Volunteer or Community Service

A city without schools

lblouin — Mon, 09 Jun 2025 11:07:20 +0000

A city without schools lblouin Mon, 06/09/2025 - 07:07

To the extent that many Michiganders know much about the schools in Inkster, a small, mostly blue-collar, mostly African American city in Detroit鈥檚 western suburbs, their knowledge likely revolves around the state government鈥檚 dramatic intervention that ultimately led to the dissolution of the school district in 2013. Inkster was one of several districts that had come under the scrutiny of then-Gov. Rick Snyder鈥檚 administration during a period in which the state appointed emergency managers to run several districts (and, in some cases, the cities themselves) or entered into consent agreements that required districts to financially restructure. The administration pitched the strategy as a tough-medicine approach to longstanding debt problems. But because the vast majority of the cities and districts Snyder pursued were majority African American, many residents, activists and policymakers voiced concerns, arguing that many white districts were also experiencing financial problems but were not subject to the same measures. Many cities eventually regained local control of their districts. Inkster was one of two places that did not. In 2013, the state declared that the Inkster School District, saddled with about $15 million in debt, was financially unviable and hence would be fully dissolved. Its approximately 4,000 students would be sent to schools in four neighboring communities. The state plan included $5 million in grants to cover costs associated with the district鈥檚 dissolution, including the demolition of all but one of Inkster鈥檚 school buildings.

Fleda Fleming, a lifelong Inkster resident who served as Inkster High School鈥檚 dean of students for 12 years prior to the district鈥檚 dissolution, says the fast-moving state action caught everyone in the community by surprise. Sure, Inkster had financial problems, as did many other districts, she says. But the narrative that Inkster was a failing school was, from her vantage point, not rooted in reality. Fleming, who had been with the district during some hard times in the early 2000s, says Inkster schools had actually been on a roll not long before the state dissolved the district. She attributes much of that to a young superintendent, Thomas Maridada, who came to Inkster in 2004 with a ton of energy and a new vision for public education in an urban community. Under his leadership, Inkster became one of the first districts in the state to adopt an 鈥渁cademies鈥� model in the high school, a now popular approach in which students choose something akin to a college major to structure their academic experience. In Inkster, there were three concentrations: pre-health, business and entrepreneurship, and the performing arts. Inkster鈥檚 program also became the first in the state where academies students earned both a high school diploma and an associate degree in four years through a dual-enrollment partnership with Wayne County Community College.

Fleming says Maridada also dramatically shifted the culture of the schools. She recalls a day, for example, when he asked her to order trophies for a new year-end assembly to celebrate students' academic achievements. She thought it was a little curious he wanted two of everything. 鈥淚t turned out he wanted one for the students to take home and another to put in a trophy case at the school so everyone could see them,鈥� Fleming says. He rallied staff and students alike to the cause. Fleming remembers when she started in 2001, it was rare to get 400 students in the high school for school count day. Five years into Maridada鈥檚 reforms, they had 1,200 kids in the building, many of them college bound, many of them school choice students from other cities. 鈥淚t was amazing work,鈥� Fleming says. 鈥淚t was one of those jobs where getting up to go to school every day really did feel like a joy for students and staff alike. It was hands down the best time of my professional career.鈥�

Maridada, who earned a nod as Michigan鈥檚 Superintendent of the Year in 2008 for his efforts, left a mark on the district. But his style of leadership also inspired Fleming personally. It showed her just how much leaders mattered, a lesson that was reinforced when he left the district in 2009 to lead a similar charge in Pontiac and the Inkster schools lost some ground. She credits him and that experience, in part, with inspiring her interest in what was then an all new Doctor of Education program at 51视频-Dearborn. Maridada was working on his own doctorate during his five-year tenure in Inkster and spontaneously developed a habit of referring to Fleming as 鈥淒r. Fleming.鈥� She initially enrolled in the doctoral program without a particular professional aspiration in mind. But it proved to be a profound experience. Fleming fondly recalls being academically challenged and personally galvanized by her initial dissertation chair, Assistant Professor Maiyoua Vang, along with her committee members Professor Les Thornton and Professor John Artis. Her dissertation research experience was particularly meaningful for her. Under Professor of Education Chris Burke, she took on a qualitative study of African American sibling pairs, one female, one male, where the former attained higher levels of academic achievement. This was a theme ripped straight from her own life: In her family, Fleming and her two sisters all attended college, two of them earning advanced degrees. Three of her four brothers never finished high school. Moreover, she knew this was a common experience in many African American families. She wanted to know why Black women were collectively faring so much better than men when it came to academic achievement.

Though not a formal part of her study, the story of differential achievement in Fleming鈥檚 own family was, in many ways, indicative of the larger trends she would explore in her research. Her two oldest brothers started their high school years in Inkster schools, which she says were demographically pretty similar back in the late 1950s. But during her oldest brother鈥檚 junior year, the family moved from the west side of the city to the east side, which put the family in the Westwood school district. There, she says about nine in 10 students were white. It was a 鈥渃ultural shock鈥� for her three eldest siblings. After their move, her oldest brother actually secretly enrolled himself in his old school, which worked until the school discovered his east Inkster address. He chose to drop out rather than return to Westwood.

Her second-oldest brother eventually followed suit. But interestingly, her eldest sister made it to graduation. Fleming says her sister鈥檚 experience was not without difficulties: Fleming recalls one story where her 鈥渟trong-willed鈥� sister objected to the director of the school play casting her as a maid. But in the areas of discipline and expectations for academic achievement, Fleming says the situation was more difficult for young Black men. Moreover, by the time the three youngest children, which included another older sister, Fleming and her baby brother, reached high school, the demographics of the school district had shifted. Now, Westwood had just a small majority of white students. 鈥淚 remember it was sort of like what Rodney King said: 鈥楥an鈥檛 we all just get along?鈥� We all just got along. Race was much less of a factor,鈥� Fleming says. In the wake of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s, her baby brother earned his high school diploma and ultimately went on to college, earning a master鈥檚 degree in guidance and counseling.

