Strategy to Policy
by: The Skillman Foundation | May. 17th, 2023 Our 2023 Mackinac Policy Conference Session On Wednesday, May 31 at 10:30 a.m. The Skillman Foundation will host a session at the Mackinac Policy Conference, which will be live streamed on the Detroit Regional Chamber’s website. Our President & CEO Angelique Power will moderate a conversation with […]
Read more »Detroit youth fight blight from the inside out
by: Lindsay Keener | May. 17th, 2023 What does it take for a city to maintain safe and beautiful neighborhoods? For Detroit, the answer is simple: youth must be engaged. A critical question for the City’s Department of Neighborhoods, a team dedicated to beautifying and servicing Detroit communities, is how to attract youth to get […]
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 […]
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