DAY 9 GLIMMERS OF HOPE IN DETROIT

LEAP Lower Eastside Action Plan

Animal Party House
Heidelberg Project

Our Tuesday morning in Detroit started with Khalil Ligon who currently manages the Lower East Side Action Plan (LEAP)  , collaborative community planning project at Warren Conner Development Coalition. We had a bus tour of Lower Eastside of Detroit and Ms. Ligon explained Class 42 the engagement of community with LEAP to transform vacant land and property into more efficient uses in different areas.  We were able to see efforts to replace blight with art passing the Poke-Dot and Party Animal House (pictured) of the Heidelberg project .   Location  

 

Kalil Ligon
LEAP Outreach Manager

Overcoming Education Challenges in Detroit

2^nd Stop

Asenath Andrews  Principal of Catherine Ferguson Academy For Young Women.    Location (Map) 

Graduate of Olivet College for her undergrad, Wayne State University for her masters and a Fullbright scholar with a PHD from the U of M

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation award in 2004 for one of 8 break through high schools

Milken award for educator of the year in 2009

Featured in MS magazine, Oprah Magazine, and Rachel Maddow show for saving the school from closure by converting it to a charter from a public school.   

School for pregnant and young mothers with on site day care and counseling.

Graduation rate exceeding 90% and a higher level education acceptance rate of 100% over more than 9 years in a school she founded and converted from Public to Private.

Had an in-house urban farm on campus with animals fruits and vegetables. For science conducted autopsies on everything including road kill. (deer, dogs, cats, goats)

Conducting national and international travel with students and their children every year.

On her wall were many quotes that inspired, but one was incredibly fitting of her philosophy:

Do not call for black power or green power call for Brain power—Barbra Jordan

 

Advice in Leadership:

Dr G. Asenath Andrews

Catherine Ferguson Academy for Young Women

Do vs. Plan

Motivate your employees.  Give them an extra payday (candy bar)

Write personal notes to everyone.  It makes a difference.

Smart is what you get not what you are.

I will always think I am right, I think it is stupid to do things if you don’t think it is right.

Find people who challenge your thinking.  Diversify who you talk to.  It will expand your position.

“We work hard to build their self-esteem. These kids have amazing brains, something they don’t know. I will tell them, ‘Did you know you were smart? Did you know you were amazing?’ Sometimes what I hear back is ‘Oh, you mean me?’ I want them to know how far they can fly.”

 

Lunch at Hockey Town Cafe Detroit

During our lunch break, Class 42 shared a humorous hour among us.  We ate at Detroit’s Hockeytown restaurant across the street from Comerica Park.  We laughed and cheered as our meals were received by nicknames.  Those in attendance were the Snugglee Ange, What’s for Dinner Persons, Cotton Boy Boswell, The Sickly One Gill, among others. 

Hockey town Cafe

Overcoming Education Challenges in Detroit

Principal Dr. Clara Smith of Thirkell Elementary Schools, bringing excellence to Detroit Primary Education. 

Dr. Clara Smith Principal
Thirkell Elementary Detroit

Recipient of the Skillman Foundation of Good Scholars Grant and been designated a HIGH performing School for:

·         meeting and exceeding grade expectations in math, Science and English

·         Offering a challenging Cirricula

·         Demanding Consistent attendance and Punctuality

Our visit and tour revealed her  leadership style of setting high expectations, instituting and enforcing order and discipline.  It is a simple but consistent and effective.  She communicated it as the  responsibility to lead with conviction and consistency.

The students were focused on learning and acting with self control. 

Her comments included:

The parents give us their best with their children, so we must give them our best.

Set the tone with expectations.

I run the school as a professional administrator. 

Today they are here to learn.  We send people home that get in the way of the learning process.

Economic Revitalization of Detroit

Dr. Lyke Thompson
Director of Urban Studies at Wayne State University at the Historic Freer House

In our final secession of the day, Class 42 was introducing to the concept of economical revitalization of Detroit, and the current projects that are underway.  Dr.  Lyke Thompson, a Director of Urban Studies at Wayne State University, explain the current focus on transitioning Detroit’s work force in an entrepreneur culture and diversifying the employment opportunities for its citizens will lead to a stronger city.  He also hopes with further educational goals of Detroit’s able young work force make a rapid transformation.  Hearing a voice of optimism from a Detroit native, was an extremely refreshing after Class 42 spent the previous two days immersed in the blight of once prosperous city.

Lyke Thompson, Director Urban Studies Wayne State University

Posted By: Ulash Turkhan, Justin Micheli, Nathan Dorn