Fleming says she was not conscious of these dynamics growing up. But viewing it now through the eyes of a researcher, several interesting takeaways emerged. The changing racial and gender politics of the era certainly were relevant. But she also became fascinated with how expectations, both within the family and in the schools, shaped her siblings鈥� journeys. In particular, she now found it remarkable that her parents, who were both college educated, didn鈥檛 blink at the three oldest boys dropping out of high school, though she says they would have been 鈥渙utraged鈥� had any of the young women in the family followed that course. That spoke to something profound about the way gender and economics interacted at that time. After leaving school, two of her brothers got solid jobs in the auto industry, and the third earned his GED and served in the U.S. Navy. They all ended up doing quite well for themselves. 鈥淭he joke in the family is that the boys' income levels surpassed the girls despite our advanced degrees ,鈥� Fleming says. 鈥淪o it reveals how the family viewed education. My parents valued education very highly. They were sticklers about using 鈥榩roper鈥� English and were equally adamant about ensuring that all of their children were highly proficient in the core subject areas. But the endgame of schooling was not academic achievement, it was employability. And if boys could find that at the factory without a high school diploma, then the educational system was unnecessary. But that same path was not available to young women. And my parents were more protective about their daughters鈥� working conditions, so formal education and post-secondary education became essential to their employment.鈥�

Fleming collected dozens of such stories from sibling pairs over the course of her research, many with similar experiences to her own family鈥檚. Notably, sometimes the outcomes were quite different. She documented how, as economic conditions changed and a high school or college diploma became a qualification for more jobs, young Black men paid a higher price for lower expectations for their academic achievement. Many of the men in the youngest sibling pairs, who attended high school in the 2000s, also noted how the educational and disciplinary modalities of high school left them feeling unmotivated or unchallenged. Several noted that their mostly female, mostly white teachers failed to find ways to connect with them. The depth of what she was learning and experiencing through this research, and in her program more generally, also left her feeling more personally inspired. Fleming may have begun her doctoral program without the common professional goals of EdD students, who typically find it a useful bridge to a superintendent position or policy job. But she now found herself dreaming of a somewhat poetic final chapter to her career: She鈥檇 love to become superintendent of Inkster schools herself and restore some of the momentum she鈥檇 helped build. Indeed, it even felt urgent as the school choice dynamics that had brought many students from outside Inkster into the district started to flip after Maridada鈥檚 departure, as students left, in some cases, to follow their favorite teachers. Bolstered by what she was learning in the program, she thought she could help finish what they'd started.

Then 2013 happened, and with the dissolution of the district, Fleming鈥檚 dream was essentially rendered impossible. She didn鈥檛 experience this so much as a personal setback. Because of the stage she was at in her career, she was able to fairly easily transition into retirement. But she and many residents immediately grew anxious over how Inkster becoming a city without schools would impact the community. Along with its churches, the schools were the thing that regularly brought families together, and there was a lot of pride in what Inkster had built academically. More kids were going to college. They also had a state championship football team, a state championship girls basketball team and a highly acclaimed performing arts department that the city rallied around. Now, its students would be scattered across districts in other cities. In some cases, where district lines divided neighborhoods, kids who grew up together would be attending different schools.

Almost immediately, Fleming began using her retirement to try to fill the void. By winter the following year, she had founded a new nonprofit, EQUIPPED, the purpose of which was 鈥渢o create a space and opportunity for kids to do some of the same things we were doing in the high schools,鈥� she says. In practice, that included things like academic enrichment programs, after-school ACT prep courses, life skills classes, a traditional community baccalaureate celebration and anything she could think of that could help students transition to their post-high school lives. The Inkster community immediately bought in, funding it with personal donations. She says if anybody needed help with anything, they knew the first step was to 鈥済et Ms. Fleming鈥檚 phone number.鈥� Fleming says that informal, grassroots vibe has always been part of EQUIPPED. She never aspired to open a formal space for the organization, opting instead to host workshops and events in libraries, churches and community spaces. That has helped her keep costs down so she can funnel all the donations into programming. But it鈥檚 also just been more effective to meet students and families where they already are.

Over the past 11 years, Fleming says the programming has evolved a lot. 鈥淏asically, wherever I see a need, I try to find a way to address it鈥� is the simple mantra that guides her. In recent years, that鈥檚 often meant putting an emphasis on the arts to counter cuts in programming that many schools have experienced. Fleming, who regularly produces holiday pageants at her church and jokes that she may have missed her calling by not going into the arts, is a particularly big fan of performance. Over the years, EQUIPPED has produced multiple student-led stage productions, including 鈥淎n鈥橠ee鈥�, an original African American-centric reimagining of the classic musical 鈥淎nnie.鈥� Most recently, she partnered with Westwood schools to produce 鈥淲estwood鈥檚 Got Talent,鈥� a variety show that featured performances by students, staff and community members.

Through all that evolution, one of EQUIPPED鈥檚 most consistent offerings has been a scholarship for college-bound students. Over the past decade, she says they鈥檝e been able to annually award at least $15,000 in scholarships to students mostly from Inkster but also in surrounding cities, all powered by donations from community members. She calls the application process 鈥渆asy peasy.鈥� Students have to have at least a 2.5 GPA, a limit she set so that the scholarship could 鈥渞each down鈥� to serve students who traditionally wouldn't be eligible for other academic scholarships. Applicants have to submit a college acceptance letter and two letters of recommendation, one from someone at their school and another from a community member. Then, there鈥檚 a 500-word essay, the topic of which hasn鈥檛 changed in years. 鈥淚t鈥檚 always the same: 鈥榃hat advice would you give to a ninth, 10th or 11th grader about how to be successful in high school?鈥欌€� She says the straightforward prompt is intended to get students to think critically and consciously about all the things that led to their success, so they might impart that wisdom to others. But it鈥檚 also a perfect way to mine ideas for new youth-focused programming.

Fleming with some past EQUIPPED scholarship recipients. Photo by Annie Barker

Even as the ranks grow of young people touched by EQUIPPED, including many who鈥檝e gone on to graduate from 51视频-Dearborn and 51视频-Ann Arbor, Fleming knows she can鈥檛 fill all the gaps. Despite the work, and that of other community organizations in the city, Fleming says the closure of the city鈥檚 schools has left Inkster a changed place. 鈥淲e鈥檙e strangers now,鈥� she says. 鈥淏ecause students were scattered across several districts, there鈥檚 this feeling that you don鈥檛 know where your kids are, you don鈥檛 know how they鈥檙e doing and you don鈥檛 know how to help them. We鈥檙e from a culture where we say it takes a village to raise a child. When you remove the village鈥檚 impact from your children, you鈥檝e not only lost a sense of community but an avenue for perpetuating your culture.鈥�

In the immediate aftermath of the district鈥檚 dissolution, she says people in the community had many conversations over whether they could get their schools back. She says that fire never completely died out, and it鈥檚 recently started to smolder again. Not surprisingly, Fleming now finds herself as one of the people at the center of that effort. She recently teamed up with one of her former academies students and a 鈥�96 Inkster High School graduate, both of whom have earned doctoral degrees themselves, to undertake a research project focused on the aftermath of the school closure. She says it鈥檚 not so much to investigate and relitigate the state鈥檚 decision-making process, which many think was racist, unjust and ignored alternatives, like the state鈥檚 2023 effort to wipe away school districts鈥� legacy debt with state funds. (Notably, those funds also eliminated $12 million of debt Inkster residents were still paying off through their taxes, even though their schools had been closed for a decade.) Instead, the focus of their study is to document the impact the dissolution of the schools had on the students and families who lived through it, as well as the lasting impacts on the community. As in her dissertation research, Fleming is hoping that giving voice to these personal stories will help people understand that they form a common narrative 鈥� which she thinks could help motivate the community and policymakers to eventually do what she thinks is the right thing for the city.

