Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program
The Detroit Community-Engaged Research Program (DCERP) provides U-M undergraduate students opportunities to work with Detroit non-profits on research and creative projects led by the organizations themselves. Students selected for the 9-week summer program are paid a stipend and become part of an intentional learning community that shares a passion for social justice and making change. DCERP fellows attend program meetings and form small collaborative learning groups that delve into topics of mutual interest, such as the city’s culture and history through a social justice lens, community engagement, personal growth and professional development. Due to COVID-19, the program has switched to a remote model this summer.
The DCERP is generously funded by the University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. The program receives additional support from the Ford Fund (Ford Community Corps grant), the Katherine Redlich-Horwitz Family Foundation, and the Audrey and Ralph Goldberg Fund.
DCERP 2021 Student Blogs
- Week 6: A New LocationThis week, I got the opportunity to attend an interview at Greater Quinn AME Church in Detroit. Typically, the interviews I attend are held in the Muslim Center and run by student volunteers. This interview was different, as it …
- Already over?Wow, I really can’t believe we are at the end of the program! I’m sad that it is ending, but I’m so thankful for this experience and to have had the opportunity to meet all of you. While this …
- Week 9: ReflectionsThere’s only a couple days left of DCERP, and it’s crazy how fast the past couple months have gone by. Reflecting on my very first blog post, I can say that I am proud of the work I accomplished, …
- Week 9: Look at Where You Came From, Look at You NowI remember when I was applying to be a part of this program, I immediately began reading the blog posts from the 2020 cohort. The first ones that popped up were the week 9 reflections, and it’s crazy to …
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- Whew, what a summer! – MonicaRereading my first blog post, I can’t believe its been nine weeks since. I still have the same idea of what community is. I do think its a place where you can have meaningful connections with the people around …
- Week Eight: The Project and Its Progress!With so many different projects that I have for 826michigan, it’s incredible to see how much progress the work I’ve done for 826michigan is being put into use! I had a last minute project to email about 100 families …
- Week Eight: Can’t Believe We’ve Come This FarI can’t believe we are coming up on our last week together. Although I will still be working with my community placement until the end of the summer, I am still really sad that I won’t be able to …
- Week 8: I’m a little late and frazzledMy week has been so hectic and crazy. My project is actually coming to a head this weekend by putting on Hotter Than July. I’ve had to work testing zones for 12 hours, which is insane, but such important …
- Week 8: FulfilledI remember the first day I arrived at Hamtramck City Hall. I was so nervous, yet so excited at the same time. Mara, my mentor, came out of her office and gave me the biggest hug. From that moment, …
- Week 8: Reflecting on my projects!Throughout the summer, my main project involved conducting research and creating a database regarding the ownership and tax status of residential properties, which can be used by my organization to plan future development projects. At the beginning of the …
- WOW WEEK 8??I’ve worked on so many projects with Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision. I worked with the Healthy Air department to contact trucking businesses and educate them about switching to more environmentally friendly trucks. I worked with the Land and Water …
- Week 8: bite-sized victoriesMy project involves a lot of interviews. I’m interviewing past students out of the organization’s program, as well as past (or continuing) community partners with DFA. I learned through this process that conducting interviews with people can be very …
- Week Eight Already??Hi friends! Reflecting on the entire summer, I must say that my project has come so far. I learned a lot about economic disenfranchisement in Detroit and general personal and business finances. Lately, I have been working on tying …
- A new beginning in Week 8!Hi all! I was given new projects, new supervisors, and a first chance to come into the office this week!! Which is sort of crazy to think about since we’re closing in on the program. Since I’ve completed my …
- Week 8: Is it Imposter Syndrome?I started this experience with little knowledge on justice reform, and I am nearing the end of this program with new perspectives and outlooks on jail diversion and possibilities for community courts. When I read and listen to the …
- Week 8: Articles, Interviews, and Calling the Wrong NumberFrom the beginning, my project was always very general. I knew I would be researching and writing stories about the Great Lakes, but beyond that, there weren’t many details. What kinds of articles would I write? Would they be …
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- Meet my Mentor: Katrina McCreeKatrina McCree just celebrated her one year anniversary at NSO in mid July, but her career is built off a wide array of experiences that has helped her fostered success and prepare her for her current position. Katrina went …
- Week 8: Julie Rice (aka Madam President)Last week, I had the chance to sit down and talk with the farmers market manager, Julie Rice. She is very quick, very successful, and seems to know every single person who steps foot in our market. Julie has …
- A Reflection on my time with Thinking HabitatsI’ve learned so much from being at my site these past couple of months (which flew by!) Being in this type of office work environment was a very new experience for me but it was also enjoyable. I liked …
