A lot is going on in Highland Park and with the 4803/HP Collaborative! Right now, as I mentioned in my previous post, the organization is undergoing a couple different research initiatives to help identify problems and solutions in the community. A big concern that my director, Charlene, has is for the youth and senior citizens within Highland Park. She thinks children and the elderly are being thrown away in a sense. This is why she is so passionate about identifying organizations that will help on her mission to support every child in Highland Park from “cradle to career.” We found out that the high school in Highland Park, once thriving academically, has very low enrollment and is on track to closing soon. The leaders of the organization are very hurt by that, most of them born and raised in HP. They are in the process of brainstorming ideas that could prevent this eminent closing.
As for what I’ve observed in the HP community and in Detroit, I can say that I’ve observed both the good and the bad. Starting with the bad, I see several frightening and disheartening things. Abandoned buildings, liquor stores on every corner, children playing in busted down parks, drug deals occurring between young teenagers, and homeless people everywhere. You can see how hard these communities have it financially. All of these things are issues that the HP Collaborative addresses and aims to improve, and the sheer determination and passion towards rebuilding the community is something great I’ve been seeing.