Fleming knows any fruits of that effort, especially anything as dramatic as reestablishing the Inkster School District, could be years away. It鈥檚 likely too far off for her to ever fulfill her dream of becoming that future district鈥檚 superintendent. Moreover, the state鈥檚 decision to demolish the city鈥檚 physical school buildings obviously could make things far more complicated and expensive for the community to realize that vision. But Fleming remains resolved, plucky and cheerfully defiant. 鈥淭hey tore the schools down. That鈥檚 fine,鈥� she says. 鈥淭hat just means our kids will get all new buildings, like the rose that grew from concrete.鈥�

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Story by Lou Blouin

Opinion or Voices

Volunteer or Community Service

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Education

Off

Mon, 06/09/2025 - 11:05

鈥�14 EdD alum Fleda Fleming reflects on the legacy of the state鈥檚 2013 dissolution of the Inkster School District and how her nonprofit has helped restore a lost sense of community.

Alum Fleda Fleming stands at the former site of Inkster High School, which was torn down after the state dissolved the city's school district in 2013. Photo by Annie Barker

News

Class project sparks new student club for future educators

lblouin — Wed, 19 Mar 2025 11:39:03 +0000

Class project sparks new student club for future educators lblouin Wed, 03/19/2025 - 07:39

Identifying and creating a solution for a real community need is one of Education Professor Chris Burke鈥檚 go-to project-based learning assignments in his place-based education course. Students form small groups and then brainstorm ideas, after which they pitch them to the larger group and the class votes on which project they鈥檒l work on that semester. During the Fall 2024 semester, when McKenna Shelide was a student in the course, her small group came up with an idea to start a student organization for pre-service teachers. 鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of surprising, but there wasn鈥檛 a club for us. And we really thought there was so much we could be doing,鈥� Shelide says. Students ended up picking another idea for their class project. But after class, Burke pulled Shelide and the other students in her group aside and told them if they were really serious about starting a club, he could connect them with some folks who could help. Shelide and the other students jumped on the idea, and within a couple weeks, they had their own campus chapter of Aspiring Educators, the student arm of the National Education Association and Michigan Education Association.

Shelide, who鈥檚 currently serving as the group鈥檚 president, says one of their primary goals is to provide learning and professional development opportunities that complement their formal coursework, and the affiliation with the MEA has proven to be an effective way to do that. For example, at one of the club鈥檚 first meetings, a representative from the MEA talked about the ins and outs of teachers unions. And last November, the students attended an MEA conference that included sessions like 鈥淭he Tea on Teaching,鈥� which featured early-career teachers sharing their honest takes on finding their footings in the profession. Kamryn McCutcheon, the club鈥檚 vice president, says she found the session on prep for the state certification exam particularly helpful. 鈥淲e got to talk through some sample questions, what to expect on test day and how the exam is going to be laid out,鈥� McCutcheon says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 obviously pretty stressful thinking about that test because you have to pass in order to get a job. So it just makes you feel better going into it when you know what to expect.鈥�

Shelide and McCutcheon say the club is also focusing on service projects. For example, for Valentine鈥檚 Day, they got together to make homemade valentines for children in foster care. And they recently received a $2,000 grant from the NEA to partner with an elementary school in Allen Park to fulfill a student and teacher 鈥渨ish list鈥� of supplies and resources. Shelide says these service projects are obviously about giving back. But they also provide a venue for visiting schools, networking with teachers and getting more practical experience working with kids.

For one of their recent service projects, members of Aspiring Educators made valentines for children in foster care. Photo by Serena Cowette

Of course, the group is also providing some much needed camaraderie. Teaching is not the easiest profession to be going into these days. It鈥檚 demanding and stressful, the pay isn鈥檛 great and the hyper-partisan politics in America have spoiled some of the trust that used to exist between parents, teachers and students. With all of those challenges, Shelide says you have to really want to do it, and having a solid group of people around you who have similar worries and aspirations helps a lot. 鈥淢y mom was a teacher and she had such a great group of friends at her school and I always kind of hoped I鈥檇 have the same thing 鈥� like, the people you go to chat with after the bell rings,鈥� Shelide says. 鈥淲ith this club, I鈥檝e met a bunch of great friends. Really, Kamryn鈥檚 probably like, 鈥楥an this girl stop texting me?鈥� So to be able to share your excitement 鈥� or if you need to complain about something 鈥� it鈥檚 just been so nice to have this group to rely on.鈥�

Burke is excited to see the group is taking root. Student clubs can be hard to maintain long term, and he says the college has had a few iterations of student groups for pre-service teachers over the years. But those were all organized by faculty and failed to gain enough traction with students. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 the main reason you鈥檙e seeing a lot more success with this group. They have this core group of members and now they鈥檙e connecting with their classmates and friends, so you have this natural networking effect,鈥� Burke says. 鈥淧lus, because it鈥檚 coming from them, they know what they need. We faculty have good intentions, but we can just kind of make guesses at it.鈥�

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Story by Lou Blouin. If you want to learn more about the club, email McKenna Shelide.

Campus Life

Volunteer or Community Service

College of Education, Health, and Human Services

Education

Off

Wed, 03/19/2025 - 11:25

51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 education students have a new group for peer support, professional development and community service.

Kamryn McCutcheon (right) and McKenna Shelide helped launch the Aspiring Educators club, the first student organization 51视频-Dearborn has had for education students in a number of years. Photo by Annie Barker

News

Dearborn Wolverines spend their spring break giving back

stuxbury — Wed, 12 Mar 2025 14:48:52 +0000

Dearborn Wolverines spend their spring break giving back stuxbury Wed, 03/12/2025 - 10:48

For many, spring break is a time to relax, reflect and get ready for the second half of the semester. But for a group of 51视频-Dearborn students, it is an opportunity to help others.

Through the university鈥檚 annual Alternative Spring Break, interested Dearborn Wolverines joined one of two service groups 鈥� volunteering their time with the Cincinnati Homeless Coalition in Ohio or locally in Detroit. Civic Engagement Coordinator JaNai' James led the Detroit-based group, partnering for the second year in a row with Camp Restore, a local organization that coordinates volunteers to address community needs. ASB has been a part of 51视频-Dearborn student life for more than 15 years.

During this year鈥檚 week of service from March 1-7, photographer Annie Barker documented the student-volunteer experience with the Detroit-based ASB program. Students completed a neighborhood-mapping project, where they collected data on abandoned and damaged homes that will be used to plan neighborhood revitalization projects. Volunteers also connected with the community organization Delray Neighborhood House to sort and deliver donations for families affected by recent severe flooding in the neighborhood.

