Youth Development

Consider these facts:

• Children of color are more likely than their white counterparts to be sorted into special education, less challenging subjects and disciplinary programs, (p. 18 Structural Racism and Youth Development, Issues, Challenges, and Implications February 18, 2004).


• By the end of the public school experience, 7% of white students have dropped out of school compared with 13% of black students, and 28% of Latino students, (p. 21 Structural Racism and Youth Development, Issues, Challenges, and Implications February 18, 2004).


• African American children are less than 20% of Michigan’s total child population however they represent over 50% of the children in our foster care system. African Americans are approximately 50% of Wayne County’s child population, but represent over 80% of the County’s foster care caseload. (Issues for Michigan’s Children by Michigan’s Children, Lansing, MI).


• Only 50% of teenagers who exit the foster care system “age out” have a high school diploma or GED, 25% are homeless, one in four males and one in ten females spend time in prison. (Issues for Michigan’s Children by Michigan’s Children, Lansing, MI)




Youth Development Initiatives

New Detroit is engaged in the following efforts for the purpose of improving the living and learning environments for children in and around Detroit.




Detroit High School Innovation Network (HSI)




The goal of this network is: to explore, advocate, support, and implement strategies to increase the graduation rate and preparedness of Detroit high school students for college, technical training and /or other professional opportunities.




The HSI is accomplishing this goal by visiting and examining successful school models in the Detroit area as well as schools in other urban communities in the United States that have made significant progress in improving the graduation rates of their students. Additionally HSI team members are meeting and learning from community organizations that are at the forefront of systemic change within the New York and Chicago school systems. Care was taken to identify schools with students having one or more demographics in common with Detroit including: more than 75% free and reduced lunch, significant minority population, high school student populations of 1000+.




The members of this group represent the wide range of Detroit's K-12 stakeholders: parents, Detroit's K - 12 (Public, Private, Public Charter) school systems, community based organizations, business, and local colleges/universities. This project is made possible in part by the generous support of the Skillman Foundation.




Detroit Public Schools Progress Report




New Detroit continues its review and support for improvement in the Detroit Public Schools. Our latest effort will produce results of surveys from Detroit parents/caregivers and students. The report will provide DPS leadership with valuable data regarding parent's motivation for keeping or removing their children from the District.