- Week 8: Almost at the End?!My project coming into the DCERP program looks drastically different from the work I’m doing now at NSO, but a large part of that is because Abby and I completed all of our original tasks much faster than all …
- Week 8: Learning about housing policy & initiativesI can’t believe it’s Week 8 of the fellowship! Only one more week to go everyone! Reflecting on my time with CDAD, I feel thankful for the deep-dive of housing policies and initiatives in Detroit. Housing equity has always …
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- Week 8: Reflecting on my projectThis is a difficult prompt for me because I was never really assigned one project. Instead, I worked on a variety of things and acted more as support on those projects. I think that these past weeks have taught …
- 6/15 MeetingA guest speaker that really stood out to me was Ms. Tiffany Brown from Detroit Food Academy and Developing Despite Distance (3D). Her presentation was multifaceted and informative. Something that stood out to me about Ms. Brown’s time with …
- Week 7: Speaker that Stood out to meOne of the many, amazing speakers that stood out to me was Deandre Calvert. I am really interested in pursuing a career in public policy, and hoping to get my degree from the School of Public Policy. Lately, the …
- Week Seven: A Great Group Presentation!This week was full of lots of work when it came to my internship but that didn’t delay our community group, The Antiracist Rockstars, to present our group presentation! It was so much fun being able to interact with …
- Week Seven: Theater Writers Club! Our Main Project!Now, for the moment we’ve all been waiting for! This Wednesday and Thursday was our first experience in our Theater Writers Club! Our team met up on Monday to discuss our roles and responsibilities for the club. We also …
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- Week 7: Learning Group PresentationsThis week, I really enjoyed the Antiracism and Environmental Justice presentations! During Tuesday’s meeting, the privilege “walk” made me realize I’m privileged in more ways than I had ever thought about. I never used to consider “not having to …
- Week 7: PrivilegeA learning group presentation that stood out to me was the privilege presentation. When I first talked about privilege with a group of students my age, I was at my old community college. In this sociology class, I was …
- Week 7: 3.6 EarthsEvery summer I tend to get into sustainability. Although, this summer it feels like I never fell into that mindset of trying to be environmentally conscious. Therefore, I am glad the environmental justice group had us take the carbon …
- How can I be anti-racist?This tuesday the anti racism group presented. Their presentation was both entertaining and educational. One part that stood out to me was the anti-racist part; they said something along the lines of it should not be racist and non …
- Week Seven – OMGHello Everyone! I don’t really know what to talk about for this week’s prompt, however I couldn’t stop thinking about environmental justice. (Kudos to the group! and Lillith and Myla!) I am vegetarian and was vegan until college. I’ve …
- Week 7: Learning Groups So FarHey everyone! This week, I wanted to reflect on the learning group presentations so far. The anti-racism group did an amazing job, and the presentation afterwards was just as powerful. I found the virtual privilege walk to be particularly …
- Week 7: I’ve Met Some Incredible PeopleSometimes starting a blog post on here feels like sitting down to speak into a void, but kind of in a comforting way. Anyways, I wanted to utilize this week’s blog post as a time to think about some …
- Week 7: How to Change a CityI’m starting this lil’ talk about How to Kill a City. Now, from the jump, the author stated, “…poorer cities such as […] Detroit, where gentrification and tourism are some of the only economic engines keeping the cities from …
- Week 7: Reflection on Week 5 TalkOur guest speaker on week 5, Deandre Calvert, was very interesting to hear about public policy and how organizations are heard. It’s a little cheating because policy does come up at my site, however, my site isn’t focused on …
- Week 7: Detroit Policy Conference ReflectionsOn Tuesday, I had the opportunity to attend the Detroit Policy Conference, held at The Aretha right on the river. There were big-name guest speakers, like Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, Lt. Governor Garlin Gilcrest, Head Coach of the …
- Week 7: InspiredI am so inspired by the work that is being done in Detroit. I’ve learned and seen that the people are resilient from working with NSO as well as getting to hear about other fellows’ organizations. Today, I’d like …
- Week 7: Reflecting on a great groupI’ve really enjoyed that we have had guest speakers during our group meetings. One that stood out to me was Tiffany Brown with Detroit Food Academy and 3D. Developing Despite Distance was especially interesting to learn about from Ms …
- Week 7: Thank You to Our Speakers!One of my favorite guest speakers during our weekly DCERP meetings was the first speaker we had from Southwest Detroit Environmental Vision, Raquel Garcia. Through her talk, I could tell that Raquel is very passionate about the work she …
- Week 7: Good Job to the Anti-Racism Group!Hey everyone. A learning group presentation that stood out to me was the anti-racism group. I never really thought about the difference between “not racist” and “anti-racist”. And I really liked the video played by Ataia that explained the …
- Week 6: Free FormHey everyone! Admittedly, work has been picking up and I think that shows from this late blog post (I apologize!). I love the work that I have been doing in my placement so far. I have been involved in …
- Reparations for African AmericansIn the first week of our program, Ray shared some asynchronous content with us in the DCERP Fellows drive. The supplementary reading referenced the Kerner Report which President Johnson ordered to assess and make recommendations for the race-related “riots” …