At the Delray Neighborhood House, 51视频-Dearborn volunteers package donations for residents affected by a recent 铿俹od. In late February, a broken water main 铿俹oded dozens of homes. Repairs to the area are ongoing.

Residents filled out request forms 鈥� here鈥檚 one from a family in need.

Syeda Muntaha, left, and Zaynab Al鈥慉kraa seal a donation box with items that a family requested.

Muntaha, left, and Kalaia Jackson organize donations in the back of the delivery van.

James navigates through Detroit neighborhoods to bring boxes to the residents affected by the flood.

From left, Al鈥慉kraa, Jackson and Muntaha deliver donations to people in need.

Photo story by Annie Barker

Volunteer or Community Service

Off

Wed, 03/12/2025 - 14:47

Alternative Spring Break connects student volunteers with community-based projects through a week of service.

51视频-Dearborn Civic Engagement Coordinator JaNai鈥� James, seated, and students, standing from left, Kalaia Jackson, Syeda Muntaha and Zaynab Al鈥慉kraa, pose for a photo in between deliveries to Detroit residents affected by a severe flood.

News

Connecting campus with community

stuxbury — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 19:00:20 +0000

Connecting campus with community stuxbury Mon, 10/23/2023 - 15:00

When Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Lei Chen wanted to explore pursuing a National Science Foundation funding opportunity with the nonprofit Code 313, 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 Office of Community-Engaged Learning helped him establish a relationship with the Detroit-based STEAM education organization.

When Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering Amanda Esquivel drafted a proposal to the National Science Foundation Research Experience for Teachers, OCEL helped her secure letters of support from local schools.

And when Assistant Professor of Human Services Finn Bell was planning a practice-based learning course on program planning, implementation and evaluation, OCEL staff helped him connect to community partners, including ACCESS and the City of Dearborn Public Health Department. OCEL then met with Bell and the partners over the summer and also led a discussion with Bell鈥檚 class on best practices for working in local communities and assuring mutual benefit.

If you feel like you鈥檝e just started hearing about the Office of Community Engaged Learning, you鈥檙e right. Until recently, it was known as the Office of Metropolitan Impact. The new name reflects a decade of evolution and a refined focus, says Molly Manley, OCEL鈥檚 outreach and engagement specialist.

鈥淲hen we were founded, our charge was to figure out how to engage in and with the community 鈥� what are the best practices and what should we be focusing on? And it was kind of up to us to figure it out,鈥� says Manley, a 51视频-Dearborn alum who has worked in the office since it formed in 2011, beginning as an AmeriCorps staff member. The first few years were spent streamlining community outreach efforts across the university, working to develop a common perspective on 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 approach to community work, and securing the Carnegie Foundation鈥檚 Community Engagement classification, which is regarded by many as the highest form of recognition for community engagement among colleges and universities in the U.S. 51视频-Dearborn was awarded the classification in 2015 and is currently preparing for reclassification in 2026.

Historically, both in metro Detroit and nationwide, many community members working with their local universities have raised concerns that research and community-based projects were not developed in concert with residents or did not have tangible benefits for them, Manley explains. 鈥淲e鈥檙e there to make sure when we have a project we want to do, it鈥檚 in partnership with the community and we鈥檙e willing to make adjustments and compromises to make sure not only are community needs being met, but our students and our faculty are also able to meet their needs,鈥� she says.

OCEL had to try different things in order to land on the approach to community-engaged work that was right for the 51视频-Dearborn campus, Manley explains. In January 2022, OCEL was moved to the Provost鈥檚 Office. After a summer of strategic planning, Manley and Elspeth Muzzin, OCEL鈥檚 engagement strategist, workshopped the office鈥檚 new name and identified focus areas for their work. One of those involves supporting student success by increasing the number of PBL courses and engaged-research opportunities, as well as continuing to support internships and student employment. Another is supporting faculty research and service. This includes working closely with faculty who are doing community-based work and providing professional development on community-engaged practices. OCEL鈥檚 goal is to ease the burden on faculty and make it easier for them to focus on the 鈥渓earning鈥� portion of practice-based learning.

鈥淥ur philosophy is that we can go into the classroom, and we can help show the students how to engage with partners in the best way and help ensure they learn about how to begin and maintain relationships, reflect on community perspective and recognize that community members and organizations are experts in understanding their communities and their neighborhoods鈥� needs best. Then the faculty can trust the students to manage that relationship,鈥� Manley explains.

The end goal is making projects and coursework even more meaningful. 鈥淚nstead of just managing logistics and managing projects, faculty can actually help students with their content, and the expertise area that they're teaching them,鈥� Manley explains.

Manley and Muzzin are also in the process of developing online tools. They are working on a Canvas-based toolkit with helpful resources. 鈥淚t's set up like a professional development course,鈥� Manley explains. 鈥淭here's modules with different topics. And it's all focused on community engagement, engaging for research, engaging for coursework. We have things in here to help faculty with troubleshooting, to help them with planning.鈥� They are also building out a robust database, known as Collaboratory, for tracking community-engaged projects, with the goal to enhance knowledge of what is happening across campus and spur greater collaboration within and across disciplines.

OCEL will continue to work closely with other units on campus as well, including helping all departments and units with the community engagement sections of grant proposals. They will be deepening their partnership with the Environmental Interpretive Center, which is now also housed in the Provost鈥檚 Office. At the same time, OCEL is handing over some previous responsibilities in the interest of not duplicating efforts. For example, Enrollment Management will now be the go-to unit for K-12 partnerships. For business and industry connections, that鈥檚 Institutional Advancement.

Even with all these resources, Manley and Muzzin recognize sometimes faculty will just need some face time. Faculty are welcome to set up an appointment with either one of the staff or attend one of their office hours. 鈥淓very situation is different,鈥� Manley acknowledges. 鈥淲e're always available for one-on-one consulting.鈥�

Article by Kristin Palm

Volunteer or Community Service

Provost

Off

Mon, 10/23/2023 - 18:59

The Office of Community-Engaged Learning, formerly OMI, is refocusing its efforts, with an emphasis on supporting faculty in practice-based work.

OCEL staff Molly Manley, left, and Elspeth Muzzin are ready to assist with community-engaged projects. They can meet virtually or at their office in the Mardigian Library鈥檚 Ford Collaboratory. Photo/Preston Welborne

News

One sweet campus tradition: Making Michigan maple syrup

stuxbury — Wed, 15 Feb 2023 17:46:15 +0000

One sweet campus tradition: Making Michigan maple syrup stuxbury Wed, 02/15/2023 - 12:46

A squirrel ran across a maple tree鈥檚 large branch, stopped near the end and plopped down for a snack. Its nibble of choice? The maple tree鈥檚 leaf buds. Most people might not notice an animal grabbing a bite to eat in the tree canopy. But 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 Environmental Study Area Program Manager Rick Simek has a sense about these things.

Sitting at an outdoor picnic table, Simek said he鈥檚 unsure of the impact this year鈥檚 warmer Michigan winter will have on the trees鈥� sap production. Simek then paused and then squinted to get a better look at movement in the trees. 鈥淪ome animals have sweet tooths, just like we do. That squirrel is eating the maple buds. If the squirrel thinks those are pretty tasty, that鈥檚 a good sign,鈥� Simek said. 鈥淚t tells us that the sap is moving around in the tree and it鈥檚 time to tap.鈥�

That鈥檚 an especially good thing for 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 long-standing campus maple syrup collecting tradition. On Saturday, Feb. 18, community members are invited to help the university鈥檚 Environmental Interpretive Center staff tap 50 maples to begin the sap collection process. Volunteers can also help hang sap buckets 鈥� basically round tin structures with a bent lid 鈥� on the trees too. Interested in the all-ages event? Sign up.

鈥淲e enjoy sharing this beautiful part of our campus with the public to experience traditional seasonal activities that go back a long, long time in our part of the world,鈥� Simek said. In addition to the tapping activity, Simek said people will learn how to identify non-leafed sugar and black maple trees and other distinguishing characteristics about maples. They鈥檒l also hear about the maple syrup-making process and its history on the land.

Here鈥檚 a taste of information volunteers will get at Saturday鈥檚 program.

In this 1980s photo, Cathy (Schmidt) Bean, '84, and then EIC Program Manager Mike Hayes, '78, make maple syrup on campus.

Maple syrup collecting officially started as a campus community event in 1984. But the trees were tapped to make syrup years prior to that.

Simek: 鈥淲e are lucky to live in an area where the climate is just right for tapping maple trees and making syrup and we have many sugar and black maple trees on campus. We do 50 trees each year and are careful not to over tap them 鈥� that鈥檚 why we rotate every few years or so.

We know there was a forest of maples by the Henry Ford Estate that Henry tapped for syrup right after he and Clara bought the land in 1908. Maple syrup making is mentioned in a 1911 book by Jefferson Butler, who did bird surveying for the Fords. He said how much he enjoyed watching the process. Some of those original maples that the Fords tapped are still there, but most are newer. They are descendants of the Ford鈥檚 sugar bush (that鈥檚 what we call a group of maple trees used for maple syrup).

Of course, Indigenous people on the land tapped trees for the sap hundreds of years prior to that. We don鈥檛 have an exact record to point to, but we know maple syrup is distinctly North American and that Indigenous peoples were using it as a staple food when the Europeans arrived.鈥�

EIC staff member Rick Simek, right, pours maple sap into the outdoor kitchen as children watch the maple syrup making process.

If you want to grow your own sugar bush, you need to plan ahead.

Simek: 鈥溾€淭he adage goes that people who plant trees are working for their children and grandchildren. That is certainly true with sugar maples and black maples. If you plant saplings this year it would be 40 to 50 years before the trees were big enough to tap 鈥� and about 100 years before they were big enough for two buckets.

I don鈥檛 ever want to discourage anyone from planting a tree, but people should know it鈥檚 a natural process that takes a bit of time, just like many of life鈥檚 best things. So you won鈥檛 be able to collect your own sap anytime soon.

That鈥檚 why we invite people to come do this with us. We want people and families to have this experience. It will go beyond February 18 too. For two or so weeks after our tree-tapping event, we invite volunteers to help us collect the sap. We do collection around 4 p.m. daily, depending on conditions. That鈥檚 where we bring the buckets from the trees to where our sap chefs will later turn it into syrup. Sample tastes of syrup are available to anyone who drops by our syrup kitchen while it's being prepared.鈥� Want to help empty sap buckets? If you are interested in joining a volunteer corps for a hike out to the sugar bush, please let the EIC staff know on this form.

The syrup will be available to buy in March.

Simek: 鈥淲e cannot just take our pancakes up to a tree and top them with syrup. It takes 35 to 40 gallons of sap from sugar maples or black maples to make one gallon of maple syrup.

That鈥檚 because it鈥檚 mostly water 鈥� and like 2-to-4% sugar. The sap is like water that tastes just a little bit sweet. When we boil it in our outdoor kitchen, which removes the water through evaporation, we get a natural treat: yummy syrup. On average, we collect 480 to 500 gallons of sap 鈥� which is about 12 gallons of syrup. We then bottle it in small containers (250ml) to sell. When it鈥檚 ready, an order form will be available on the EIC website. I鈥檓 partial, but our syrup is really good stuff 鈥� and we know exactly where it comes from right down to the trees.鈥�

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

Nature or Environment

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Environmental Interpretive Center

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Wed, 02/15/2023 - 17:46

Dress for the weather 鈥� the forecast says 47 degrees and sunny 鈥� and come to 51视频-Dearborn on Saturday. You鈥檙e invited to take part in a favorite seasonal activity.

EIC staff member Rick Simek leads a maple tree tapping lesson to younger EIC explorers. During maple syrup season, approximately 1,000 children on school field trips visit the center. Photo by Sarah Tuxbury

News

51视频-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service

stuxbury — Mon, 16 Jan 2023 22:03:45 +0000

51视频-Dearborn celebrates 30th Annual MLK Day of Service stuxbury Mon, 01/16/2023 - 17:03

On Monday, athletes, academics, alumni and others came together as advocates. For the 30th year at 51视频-Dearborn, hundreds of people went out to help others in the name and memory of Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr.

During that 30 years, Chancellor Domenico Grasso said 8500 people have volunteered 42,000 hours in Detroit and the surrounding areas.

鈥淭his year is especially important to us because a few months ago we dedicated our University Center after James Renick, who was the chancellor that started this MLK Day of Service,鈥� Grasso said. 鈥淲e are indebted to him, not only for starting this, but for reaching out to our community and building stronger partnerships.鈥�

Volunteers from 51视频-Dearborn, Henry Ford College and throughout the community lent a helping hand and inspired positive change. They had the option to serve in person or work remotely to support community agencies like the Capuchin Services Center, Gleaners, Eternal Light and Forgotten Harvest.

At the Arts & Scraps table in 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 Fairlane Center, Delta Sigma Theta sorority chapter President Destiny Proffett sorted craft supplies to be used in schools and community programs. Proffett said she looks forward to volunteering on MLK Day because of the solidarity she sees.

鈥淚t鈥檚 important to get out and give of yourself to help others,鈥� said Proffett, who volunteered with members from her organization. 鈥淒r. King strongly believed in service. Hopefully a day like today creates a spark that lights the way for a lifelong commitment to service.鈥�

During welcome remarks, 51视频-Dearborn Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keisha Blevins talked about the power of voice. She said people honor Dr. King鈥檚 legacy by getting involved and by speaking up 鈥� not just on MLK Day or this week, but every day.

鈥淒r. King鈥檚 determination for equal rights and service to others should speak to all of us as human beings. He believed that we had a responsibility to not only use our own voices but to also speak on behalf of those whose voices are being silenced and to make room for them,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e are fortunate to be a part of a university that believes in inclusion and community impact.鈥�

See what 51视频-Dearborn and Henry Ford College volunteers did during the 30th Annual MLK Day of Service.

Chancellor Domenico Grasso works with Brooke Garland at the Arts & Scraps table in campus' Fairlane Center North to create bags of materials to send to local schools and community organizations.

51视频-Dearborn students Jack Meyers and Allyssa Decato sorted boxes of craft supplies at Arts & Scraps in Detroit.

Fairlane Center was set up to pack meals for Kids Against Hunger, which has provided a total of 162 million meals to children and families in need in 65 countries.

51视频-Dearborn Chief Officer for Inclusion and Diversity Keisha Blevins and graduate student Alvita Yathati package the nutrient mix, which will be sent to hungry families.

MLK Day of Service volunteers spent the day at the Capuchin Services Center in Detroit.

Students, alumni, staff and children spent time knitting hats and scarves to donate to homeless shelters. Abigail Awood, 10, crocheted with her mother 51视频-Dearborn Graduate Programs Coordinator Rebekah Awood.

51视频-Dearborn cross country runners Gavin Llewelyn and Luke Kaferle made rollable plastic mats with carrying handles for homeless shelters.

MLK Day of Service volunteers spent time at Gleaners in Taylor, where they sorted food items, packaged boxes that will be distributed to people in need in the southeastern Michigan region.

Office of TRIO Programs Adviser Rachel Leonard, right, and 51视频-Dearborn TRIO tutor/mentors Gigi Nassir, left, and Austin Kipfmiller, center, finish making a fleece blanket. The blankets made will be send to nonprofit organizations like Vista Maria.

Have photos of the MLK Day of Service that you'd like us to add? Reach out to umdearborn-news@umich.edu.

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Mon, 01/16/2023 - 22:01

The MLK Day of Service hosted nearly 400 volunteers who served at 10 sites at 51视频-Dearborn and in the community.

51视频-Dearborn students Vanessa Coly, Savannah Welch and Morgan Jones making roll up mats out of plastic bags that will be donated to organizations like Vista Maria. Photos by Sarah Tuxbury

News

Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr.

stuxbury — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 21:54:39 +0000

Celebrate the life and legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. stuxbury Wed, 01/11/2023 - 16:54

A variety of voices and events on- and off-campus next week will honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr.

A Peace Rally brings community members together to continue social justice efforts. Students in multicultural organizations 鈥� like the Black Student Union, Alpha Psi Lambda Latino Fraternity, Indian Graduate Student Association and others 鈥� will reflect on Dr. King鈥檚 legacy. Professors will discuss the role of religion in civil rights.

鈥淎nd there are more events and activities planned. This is a campus and community collective effort to continue Dr. King鈥檚 legacy through intentional inclusion,鈥� said Center for Social Justice and Inclusion Director Shareia Carter. 鈥淚t鈥檚 wonderful to see such strong partnerships across the university and into the community come together.鈥�

The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service on Jan. 16 鈥� a day that鈥檚 all about partnership 鈥� starts off the Martin Luther King Week of Events. Chancellor Domenico Grasso, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer Keisha Blevins and Henry Ford College President Russ Kavalhuna will give opening remarks starting at 9:30 a.m. at Fairlane Center North's Quad E.

In its 30th year, 51视频-Dearborn and Henry Ford College have partnered to organize a day where the two schools can assist community-based organizations through a variety of options. Volunteers can pack food boxes for families in need, sort gently used clothing at Capuchin Services Center, make fleece blankets for shelters and more.

鈥淭hat is a big deal 鈥� we are celebrating 30 years for a single event. We even pivoted it remotely to still have the Day of Service during the pandemic,鈥� Carter said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e proud of the campus鈥� ongoing commitment to Dr. King鈥檚 legacy.鈥�

Here are campus events taking place next week that highlight MLK, the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of continued social justice work.

Ongoing

Mardigian Library Book Display and De-Stress Zone
Learn more about civil rights activism in Detroit and surrounding areas. Celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.鈥檚 legacy through education. Books and other materials highlighted in the Mardigian Library鈥檚 first floor display case and in the de-stress zone are available for check out.

鈥⑩€⑩€�

Through Jan. 18

Martin Luther King Jr. and Civil Rights Icons of Detroit
MLK came to Southeast Michigan in 1963 to give his 鈥淚 Have A Dream鈥� speech, which had an impact on the Civil Rights Movement. Advocates and activists such as Rosa Parks, Rev. Nicholas Hood, Sr, Grace Lee Boggs and others played a significant role too. Explore their lives and the Civil Rights Movement through a display on the first floor of the Mardigian Library.

鈥⑩€⑩€�

Monday, Jan. 16

30th Annual 51视频-Dearborn MLK Day of Service
10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Volunteers from across campus and the surrounding community will come together to lend a helping hand and inspire long lasting and positive change throughout the Metro Detroit area. Volunteers will work remotely or in person to support Detroit-area community agencies in fulfilling their valuable missions. Registration is closed, but you can get more information.

鈥⑩€⑩€�

Tuesday, Jan. 17

Chancellor's Video Club: Baldwin/Buckley Debate
10:30 a.m., Renick University Center, Kochoff Hall B
Watch the video 鈥�James Baldwin vs William F Buckley: A legendary debate鈥� (it鈥檚 less than one hour) and discuss it during the first Chancellor鈥檚 Video Club. You can watch on your own or join a public viewing at 9:30 a.m., just prior to the discussion.

鈥�Addressing Racism in the White Church,鈥� a talk lead by Calvin University Professor Kristen Kobes Du Mez and 51视频-Dearborn Associate Professor Terri Laws
1-2:30 p.m. Zoom.
Calvin University Professor Kristen Kobes Du Mez and 51视频-Dearborn Associate Professor of African and African American Studies Terri Laws will discuss racism in the white church, what effect this segment of the U.S. population has had on American culture, and the threat that racism in the white Evangelical church presents to American democracy.

鈥⑩€⑩€�

Wednesday, Jan. 18

"Impact of the Dream" Film Screening and Discussion
6-8 p.m. Mardigian Library, room 1211. Register to attend.
The Campus Video Network and the Black Student Union created a short film featuring 51视频-Dearborn's community members鈥� thoughts on the legacy and impact of Dr. King and his dream.

鈥⑩€⑩€�

Thursday, Jan. 19

2023 MLK Peace Rally
11 a.m.-1 p.m. Thursday, Meet at the Renick University Center. Register to attend.
Poster making begins at 11 a.m.; the rally starts at noon at the UC's north-east entrance.
A peaceful march from 51视频-Dearborn to Henry Ford College recognizes the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and commemorates the role that protest has taken in shaping our society. Hear messages from the Black Student Union, Student Government, Alpha Psi Lambda, Indian Graduate Student Association and a keynote address from Henry Ford College African American Studies Professor Kalvin Harvell. The rally will end at Henry Ford College's Building L. Snacks will be provided upon arrival at HFC.

Article by Sarah Tuxbury.

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Off

Wed, 01/11/2023 - 21:53

51视频-Dearborn hosts several events that highlight Dr. King, the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of continued social justice work.

Graphic by Violet Dashi

News

Students take away new perspectives during a week of service

Anonymous — Wed, 14 Dec 2022 18:06:25 +0000

Students take away new perspectives during a week of service Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 12/14/2022 - 13:06

Many of the students who pitched in during this year鈥檚 Alternative Spring Break and Solar Spring Break programs are no strangers to giving back. But several students said that with schedules packed full of classes, side jobs, and family obligations, it鈥檚 often hard to find time to regularly volunteer. The solid week of service not only felt like a much-needed chance to lend a hand. Many said it helped renew their motivation for doing so year round. Here鈥檚 a look at what 51视频-Dearborn students accomplished at sites in Cleveland, San Diego and right here on campus.

Cleveland

51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 Opportunity Scholars take the first part of their program鈥檚 name to heart.

鈥淥ur mindset is basically that if you鈥檙e given an opportunity to a make a difference, you take it,鈥� said sophomore Jalen Rose. You certainly saw that spirit on display during the recent Alternative Spring Break trip to Cleveland, where Rose and a group of his fellow OpScholars powered through a packed itinerary of service with seven different community organizations in just six days.

Both Rose and his fellow Cleveland site leader, sophomore Karina Nava, said one of the most meaningful experiences came at the front end of the week. The Monday trip into a rapidly changing Cleveland neighborhood left the team with an up-close look at the complexities of gentrification鈥攁nd a new lense on how that鈥檚 impacting Detroit.

鈥淚f we think about Detroit, we want it to grow, and for that you need new people and businesses to come in,鈥� Nava said. 鈥淏ut you also have to be careful with home pricing and the opportunities that are available for the people who have been here forever. They are the people who have created, over time, the culture of the city. So you can鈥檛 just relocate everyone, or you鈥檒l lose that culture. Finding the middle ground is what makes the challenge so difficult.鈥�

Later in the week, students pitched in packing lunches at a local food pantry, lent a hand with Habitat for Humanity and helped out at a Cleveland book bank. But it was a visit to a community center dedicated to helping immigrants and refugees that left the biggest mark on freshman Amanda Saleh.

鈥淭hey had so many kinds of programs, from helping out single mothers to teaching people English,鈥� Saleh said. 鈥淵ou see how hard it is for someone to leave their home and become an American citizen. It鈥檚 not as easy as some people think it is.鈥�

San Diego

Students from University of Michigan have traveled to San Diego to do solar installations in lower-income communities for the past five spring breaks. But 2018 was a year of milestones for their partnership with the nonprofit GRID Alternatives and the 鈥淪olar Spring Break鈥� program.

For starters, it was the first year that 51视频-Dearborn students made the trip alongside their Ann Arbor counterparts. In fact, Alexis Thompson and Christian Cannon, both juniors in 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 mechanical engineering department, served as team leaders for the trip鈥攐verseeing everything from fundraising to personally cooking meals for their team of 25 volunteers at the end of their long work days.

Thompson said they initially set a goal of raising $10,000 to support a single solar installation in their target service area鈥攁 La Jolla tribal community northeast of San Diego. In the end, the group blew through that target, raising more than $25,000鈥攁 record number for a U-M Solar Spring Break team. That allowed them to complete three solar arrays in less than a week.

鈥淭he cultural aspect was also pretty incredible,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e had a lot of conversations, and members of the community talked about how hard it was for their students to get into universities, or about the increase in crime and abuse rates. And those are some of the very same issues facing households in Detroit. So I was able to make connections with people from a totally different background in a totally different part of the country.鈥�

Cannon said the group already is planning its next renewable energy-focused service trips, including a return trip to the La Jolla reservation next year and a project in Tijuana. The trip to Mexico will mark yet another milestone: It will make the U-M team the first Solar Spring Break group to take their volunteerism outside the U.S.

Dearborn

Students who were staying closer to home for the break didn鈥檛 miss out on the week of giving back. A third team of about a dozen students participated in three days of hands-on activities on campus.

On the first day, that included making blankets for area homeless shelters, which gave graduate student Priyal Sheth a rare chance to connect with students from other parts of the university.

鈥淚鈥檓 in engineering, so I only get to work with other engineers,鈥� Sheth said. 鈥淏ut on our team we had a biology major, somebody from the College of Business, and two people who just transferred from other schools. One of us was from South Africa, one from El Salvador, another from South America, another from the Middle East鈥攁nd I鈥檓 from India. You鈥檙e sitting there for a few hours, too, so it鈥檚 a chance to hear a lot of different perspectives. By the end of the day, you feel like old friends.鈥�

Later in the week, students wrote cards to kids in local hospitals and organized 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 Student Food Pantry.

Master鈥檚 student Raquel Estrada, who was participating in ASB for the second time, said the turnout for the local events left her energized.

鈥淚 thought there weren鈥檛 going to be that many people showing up because it was spring break,鈥� she said. 鈥淏ut for every activity, there were at least five or six people coming in and out per hour. So it shows you we can make a difference anywhere, from campus or outside. Either way, it鈥檚 really powerful.鈥�

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Student Life

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Mon, 03/19/2018 - 05:00

More than two dozen students participated in Alternative Spring Break and Solar Spring Break programs at home and across the country.

This edible landscape is one of 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 best-kept secrets

Anonymous — Wed, 30 Nov 2022 18:16:59 +0000

This edible landscape is one of 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 best-kept secrets Anonymous (not verified) Wed, 11/30/2022 - 13:16

It鈥檚 probably not such a bad thing the on-campus orchard and garden is tucked along a less-traveled stretch of sidewalk on the east side of the Natural Sciences Building. After all, if it had been located within picking distance of a major campus thruway, it鈥檚 easy to see how the apples, wild strawberries and blueberries might succumb to an everyday gauntlet of faculty, staff and student foragers.

While some grazing might be inevitable, Director of Facilities Planning Kate Pepin expects most of the produce to reach its intended destination: the 51视频-Dearborn Student Food Pantry.

And though it may be a few years before they鈥檙e collecting big-time harvests for students, she and a team of volunteers who help maintain the garden have designed the site with longevity in mind. Unlike most gardens in northern climates, which typically rely on annual crops that are harvested through the summer and fall, this orchard is built on the idea of permaculture鈥攁n approach to agriculture designed around sustainability and self-sufficiency.

For example, Pepin and the team have chosen a balance of plantings that favors lower-maintenance edible perennials. They sometimes take a few years to get established, but they鈥檒l produce year after year without need for replanting. The blueberries are one of those crops, along with the cranberries, ginger, a cold-tolerant variety of kiwi, and several kinds of apples. Underneath the branches of the latter, there鈥檚 also a thick mat of tenacious wild strawberries, which they鈥檙e planning to complement with an everbearing variety this year. Pepin said that kind of 鈥渓ayering鈥� is another hallmark of permaculture plantings and allows them to grow more food in less space.

Throughout the garden, you鈥檒l see another key permaculture principle on display鈥攃ompanion planting鈥攚hich clusters crops that like living side by side.

鈥淲hen we plant garlic this fall, it will be next to the roses because garlic and roses grow well together,鈥� Pepin explained. Those roses are edible too; as are the hibiscus and violets they鈥檙e planning to add to the garden this summer.

As the garden fills in, so are the ranks of volunteers and staff who are lending a hand. Pepin said Jeanette Whiting, 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 veteran master gardener, has brought her effort and expertise to the project and helped shepherd the garden through that critical first year. And this season, a small group of students is pitching in to handle summer weeding, watering and harvesting.

鈥淔or me, as a political science major, one of the things you study is environmental issues and sustainability,鈥� said senior Ashleigh Schoeninger. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 pretty cool to see a real example of that. I think everyone should have access to food that鈥檚 not contaminated with pesticides and toxins.鈥�

Volunteering at the garden was personal for health policy studies senior Fannetta Watson. Last year, she decided to leave her job in order to make time for her studies, and the student food pantry helped fill in some gaps when money got tight.

鈥淚鈥檇 walked past that area before, and I never even knew that was a garden,鈥� Watson said. 鈥淏ut when Kate [Pepin] explained what was going on there, I was really excited to do something. That little bit of space can feed a lot of people.鈥�

Pepin and the team aren鈥檛 expecting a super bountiful harvest for at least another year or two, but as the garden matures, she hopes it can indeed add a meaningful amount of hyper-local fresh foods to the shelves of the student food pantry. And if you鈥檙e a tempted forager, there鈥檚 still a way for you to have a taste. Pepin said a little grazing is an assumed perk for anyone who helps with the harvest.

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Mon, 06/18/2018 - 05:00

The low-maintenance permaculture orchard and garden is growing fresh produce鈥攆or a good cause.

51视频-Dearborn students Fannetta Watson and Ashleigh Schoeninger are among the student volunteers who are lending a hand to the university鈥檚 permaculture orchard this summer.

Nearly 400 volunteer to serve community during 26th Annual MLK Day of Service

Anonymous — Thu, 29 Sep 2022 19:44:41 +0000

Nearly 400 volunteer to serve community during 26th Annual MLK Day of Service Anonymous (not verified) Thu, 09/29/2022 - 15:44

This article was originally published on January 21, 2019.

Despite below-freezing temperatures, nearly 400 volunteers from University of Michigan-Dearborn and Henry Ford College turned out to participate in the university鈥檚 26th Annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service today. The event is a collaboration that brings together students, faculty, staff and alumni from both schools for a morning of service to organizations throughout metro Detroit.

Volunteers gathered at 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 University Center early this morning and then dispersed to nearly two dozen on-campus locations and partner organizations.

Welcoming the volunteers to his first university MLK Day of Service, Chancellor Domenico Grasso reflected on Unitarian minister Theodore Parker鈥檚 sentiment on the 鈥榤oral universe,鈥� which was popularized by King鈥檚 quote, 鈥淭he arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice.鈥�

鈥淪eeing the ultimate solution to all of our challenges is nearly impossible,鈥� Grasso said. 鈥淗owever, it is the sense of optimism, knowing that the arc bends towards justice that inspires us to make a difference each day.鈥�

Henry Ford President Russell Kavalhuna, also participating in his first MLK Day of Service, encouraged students to think about their passions as they are out in the community.

鈥淵ou are given the liberty to learn about yourself through service. And if you can find what your passion is, then you can devote your life to it 鈥� If you do that, then you鈥檒l be honoring the legacy of the person we鈥檙e here to honor,鈥� he said.

Volunteers sort food at Gleaners Community Food Bank

The morning鈥檚 volunteer activities included sorting donations at Fish & Loaves Community Food Pantry, cleaning stalls at the Michigan Humane Society, and sorting food and cleaning at Zaman International.

Junior Zeinab Alhassan, who volunteered on campus during last year鈥檚 MLK Day of Service, decided to go out into the community this year.

鈥淢artin Luther King, Jr. did so much for humanity. The least I can do is give a few hours of my time,鈥� said Alhassan, who volunteered at Zaman International. 鈥淚t might not have a huge impact, but my small action might spark something in someone else or make someone else鈥檚 day a little better.鈥�

Former 51视频-Dearborn staff member Jung Koral, now U-M School for Environment and Sustainability associate director of enrollment services, said he has volunteered for 51视频-Dearborn鈥檚 MLK Day of Service for the past seven years.

鈥淵ou meet really great people and learn about some of the work being done in Detroit communities. It鈥檚 working together and having camaraderie while making a difference,鈥� said Koral, who volunteered at Urban Neighborhood Initiatives. 鈥淚鈥檓 shoveling snow today 鈥� and sure, it鈥檚 cold 鈥� but this is nothing for these neighborhood organizations; this work is 24/7. It鈥檚 a few hours of my time to give kids a safe snow-free path to walk at the park and I鈥檓 happy to give it.鈥�

Volunteers divide bulk food items for the pantry at Zaman International

The MLK Day of Service kicked off a week of events organized to honor King鈥檚 legacy:

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

Black History 101 Mobile Museum, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Kochoff Hall, UC
Silent March, noon-12:30 p.m., University Center Atrium
Commitment to Inclusion Reception, 4:30-6:30 p.m. *reservation required

Wednesday, January 23, 2019

Healing and Justice for Sexual Assault Survivors in the African American Community, 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., Kochoff Hall A&B, UC

Thursday, January 24, 2019

Democracy Dialogues, 12:30-2 p.m., Kochoff Hall C, UC
Engagement Day, 2-4, Kochoff Hall A&B, UC

University-wide

Volunteer or Community Service

Chancellor

Metropolitan Impact

Off

Mon, 01/21/2019 - 06:00

The event, which is a partnership between 51视频-Dearborn and Henry Ford College, included more than 20 volunteer sites throughout the metro area.

News